The Oskaloosa herald., 1899-11-02
4 WORTHY TRIBUTE
A Young Soldier Pays His Re-
spects to the SYST.

The following article from the lows
State Register has reference to a sor
of w. K. Poneroy, a former resident
of this county, and nephew of S. L.
Pomeroy, living west of town:
1.-THE Register has published the
tributes of governors, generals and
citizens and officials of all grades, to
the sterling manhood and valor OF
the comrades of the Fifty-first Iowa,
therefore we take special pleasure in
presenting here the following Grafton
delivered by Mr.. Wade Pomeroy, of
the Stuart high school, before the
annual meeting of the "Big Four
Teachers Association" at Stuart last
Friday night:
Fellow Citizens:-Somewhere on the
bounding pillows tonight floats a
band of men whom Iowa is proud to
call her sons We know not where
they are, but wherever they are we
| know that they are homeward bound;
and every turn of the ships propeller
lessons the distance between Iowa
and her fighting Fifty-first Regiment.
| They left our shores year ago, a
| band of untried soldiers; they return
| to us regiment of cOnquering heroes.
They took with them the fiag-the
| grand old fag-they bring it back Its
power increased Its honor indicated
and every star on it's blue field could
indicate some deed of valor which
they performed. They have helped
sail the Ship of State into the harbor
of Manila; Gods hand was at the
helm. They anchored it there; they
protected it; they gave freely of their
life's blood to save it from the foe.
Let not America say, by her legisla-
ton, that their labors have been
fruitless, that their blood shall have
been shed in vain. Be it not ours to
undo the work which they have so
nobly done.
And now the great commonwealth
o. owa waits in breathless anxiety,
eager to do honor to her soldier sons.
They have honored Iowa there, now
Iowa shall do honor to them here;
and when they come we will all be at
the train to greet them, and then
we'll turn this old town upside down.
The cannon will boom, fire-crackers
will crack, the band will play, the
dogs will bark, the whistles will blow,
speeches will be made; there'll be
genuine good patriotic jubilee;
there'n be a mid-winter Fourth of
July in Stuart when the boys come
home.
We honor them because they are
warriors-war dwells in chivalry and
bravery. THE world bows low to
knightly Deeds"
Probably the saddest ones to part
with the boys when they left, and the
gladdest ones to welcome them on
their return, are the mothers. Moth
ers, you remember, indeed you never
can forget the parting tears you shed
for your boy. Smiles are soon for
gotten, but tears leave their mark
upon the heart and we remember
them forever. You remember how
you hung about his neck and almost
held him back. But then you thought
of the mothers Of '61, how many an
other had been called upon to sacrifice
her son upon the altar of freedom, I
and in the majesty of this afterthought
you sent him forth, proud that you
could contribute to the wealth of your
country's freedom. You knew that
the price of the flag must be paid in
human life. The blood of many hero
is represented by those red stripes,
and the fidelity of many a soldier is
symbolized by the blue. All, not only
the soldiers, but the mothers of our
land are patriots.
Soldiers of the Fifty-first, pride of
our golden state! Children's children
shall do honor to their memory in
years to come. They are more than
soldiers. They are regiment of gen.
erals, regiment of history makers.
They enlisted only with the war
with Spain. That war ended duty
still demanded, they hardened heard
her voice and obeyed. Others COM
planned of over time-not they. 9th
ers frowned and grew int-hearted-
but the Fifty-tirst pushed grandly
toward the front. Others languished
in the rear-but the Fifty-first was
always on the firing line. Triumphant
ly they marched, VIGOROUSLY they
conquered. We beheld them in quick
succession at Fuegua, at Columbo at
San Thomas, at Calumpit, at San
Fernando; and at all those places the
foe bowed low before
them. Bigotry, fanaticism and SUI
perstition gave way for the onward
march of the flag and of civilization