Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-05-23
rnG foaoorrEN AMY.
PEx PICTURES or LIFE AT ONE or THE
sOLplERs' HOMES.

0OLDIEh6 HOHEcs
Ihis u the story Of Forgotten Army.
man battle-tested. Its camp ID pitched
|on the broad shoulder OF hill overlook
Ing . city Of 100000 people. Every
mornink, after the sunrise gun, the long
roll sounds, and the Aring squad OF the
Forgotten Army, with guns reversed,
marches out 70 fire the last volley over
the new grave Of soldlef-"fallen In
the llne OF duty" Every day the army
answers it, roll-call, posts its pickets,
fights its battles. Every night when
taps have sounded the lights 60 out all
over the camp, leaving only here and
there sentry standing guard against
possible surprise.
On the Island of Luzon, 10 far away AZ
men can well get, another army Is fight
Ing. The cable brings each morning
news Of Its slightest movement. We read
that . ninety -pound Kansas bantam has
swum river and climbed up the opposite
bank-probably into the United States
Senate. At the cost Of el.50 word we
are told that Private johnson Of the FIJI
teenth South Dakota Regiment has sus-
tanned flesh wound In the calf Of his
left leg. Three deaths, cables the Major
General commanding, have resulted since
the last report.
But with the Forgotten Army there are
no war correspondents. Whole COM
panies may be wiped out with no more
than teu.llne notice In the lads" In the
Il ~
crack cavalry regiment goes TO the hos
pital with no one TO tell Of the heroic
ssber chsrge he led against the enemy's
guns. No FAT political office waits for
the hero who volunteered to creep
through the line 1t night and carry mes
sages on which the fate OF the whole d.
vision depended.
The Forgotten Army deserves better
fate.
Besieged within its Entertainments on
the hilltop, IL Is making desperate fight
against foe who never lost battle.
The end 10 certain. Every year the lines
are drawn closer. But the Forgotten
Army sticks to Its guns. No white Gag
has ever fluttered from Its breastworks.
When Il finally surrenders II will be with
all the hOnors Of war.
Each morning for more than thirty
years reveille has sounded shrilly over
the parade ground Of the Forgotten
Army.
We can't get 'em up. We can't get 'em up.
We can't scs 'em up In the morning.
To the army call the 5000 soldiers an
swer, put on their uniforms-except
here and there man taken care Of later
by the dead squAd-and hurry TO break
| fast In the ness halls. There 10 always
hurry ut breakfast, for the stern busi-
ness Of the day lies before, and who knows
what may depend on = soldiers prompt
uessg Then each to his post of duty.
Down here under the oaks In the
gravel Of the walk one General IL laying
the siege Of vicksburg with his cane. He
holds a council OF war just before the
| final assault Is made and II IL easy TO see
that he and bis adviser are not 10 har-
mony. So that attack falls, and another
strategist takes temporary command.
That Is one advantage which the Forgot
ten Army possesses. Ii can fight its
campaigns over and over again. And
with proper planning battles which his
tory says were defeats can always be
turned Into glorious victories.
On the high bank by the rose hedge a
little squad IL struggling again up the
bloody sides OF Lookout Mountain, and
over beyond the deer park Sheridan
comes dsshing "from Winchester twenty
miles away"
There Is small talk Of Miles or Shsfter,
sampson, Funston or even Dewey In the
ranks Of the Forgotten Army. "Pap'
Thomas and BLACK Jack Logan" "Lit-
tie Phil" and "0ld Grant" are still the
heroes.
Here and there In the oak woods be.
hind the officers quarters \ soldier lies
asleep on the grass. His nose Is buried
Ia the clover, which 10 sweet with memo
ries Of the old farm and Of the girl he
kissed good-by the day after Sumter
Vas fired on.
so the Forgotten Army fights It's way
through " the dinner hour, and then, re-
freshed, takes up again its unequal
struggle. Its enemy IL armed only with
scyihe and an hour glass, but victory
for Its soldiers lies nowhere this side the
grave.
In the evening, when cool shadows be
/ kiu W thii oNCt thc kiCot Nemp, soau&
men and women come out from the town
10 show the army that IL Is not altogether
forgotten. A young girl In white looks
curiously yet with u touch OF softness In
her face st gray-haired warrior, who
leans upon crutch.
''Just here" he Is saying as he puts 8
finger on the spot, "the bullet entered
IL never did come out. ! lay In the
thicket above MOccasin Bend for twenty
four hours, looking down at the wide
river, but with never drop TO drink
When they found me was unconscious
They had TO take the leg of just above
the knee"
There are tears now In the soft brown
eyes. Though mao be no HobsOn shall
We blame him II he ask passing tribute
now and then from pretty stranger? II
| Is hard work, this service In the Forgot
ten Army. No live man likes TO fee
himself only part OF history.
| As the sun goes down far on the other
side OF the hill two gray fifers and lame
drummer Of 20 stump out across the
parade ground and halt at the base OF
the l50-foot flag staff. Shrilly over the
camp sounds the salute TO the flag. A;
Ii breaks of sharply aud the great ban
ner comes slowly Huttering downward
the sunset gun booms out 10 let the
world know that the soldiers day Ii
over.
Only once q year, on May 80, Memorial
Dsy, do all the soldiers OF the Forgotten
Army come together for review. Thi:
side the day Of resurrection there can BE-
no sight more pathetic. Hardly mar
In the long broken ranks Is less than 60
One out Of every three is crippled. Men
blind Of an eye, lame men, men with
long, white patrisrchal boards, men
leaning hard upon heavy canes, each
with . tiny flag 10 his button hole,
straighten up aud come TO pitiful At
teutiOn as the old order rsttles down the
line.
Soldiers from the Rhine, who aft NIT
Sigel," soldiers from Meagher's Irish
brigade, soldiers from the vineyards OF
France, and tall Yankees from rocky
New England farms touch elbows In the
rsnks-skin In that they wore and still
wear, the blue, faded now and stained.
Within the next twenty-five years the
last soldier OF the Forgotten Army will
have surrended. But not one Of them
will ever be really forgotten. Though
reveille calls them no longer to fight the
old battles over and over again; though
the bugle sounding taps echoes through
= deserted camp, their place IL still Sc
cure.
On Fame's eternal camping ground