Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-09-02
BLuEANDGRAYU
Commander Torrance's Address
to the Union Vet
Grams.
TO CEMENT FRIENDSHIP TIES
Existing Between the North and
the South1The
Letter.

General Ell florence, commander,
i'm chief the Grand Army of the Re
public, recently made a tour of the
south and noted the good fellowship
eXisting between eN-uniOn and eX-
confederate soldiers. He has address
sed the following letter 10 the MEM
bers of the Grand Army:
In April last | visited the depart
ments of Georgia, Alabama, Loui siana,
Mississippi and Texas.
| My visit was in every respect de-
lightful one, but most gratifying of
all was the cordial good feeling /
| found existing between the union
and confederate soldiers. | affirm
without hesitation that among the
best friends of my comrades i'm the
south are the surviving eX-confeder-
ates. This friendship is based upon
the mutual respect which one good
soldier has for another, and had it
not been for the bronze button ri
would often have been unable to dis
tinguish between the blue and the
gray, for the cordial welcome extend |
ed by the one was equaled by the
generous hospitality proffered by
the other. In all my journey l found
no sectional lines. sullen faces or
closed doors. One marked contrast,
however distinguishes the surviving
soldier of the two armies. The ma
tional government has properly made
generous provision for her defend |
ers, but whatever aid the ex-confed- |
crates receive must come from |
their more fortunate comrades or
h.,
reside, and while the people of the |
south have in a spirit worthy of the |
highest praise done much to relieve
their necessities the nations.
wounds" have not yet been fully
bound.
Die in AImshouses.
At the close of the war the south
ern people were too impoverished to
make adequate provision for those
who suffered from disease and
wounds and the result was many n
confederate soldier ended his days
in the almshouse and was buried in
a pauper's grave.
When at Montgomery il was my
pleasure TO meet Col. J. NJ FaIk-
ner, district attorney for Alabama,
formerly an officer i'm the Eighth con
federate cavalry. who for some time
past has been earnestly directing his |
efforts towards the erection of a con- !
federate home at Mountain Creek. |
Chiffon county, Ala. The erection of !
the first cottage was commenced |
April last on the forty acres of land |
donated by Col. Falkner. and today |
two comfortable cottages have been |
completed. which shelter seventeen |
old confederate soldiers, not one of |
whom could earn a living. in n land of |
plenty against the competition of Il
child.
The plan is to build 40 of these
cottages. that many or more being re-
quired to accommodate those whose
disabilities are total. My purpose in
writing this letter-and it is the last
one | shall address to you as com
mander in chiefs to afford the
members of the Grand Army of the
Republic. Individually or as posts, an
opportunity to contribute to the
shelter of these needy veterans. The
dignity of their demeanor and the un-
complaining soldierly way in which
they bear suffering and privation rem
der them worthy of our respect and
sympathy, and it becomes a privilege
to assist in making their last days
comfortable.
VIII Cement the Union.
| know of no surer way to n COM
plete unification of this country in
purpose and feeling than the high
way of kindness, and / believe its eX-
treme outposts should be Jointly
held by the surviving soldiers of the
armies of Grant and Lee
There was time when the nearer
we came together the worse it was
for all. but now the closer we come