The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-14


Shenandoah: who under the leadership of
Sherman, Mcpherson and Logan, those
matchless soldiers Of the West, drove the
Confederates step by step from Resaca to
Atlanta and then swept like avenging
angels through Georgia and the Carolinas
to the sea; who with a gallantry beyond
parallel followed the starry banner of their
country until Appomattox crowned their
labors-I then realized that, no matter
what dire predictions of the decadence of
patriotism be made. no matter how deeply
the American people might seem TO be en-
crossed in the pursuit of wealth. no matter
how much we might hear from alarmists
of the danger of imperialsm-it was then
L realized that this Nation of ours can
with perfect confidence in its future-com-
rades of my father-be turned over to the
boys of this generation. who will guard
from every evil the precious heritage which
your blood secured to them in the years
gone by. I again bid you welcome"
The response TO the welcoming addresses
of Governor Durbin and Mayor Bookwalter
was made by General Grenville NJ. Dodge
president of the society," who said in part:
1--WE fully appreciate the kindly greeting
you have so eloquently extended to us. 1T
reaches the hearts OF the old Army of the
Tennessee. Indiana is a great part of US
1t stands second in the list of States that
furnished troops to fill the ranks of that
army. You sent us five batteries, three
regiments OF cavalry and thirty-three regi-
ments of infantry, and when you listen to
the story OF those regiments you hear the
history OF that army. | saw one of your
regiments. the Sixty-sixth Indiana which
was armed with the Henry repeating rifle
in the Atlanta campaign hold a division of
the enemy long enough at a critical mo-
ment for me to throw a brigade behind
1t and save my column. When L after
wards told Confederate officer that his
division was confronted with single regi-
ment he could not believe it, for when they
struck this regiment deplOyed as skirmsh-
ers the rapid and continuous fire from their
repeating rifles caused them TO think they
had struck a line of battle and before at
tacking they halted just long enough for
US TO meet and defeat the attack.
THE State of Indiana, through its great
Governor, gave that care and attention to
Its soldiers in the field that ii won the
gratitude of our whole army and your
State, following his footsteps, have erect
ed a monument to their memory not ex-
celled in our Nation.
SECOND REUNION HERE.
This is our second reunion here. The
first was held in 1873. At that meeting the
chairman of your local committee was
Gen. Walter Q. Gresham. General Sher-
man, the president of the society, read a
paper. giving a short biography of Major
General Mcpherson. and account of his
death in the battle of Atlanta, and Gen.
w. S. Strong followed with a full and in
teresting account of his movements and
death. and description of that great bat
tie.
'.At the banquet your distinguished citizen,
and the Nations great President, Gen.
Benjamin Harrison, responded to toast,
and he was followed by another of your
greatly distinguished citizens, Ex-Governor
and ex-Vice President Hendricks. Gen.
j. H. Wilson, the distinguished cavalry
leader in the civil war, and who has recent
ly served in three campaigns of the Spanish
war. took part with us Also General Leg
gett, Gen. G. II. Chapman and Gen. c. G.
Augur responded to toasts, noted galaxy
of names, all of whom, except one, have
passed away, leaving behind them names
that are greatly honored by US, and some of
them names that will last in history as
long as the world exists. With them has
gone this year another greatly beloved COM
rade, one who took the greatest pleasure in
being with us, and who never failed to
bring sunshine and happiness to re-
unions-our greatly beloved President, Will
liam Mckinley. 1t seems impossible TO me
that the brutal hand of a cowardly assas-
sin should have taken him from us, for
certainly no kinder SOUL or one who labored
more faithfully for his country and the
benefit of all mankind ever lived than Will
liam Mckinley. The last time l saw him
was I'm April of this year, when he took
part with this society in unveiling the beau
tiful statue of Major General Logan in
to take part with us, because he loved the
old Army of the Tennessee and honored
its great commanders, and his beautiful
and eloquent tribute to General Logan held
that immense crowd so still that a whisper
could have been heard. President McKin-
ley was then preparing for a trip to the
Pacific coast, and looked forward to 1t with
! anticipation of great pleasure, but at the
same time he under a considerable
strain he would have TO meet great
crowds and they would expect TO hear from
Of he would 10 he
careful what he said. In riding up to the
Logan statue in his carriage our CONVEX
saton turned upon the South and his four
years OF administration, and in discussing
II he said to me: The greatest benefit of
my administration to our country, and the
greatest pleasure to me- is that the two
sections of our country have come together
as one people in interest. and that there is
no longer any sectional lines. In fact, sec
tionalism has been abolished. If there was
any of that sentiment existing the Oppor-
tunities given during the Spanish, Philip
pine and China wars to all sections to Join
in upholdtng the flag dissipated ii, and
none were more prompt or more satisfac-
tory than the responses from the South
THE ROSTER THINS.
LAS the days go by the roster of the old
veterans thins. Fourteen of our number
have this year responded to the last call of
the roll One other within the month has
left u.s. Mother Bickerdyke, an honorary
member of our society. a woman whose
devotion TO the sick and wounded in the
field brought her the love of every soldier
who knew her, and l can see her now as I
saw her in the field climbing into a boxcar
TO feed and nurse the sick and wounded as
they were being sent to the rear. | can
never forget how tenderly she once cared
for me, and God bless her and her memory
says the Army of the Tennessee.
when we look back TO our reunion here
in 1873 and compare il with to-day, we may
well appreciate the poem Tennessee re-
cited here at that reunion by Gen. John
Tillson. the first and last stanZas of which
follows:
"Hol comrades of the brave old band, we
gather here once more,
With smiling eye and clasping hand, to
fight our battles Ger
To quaff from out the brimming cup of old
time memory,
And bright relight the pathway rich of our
old Tennessee.
AS myriad sparks of wars romance our
meetings warm inspire;
The heady fight, the anxious march. the
jolly bivouac fire;
The days of doubt. of hope, Of care of
danger and of glee;
Oh, what a world of racy thought illumes
Tennessee.
Our roster thins. as years pass on we drop
off one by one;
Ere long, too soon. to yearly call. there will
be answer-nOne;
Then, as along the record page those
mourning columns creep,
The whisper cOmeS-tO closer still our liy-
ing friendships keep.
Another thought we forward cast to that