The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1899-11-02

While crowd of over five thousand
people, including nearly hundred
veterans of the civil and Spanish wars,
stood with uncovered heads, Miss
Elizabeth Simmons, Sunday afternoon
deposited in the base of the Soldiers
monument a box which will hand
down to a never ending posterity the
names and records of the Kenosha sol
diers who had marched forth to fight
under the stars and stripes. The oc-
casion of the placing of this box of
tender memories of the great struggle
was made a gala day in the city and
called together one of the largest con-
courses of people ever assembled IN
Kenosha. Long before the time set
for the simple ceremonies of the laying
of the box the park was filled with peo-
pie from ali parts of the county.
At 3 O'Clock the old veterans OF the
i Post met at their armory and marched
to the scene of the ceremonies bearing
in front of them the flags which had
II been so dear to them on many bloody
n field of battle. Arriving at the base of
the monument the ceremonies were
opened by a short address by George
Hale, Commander of the Fred 5. Low
eli Post. The entire audience then
Joined in the singing of the "Battle
Hymn of the Republic" under the
leadership of Comrade Fred Stemm
and quartette consisting of H. M.
Baldwin, G. r. Mcdowell, Harry Mar
den and Otis L. Trenary, after which
Rev. S. w. Nay1or, pastor of the Park
Avenue NJ. E. church, made the open
ing prayer.
Following, the Commander of the
Post introduced the Rev. Henry Scott
Rob1ee. who delivered the address of
the afternoon. In his short address
Mr.. Rob1ee paid beautiful tribute to
the living and the dead. He said in
part:
s'Let it be said today for the comfort
of the living and the imperishable
honor of the dead that Our war was not
the meaningless slaughter of wrathful
foes thirsting for their brothers blood,
but the righteous argument of moral
thesis, a discussion of human rights
at once the grandest and the saddest
that the world has ever known, where
no alternative was left save to defend
with steel and fire the creed of human
freedom. A great, imperative must
made our brothers soldiers, the instinct
of a national preservation sent them to
battle and hides their faces today in
the depths of forest gloom or graves of
unfathomab1e brine. The American
10 OF
principle Not ambition with its he
roic songs, not subjugation with its
golden reward, nor lust of power with
it's spreading banners can ever win
our men to death. But in the purity of
motives which have called them to war
our heroic dead are doub1y sacred,
none of them went down on alien soil
or died as 1nerCenaries.
When the signal gun announcing the
birth of freedom was heard they re-
sponded and left behind them comfort
and craft and gain and wife, home and
Graded babes-crad1ed against break
ing hearts-they went to taste the dis
comforts o. camp and wounds of bat
tie, the bitterness of prison, the wear1-
ness of hospital and march. And they
stayed-stayed to bury their comrades
in name1ess graves stayed till their
hair grew sudden white, till time
carved in sunburnt cheek deeper scars
than foemans' blades. Stayed rnti1
the mockery of our own great dec1ara-
ton that ''a11 men are free and equal, -
became eternal truth. Stayed until
the God of battles said ''Be quiet, !"
and with that voice union drums beat
in rival strongbo1ds, and Union bug1es
b1ared on Richmond streets, ard stars
!: and stripes ripp1ed and danced on all
Southern airs, and wives kissed sweet
again their home coming braves.
Some one has said the fttest time for
man to die is when he dies for man.
This gave them their title to fame.
They linked themselves to the OPP
pressed. Who forever will remain the
hero of Appomattox? Grant, you say.
Yes, but let me say that Grant could
never have achieved that victory alone.
: It was given to him by countless null
titudes who sleep in unnamed graves,
known only to God. I think we are
too apt to applaud the General and
forget the common soldier. History
always reveres the man who takes
sides with the oppressed. 1t may be
slow in rewarding him, justice may be
tardy, but It shall surely come. Any