Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-04-20

seems to have raised I'D and prepared
men specially for the accomplishment or
the wonderful purposes which he had In
fsGrg in f0I ths repu1 'aeady But for these sre %Gna ec-
casions and the accomplishment of heroic
deeds. are inactive and un~distinguished In
communities like ours until their country
The Mexican war at once fired the i'm
a~gipation of the adventurous youth Of our
land. 1t carried young Logan, with a
musket, as q private In the ranks OF ms
won his shoulder straps In the bloody
battles under Generals Taylor and Scott.
This baptism OF fire opened the mind, en-
larged the horizon and pointed out a
farger future than ever dreamed of before
for himself and for his country to this
enthusiastic lad.
Logan was a congressman from
Egypt" Illinois, when the civil war
broke out, and his district was in
tensely ~pro-southern in sympathy.
How he espoused the union cause and
converted his constituency to his views
was graphically related by DR.. Depew.
He said:
The stirring news came to che hous
while In session that the battle OF Bull
Run was In progress. The soldier of the
Mexican war again heard the music OF
the national anthem, and flew TO the de-
tense of the national flag. TIL dramatic
scene was witnessed upon the battlefield
of a civilian I'm frock coat and top silk
hat who had seized n musket from a
wounded soldier, and by action and words
and reckless daring was doing his best
to stem the tide OF defeat and turn the
army back TO meet the enemy. In that
hour Logan's vision clearly saw the path
of duty. He FASTENED home to his con-
s%tituents TO bring them around to the
union cause and to have them enlist in
the union army. He met sullen and
threatening mobs everywhere. But MOTH
Ing could resist the fervor Of his elo-
quence, the inspiration of his presence,
tho old flag and the union. IT is no longer
the right and wrong OF slavery, II is no
longer the disputed question OF the extern
sion or that institution into the terri
me for the preservation OF the union and
OF this last refuge and security OF liberty
and humanity Character, courage and
patriotism triumphed. He led his whole
people out of the darkness of Egypt into
the light Of the promised land. Within a
few weeks he was In the field with his
regiment, and other regiments followed
as often as the government called for
volunteers.
Logan is the finest example OF the vol
unteer soldier. Around the nucleus of a
little army of 1900 regulars gathered n
million OF volunteers who formed In nm
incredibly brief space Of time the most
magnificent and resistless body OF SOL
dlery of modern or ancient times. They
demonstrated In the quickness with
Which the army was mobilized and disci-
plined, In the steadiness and endurance
which IL. exhibited as IL trained veterans,
and In Its peaceful disbanment and re-
turn to the pursuits Of peace after the
close OF the war, that the strength and
reliance OF our country rest upon Its citi-
zen soldiery.
The most gratifying tribute to Logan
tho best expression Of the opinion
OF the volunteer army In regard to him
was his election as the first commander
or the Grand Army of the Republic, and
the election repeated as often as he
would accept the place. Long after all
but the leaders of the civil strife on
either side are forgotten, Logan's mem
DRY Will remain green because of the
beautiful memorial service which he
originated and which now I'm every part
OF our Reunited and sets aside one day
In the year as a national holiday In order
that the graves Of the gallant dead, both
on the federal and the confederate side,
may be decorated with flowers.
But our typical American had only be-
gun his Kaleidoscope career when the
war closed. Like his companions in arms,
ne returned to civil pursuits. Illinois,
~seconding the voice of the people every
where, demanded that he surrender his
private affairs to the call OF duty and
give to the, country his ripe experience in
the critical measures of reconstruction
and pacification. The dashing soldier be-
came the acute parliamentarian, the Wig
orous debater and the constructive states
man. He foresaw In 1870 the necessity Of
that work for the Cuban people by the
United states which was done in 1898. He
co~urageously took UP the problem of the
negro, that most difficult OF the questions
which are still before us. There has been
In the thirty years since he preached no
suggestion better thar the one which he
advanced, which was educate, educate,
educate"
In every community In our land the
leaders or public opinion and the jewellers
In tho hnnnnn nf
from the ranks. Among those successfuI
Americans In many lines who have won
and held the public eye and died mourned
by all their countrymen, there will live
IN the future In the history of the repub-
lie no nobler figure, in peace and I'm war,
In the pursuits OF the citizen and In work
for the welfare OF his fellow citizens,
than General John A. Logan.
The ceremony concluded by the pro-
nounciation OF the benediction by Rev.
DR.. j. G.. Butler.
Seven Years OF Labor.
The equestrian statue Of Logan, I'M
yelled today, represented seven years
OF labor on the part Of Franklin Sim
mons, sculptor, and rests upon q
pedestal Of bronze. Congress appro-
priated $4,000 for the statue, $l5, 900
was contributed by the Grand Army of
the Republic. The pedestal is twenty
feet high. On its west face Is q group
representing Logan in consultation
with leading officers Of the army of the
Tennessee. In this group are portrait
bronzes OF Generals Dodge, Hazen, Slo-
cum, Leggett, Mower, Blair and Cap
tain Strong. On the east face is q
group representing Logan taking the
oath as senator, which Is being admin
istered by Vice President Arthur. In
the group are portrait hronzes of SEN
ators Cullom, Evarts, Conkling, Nor
ton, Miller, Voorhees, and Thurman.
The south front of the pedestal Is m
bellished with allegorical figures Of the
war, and on the north with another Of
peace. The equestrian statue rises
above the pedestal fourteen and "a half
feet. Logan, facing south, Is repre-
scented as riding along the line Of bat
tie, his horse moving forward at q
gentle trot, his hat on n his sword
drawn. The statue produces the i'm
preston OF dignity, beauty and power.