The Bossier banner., 1899-11-09


where those are who went down in the
war vessels will not be known until
the sea gives up it's dead. The jack tars
knew that while loving arms might
carry the men who fell on the land
and bury them with solemn liturgy and
the honors of war, for the bodies OF
those who dropped from the ratlines
into the sea or went down with all on
board under the stroke of gunboat
there remained the shark and the whale
and the endless tossing of the sea which
cannot rest. Once year, in the deco
ration of the graves, those who fell in
the land were remembered. But how
about the graves of those who went
down at sea? Nothing but the arch
angels trumpet shall reach their lowly
bed. A few of them were gathered into
naval cemeteries of the land, and we
very year garland the sod that covers
them. But who will put flowers on the
fallen crew of the exploded Westfield
and Shawsheen and the sunken South
field and the Winfield Scott? Bullets
threatening in front, bombs threaten
ening from above, torpedoes threaten
ing from beneath, and the ocean, with
it's reputation of 5000 years for ship
wreck, lying all around, am not right
in saying it required special courage
for the navy in 1868 as it required spe-
cial courage in 1898?
1t looks picturesque and beautiful to
see war vessel going out through the
Narrows. sailors in new rig singing:
A life on the ocean wave,
A home on the rolling deep.
the colors gracefully dipping to passing
ships, the decks Immediately clean and
the guns at quarantine firing parting
salute. But the poetry is all gone out
of that ship as it comes out OF that
engagement, it's decks red with human
blood, wheelhouse gone, the cabins a
| pile of shattered mirrors and destroyed
| furniture, steering wheel broken,
smokestack crushed, hundred pound
whitworth rifle shot having left its
mark from port to starboard, the
shrouds rent away, ladders splintsred
an! decks plowed up and smoke black
ened and scalded corpses lying among
those who are gasping their last gasp
far away from home and kindred.
Oh, men of the American navy re-
| turned from Manila and Santiago and
| Havana, as well as those who are sur
vivors of the naval conflicts of 1868 and
1864, men of the western gulf squad,
ron, of the eastern gulf squadron, of the
South Atlantic squadron, of the North
Atlantic squadron, of the Mississippi
squadron, of the Pacific squadron, OF
the West India squadron and the Po-
tomac flotilla, hear our thanks! Take
the benediction of our churches. Ac
cept the hospitalities of the nation. i
we had our way, we would get you moi
only pension, but a home and
princely wardrobe and an equipag'
and a banquet while you live and aftel
your departure a catafalque and
mausoleum of sculptured marble, will
model of the ship in which you wo1
the day. 1t is considered gallan
thing when in a naval fight the flagship
with it's blue ensign goes ahead VI
river or into bay, its admiral stand
ing in it's shrouds watching and givin.
orders. But I have to tell you, o vet
erans of the American navy, if you ar
| as loyal to Christ as you were to the gov
: ernment, there is flagship sailing
ahead of you of which Christ is the ad
+ miral, and He watches from the shrouds
and the heavens are the blue ensign
I and He leads you toward the harbol
l and all the broadsides of earth and he
: cannot damage you, and ye whose gal
4 ments were once red with your ow
c blood shall have a robe washed an
f made white in the blood of the Lamf
: Then strike eight bells! High noon
S Heaven!
/! While we are heartily greeting an
), banqueting the sailor patriots just no
: returned we must not forget the We
d erans of the navy now in marine no
n pitals or spending their old days
r their own or their children's hom
i steads. O We veterans, | charge yo
!! bear up under the aches and veal
nesses that you still carry from tt
D, wartimes. You are not as stalwart ;
) YOU would have been but for that ner
5, Gus strain and for that terrific e.
y posure. Let every ache and pain, il
# stead of depressing, remind you
10 your fidelity. You have in nerve al
y muscle and bone and dimmed ey
t, sight and difficult hearing and shor
lie ness Of breath many intimations tn
ID YOU are gradually going down. It
a, the service of many years ago that
DO telling on you. Be of good cheer. Y
" owe you just as much as though yo
Ks lifeblood had gurgled through the scu
a, pers of the ship in the Red river e
st petition or as though you had go
,h down with the Melville off Halter;
ne Only keep your flag flying, as did I
illustrious Weehawken. Good che
a my boy! The memory of man is po
e. and all that talk about the count
IN never forgetting those who fought !
to it is an untruth. 1t does forget. w
er ness how the veterans sometimes b
ID, to turn the hand organs on the STR
m to get their families a living. W