The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-10-14

pleasure andevery alignment arhythm
Of collective individual power. The
grand army which I saw during the
civil war not only had ruddy cheeks,
but hair with some coloring matter in
it. The boys had black, brown, red or
auburn hair. But here is an army of
men whose heads are all poisoning as
the almond tree, and there is not a rud-
dy cheek to be SEEN"
Yes, the pictures are different, az
drawn by the man who saw them then,
and who sees them now. But it is a
great pleasure to see them and OBJ
serve the fact that they do not realize
the lapse of time, and very few seem
to understand that this is their last
gathering in this city. They are SEEM
ingly as happy and contented with
their reunion as a lot of boys on a pic.
mic or other excursion. They are liv.
ing in the past-living it all over
again.
One of "the boys" from Minnesota
sang songs for a crowd of comrades
in a hotel on the avenue, beginning
with II feel just as happy as a big
sunfower." Finally he started the
"star spangled Banner" and all Joined
with him. Then he told a story of the
song, saying:
Frank Lombard, who used to sing
old Shady for us, was a popular min.
strel before the war, and he sang the
Star Spangled Banner all over the
north and south. He could sing it bet<
ter than anybody else, because of thu
range and power of his voice. In June.
1863, while we were creeping closer
against Vicksburg until our earth-
works were SO near each otherthat we
could almost throw stones across the
line, Frank Lombard came into our
camps n night and entertained us
with a lot of songs. When he sang the
Star Spangled Banner we heard a
voice calling: Say, Yank! Amt that
Frank Lombard?' When we answered
in the affirmative, the voice called back:
4 heard him sing it in New Orleans.
1t sounds good to hear him again!'"
One veteran from Maine has brought
with him a quartette of his g%randchil-
dren, and their singing is marvellous
to the old soldiers. The old man likes
to show them off, and although they
are all about 20 years of age (the chill
dren of the old mans four children),
they like to show off, too. They can
sing "Tenting on the Old Camp
Ground" and bring tears to the cheeks
of the old boys while they win shouts
of applause from the surrounding
crowds. And their TRAMP, Tramp.
Tramp, the Boys Are Marching" is al
ways good for an ncore
During the long lulls when there was
no marching and no fighting to be
done, everybody learned how to play
cards to pass the time away; and lots
of fellows learned how to win away
the small salaries of the others. 1t
is very apparent that they have not
forgotten their old tricks, for in all
of the tents there have been gath.
cred a lot of fellows playing seven-up
aAdpoker. One old, grizzled fellow from
Kentucky says hat he came here ex-
pecting the other. fellows to paw his
expenses, and he has won enough to
satisfy him. And he claims to love
his comrades as well as any of the
other fellows; and he probably does.
too. But where old soldiers gather
some of them are bound to gamble.
just as they used to do.
Another habit of the long ago has
been painfully apparent. There are
some old fellows here who have been
looked upon as models of dignity at
home for many years, who have been
unable to say "no" to old comrades
who have invited them to .take a lit
tie commissary." Indulging, for the
sake of old times, they nave overlooked
the fact that they can't stand what
they once could, and quite a number
of them have felt their legs giving wav
beneath them, and the ambulances
have taken them to the hospital.
But yet they are a grand army, and
even those who have shown their weak.
nesses by reason of old age and good
fellowship, are entitled to the love and
veneration of us all; and of their chill
dren's children, for many generation.
and ages.
Good-by, old boys; we ne'er shall see
your like again. SMITH D. FRY.