Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1902-04-10

was settled up, the United States cele-
DRAFTED its Centennial and many monu-s
nlents We're erected to other heroes.
The Floyd family in Kentucky, whence
the Sergeant came. mourned him for
Years, and they went the way of all
the earth. New generations of Floyds
came and went, and they We're taught
no doubt that one of the family had
died for his country while serving in
al exploring party, and they have
lived and died and We're forgotten.
A mother and father and brothers and
sisters and their offspring for several
generations passed on, and yet the
grave remained unmarked, but not
forgotten.
The country was too busy to think
of Its heroes. The country was new
and poor, but happy. New countries
and poor countries do not spend
money on monuments. They let the
dead past bury its dead. But as the
country grew older and richer, it had
more time and inclination for things
Of historical and sentimental ma
ture.
The thought of erecting monu-
ment never completely died out. There
was always some one who would call
attention to it, and, like the Vestal
Virgins, there was alawys some one
to keep the lamp burning. To say
who it was would be impossible. So
it would be impossible, not to say in
vidious, to say who originated the
Floyd Monument Association in 1855,
which finally achieved what had been
such lingering and worthy ambition
Along about 1895 the grave was
opened the second time, although it
was with some difficulty that it was
found at all, for the headboard and
the footbOard had decayed and fallen.
The bones were found ultimately, and
were taken in charge till such time as
that the association should call for
them. I should consider that it was
necessary to do this since there were
not lacking relic iends who would
have carried off the bones to make
into knife handles.
Money was subscribed by the town
CT Sioux City, it was raised by pri-
waite subscription, the State Legisla-
tllre gave a certain amount, Congress
gave a good sum, and thus in all
nearly $4,000 was raised to do honors
to the first white man to fall in the
service of the United States west Of
the Mississippi But the beginning
was in 1895, and the men who worked
for the erection Of the monument did
not see the frultion of their labors till
last May, 1901. The monument was
dedicated May 80, the day made sa-
cred as the day in which we honor
our other soldier dead, and the asso.
citation saw it's labors bear fruit
The monument is a beautiful shaft
four inches more than a hundred feet
high. 1t is about twelve feet square
at the base and it runs to point at
the top like an Egyptian obelisk. It
is built of Kettle River sandstone
from Minnesota, and it looks as if it
would endure forever.
The nation that comes after us will
wonder, after @all else has been de-
stroyed and has gone to decay, what
this obelisk was for, just as we won
der about the Egyptian obelisks and
Cleopatra's Needles that we have de-
spoiled the Valley of the Nile Of. But
they want to be careful, and not at
tempt to snake away anything Of thai
kind Of Uncle Sans.
The monument stands on a great
bluff overlooking the Missouri, being
about two miles down the river from
Sioux City. The monument can be
seen from many parts Of the town. 1t
is reached by wagon road only. The
street cars do not reach the monument
nearer than about three-quarters Of a
mile. The base of the monument is
concrete work and must be thirty or
forty feet square. It goes to depth
of twenty to thirty feet. The build
ers had perhaps one hundred men at
work the first day or two in order to
get the concrete work in in good order
The remains of Sergeant Floyd are
placed within the monument in an urn
and the niche is Theoretically and per-
petually sealed.
On the east face of the monument
is bronze plate bearing this inscrip.
ton: 'In commemoration of the
Louisiana Purchase made during the
administration of Thomas Jefferson,
April 3, 1908, of its successful ex-
ploration by the heroic members of
the Lewis and Clark expedition, of
the valor Of the Americans and of the
enterprise, courage and fortitude of
the American pioneers to whom these
great States west of the Mississippi
River owe their secure foundation"
The cornerstone was laid August 20,
1900, under the direction or under the
auspices Of the G. A. r. Of Iowa,
whose commander was Madison B.
Davis, and this is below the bronze
tablet. On the west side Of the mon
ument are in large, plain letters CHS
elled into the stone the word Floyd.
Underneath is this historic inscription:
''This shaft marks the burial place Of
Sergeant Charles Floyd, a member of