Mexico weekly ledger., 1899-03-30

major general. another achieving sim
liar rank in the Confederate army.
The Henry Clay branch Of the great
Clay family espoused the Confederate
cause. while The Csssius N. Clay branch
fought with the traditional courage Of
their race for the solidarity Of the I'm
ion.
John Marshall Harlan, now Mr.. Jus
tice Harlan Of the supreme court, with
q pedigree running back to the Cava-
hers Of jamestown, won renown on
many a bloody field. fighting under
''Oh Pap" Thomas, ''the Rock Of
Chickamsuga"
In the same army were Lowell b.
Rousseau, the ideal soldier and prince
y gentleman, and Benjamin Il. Bris-
tow, who missed the presidency only
by a scratch and through lack Of organ
ization Of his forces.
Fortunes Of Civil War.
/ had two schoOlmates older than
myself, named Dickinson, beardless
boys and brothers, of whom enlisted
with Morgan as a private and the other
in the same capacity in brave old Frank
Wolford's famous First Kentucky On
ion cavalry. The strange fortunes of
civil war brought these brothers face
to face in the great Indiana-O Ohio raid,
the greatest ride sver taken since horses
were first broken to bit and rein, and
when Morgan was captured the Confed-
crate Dickinson surrendered to his I'm
ion brother.
In Missouri Thomas Hart BENTON,
1.-THE great senator, North Carolinian
by birth and q Tennesssean by train
ing, lost his curule chair in 1851 on the
slavery question, and 80 long as he
lived his vast influence was for the I'm
ion, and it was his political pupil
Frank P. Blair, a Kentuckian and a
STAKEHOLDER, who more than any other
held Missouri 10 the Union, while his
cousin, General 10 Shelby. was the
beau sabreur Of the trsnsmississippi
Confederates.
To the same class belonged James o.
Broadhead, John B. Henderson, Edward
Bates Hamilton R. Gamble, Willard
p. Hail. John D. Stevenson, Thomas O.
Fletcher, Thomas T. Crittenden, Sam
uel 7. Glover. John r. Phillips, B.
GTatz Brown, John D. s. Dryden,
James s. Rollins-the most brilliant
orator and one Of the largest slave own
ers in the state-and q large minority,
If not a positive majority, of the lead
ing Unionists Of Missouri.
So far as / know only one Virginian
Of the frst rank fought for the Union
General George II. Thomas-but he
was a host within himself, the greatest
soldier on the Federal side; for that
will be the verdict of posterity after the
sleight of hand performers have done
juggling the facts Of history for politi-
cal effect.
Indeed it Is safe to say that had none
of the aristocratic families-wrongfully
30 called-none of the great families,
none of the Shareholders, stood for the
Union, Kentucky, Missouri and Mary
land would have seeded, and if they
had gone with the south unanimously
the Confederacy would have achieved
its independence, but II those states had
been solidly for the Union, If the house
had not been hopelessly divided against
itself in all that region, the war would
not have lasted half 90 long and Will
liam Il. Stewards optimistic prophecy
Of a $50 days' picnic would have been
fulfilled.
Two Great States In War.
This brings me to the central idea Of
this speech-the main fact-of which
l never think without anger and resent
ments for / believe that justice should
be done ven in writing history though
the heavens fall, and it is this;
Population considered, Kentucky and
Missouri cent more soldiers to the civil
wal than any other state and receive
les credit for it.
They were splendid soldiers too. Theo-
dore Roosevelt says that by actual
measurement the Kentucky Union sol
diers were the finest specimens Of phys
zeal manhood who were in the Federal
armies, and when jefferson Davis, him
self a renowned soldier, reviewed the
army at Coriuth he declared Cockreil's
Missouri brigade to be the most mag
nihcent soldiers his trained military
eye had evsr gazed upon.
Nevertheless 1t is difficult to induce
extreme s51thernsrs to admit that the
Kentucky and Missouri Confederates
were good C~onfederates, though the
Kentuckians and Missourians made a
four years war possible, It is even
more difficult 10 induce extreme north
erners, whose skins and homes and
property were all safe during the war,
TO admit that the Unionists Of Ken
lucky and Missouri deserve any credit
when as a matter Of fact they prevent
ed secession from succeeding.
II Lowell II. Rousseau had never re-
eruited his Louisville legionj II old
Frank Wolford ard Thomas z BRAIN
lette had never established Camp Dick
Robinson, Kentucky would have seed
ed and the Ohio river would have been
an impossible barrier to the invading
armies.
II Frank Blair had never captured
Camp Jackson-foF Il was Blair who
conceived and carried out that great
strategic movement and not General
Nathaniel Lyon Of New England, as
the northern war books say-Missouri
would have Joined the C~onfederacy IN
der the lead Of Governor Claiborne +.
jackson and General Stirling Price, the
peerless soldier. and, with Der vast re-
sources 30 command. Lees ,aoldi1rs
would not have been starved and frozen
into a surrender.
Heroes Of KeRtueky and Missouri.
II the government built monuments
10 soldiers In proportion 10 what they
really accomplish for the Union cause,
Frank blair's would tower proudly
among the loftieat. Camp jackson is
llurred Over with an occasional para
graph in the history books. but Il was
he turning point IN the war west Of
he Mississippi, and 1t wa the work Of
Prank Blsir, the K~entuckian, the Mis-
souran. the slave owner, the ~patrician,
he ieouine soldier. the patriotic states
man
Some day. Tacitus, sisnondl or Ma
saulay VIII write a truthful history Of