The Saint Paul globe., 1899-04-20
In HONOR OF A HERO
UNWILLING OF A BRONZE TABLET
YESTERDAY AT FORT
SMELLING
TO MAI. wILK1NsoN's MEMORY


Life Take Part in the Ceremonies
Addresses by Gen. Copp, Capt.
Castle, Capt. McCardy and Oar
Reese.
1t has been the lot of comparatively few
men to have won by their lives the ex-
pressions of heartfelt sorrow and admir-
alton for manly life, which accom-
panied the unveiling of a handsome
bronze tablet yesterday afternoon at
Fort Smelling. to the memory of Mai
Melville Carey Wilkinson, late of the
"Old Third" United States infantry. The
tablet was stripped of its draping, SER
vice worn United States flag, in the
presence of a large gathering Of friends
OF the deceased soldier, both from civil
and military life. The short service
which accompanied the ceremony, was
the occasion for the expression of deep
life so filled with kindly deeds and ac-
tons should have been cut off In the
tragic manner in which 1t was: yet withal
feeling Of pride that the brave man
whose memory those present had gather
ed to honor. had died as he lived, in the
service of his country and following the
line Of his duty
AT o'clock yesterday afternoon four
special trains left the Ryan hotel carry
Ing to the fort a large party Of Maj Will
kinson's Civil war comrades. personal
friends from civilian life and army off,
cials from the board of inquiry now in
session at the army building, members
of the Loyal Legion and Rollins post, G..
A. r., Minneapolis, of which the dead
comrade was a member. The services
accompanying the unveiling Of the tablet,
which was erected on the east of the
front Of the administration building at
the fort, were simple in the extreme.
| Capt. J. J. McCardy, chairman of the
committee on arrangements, conducted
the services. which were opened with
prayer by Chaplain Reeves, Of Rollins
post. q. A. r.
Capt. McCardy said before introduce
Ing the principal speaker of the after
noon. Gen. Moses E. Clapp:
I'VE are assembled here to pay tribute
to the memory Of brave soldier, Capt.
Melville Carey Wilkinson, brevet major
Of the Third United States infantry, who
fell at his post of duty Oct. s, 1893. We,
his comrades and friends, place this tab
let on these walls as a permanent men,
crial Of the high esteem in which our
friend was held by all who knew him and
as testimonial of our regard for him
as the ideal of high-minded and no
BILE American soldier" He then intro
duced Gen. Clapp.
Just as he stepped forward to deliver
his address, the Stars and Stripes which
draped the tablet, were slowly lowered
and the inscription and medallion in honor
of the dead officer were revealed for the
| first time.
40 t0ll CT 10 90 c0lf
half feet by three in diameter and the
inscription reads:
The members of the Grand Army of
the Republic residing in st. Paul and
Minneapolis have erected this tablet to
the the memory Of their comrade, Capt. Mel
burg. N. Y, Nov IA, 1885. First lieuten-
ant 12Sd New York infantry. May Is.
1851: CAPTAIN pEdso 10th New York infantry,
States ST: infantry, July 2s. 1865; ascsigned to
Ih1rd United states infantry Aug. 8, 1870;
captain Third United States Infantry,
Aug. 3. 1870; killed In action with hostile
Indians at Sugar Point Minnesota, Oct.
s, 1898.
Soldier rest; thy warfare Ger.
Sleep the sleep that knows no breaking
Dream Of battle fields no more,
Days Of danger. nights Of waking.
In an interesting address, Gen. Clapp
said in part:
THE army and the soldier have ever
ment God might have created perfect
men and placed them under conditions
absolutely ideal, but this would have de-
prived them of the triumph Of achieve
ment and the pleasure of contemplation
Man was created with dual nature, on
the one hand the instinct of tyranny.
the love Of liberty, the instinct of gen
erosity and the Inspiration of progress
and development. The dual natures
have ever been at war, and In some form
ar roll
every contest, every death grip Of war
which the world has ever seen.
The soldier has. therefore, been an
absolute necessity employed at times for
the purpose OF oppression, conquest and
greco; employed again in the cause of
liberty progress and development. When
sion he has been practically an frresponsi-
Die machine, exercising no volition of
VII, put creature Of CONSUMPTION, obed-
1t Is only when he has served as an in
strument in the cause of liberty and
human NJ progress that he has volunteered
thority. his obedience has been prompted
by sense of duty and a spirit Of patriot
ism, rather than a fear of authority
soldier who has battled for liberty from
the soldier who has been the blind in
strument Of tyranny.
achievements Of the American soldier
upon the field Of battle, we may recall
how. drawn from the farm and the shop
In the days Of the Revolution, he met
the veterans whose bayonets has sus-
tained the throne Of Frederick the Great.
and how. drawn from the same peaceful
pursuits of the war of 1872, he met the
soldiers whose bayonets had overthrown
the throne of Napoleon, yet the spirit
which prompted him upon the field of
pattie tos and the patriotism which inspired
him as q citizen when armies melted
again into citizens, distinguishes him
above the. soldiers Of all other times and
countries
Oar Reese was introduced as a per-
sonal friend OF Maj. Wilkinson and spoke
briefly and with evident feeling of the
kindly side Of the dead soldiers char
acter seen by his friends. He eulogized
his love Of fair play" his affability and
generosity and the fidelity which he al
ways observed towards his friendships.
He mentioned him as a man not only be-
loved by his comrades in arms, but by
his friends In civil life, by the soldiers In
the ranks. to whose wants he was al
ways careful minister, and by every
one who knew him.
Capt. Castle made a short address, CIV
ing the side Of the dead soldiers char
acter. seen by his comrades Of the Civil
war and by those who were associated
with him as a member of Rollins post.
G. A. r.. He spoke feelingly Of the
thirty-seven years spent in the service
of the United States In three wars and
Of the heroism Of his f1rm and unbending
adherence to the line of his duty with
out regard to personal convenience or
preference. In forty days after the date
of his death, said the speaker, he would
have been retired from active service.