Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-05-21
VETERANS AT CAMP FIRE.
Continued From First Page.


petuating their honorable memory.
Some figures were presented showing
the total membership of the Sons of
Veterans for the department of Hi
nois as .s64, a gain over that of last
year. counting out the camps delin-
quent at that time that have since
been dropped from the list. The
treasury, t"O, WAS shown To be bet
ter provided with funds than at any
other time in the history of the de
partment of this state when the af-
fairs OF the ofti-e were turnc.. over
from one adrninistl alton 10 another.
The speaker closed with a patriotic
appeal to his hearers to support the
flag under all circumstances and CON
dItions.
Ladies' Aid Society.
Mrs. z. a. Durant, of Aurora, in be-
half of the state president, Miss
Claudia May George. spoke for the La
dies Aid society. She expressed the
pleasure il gave the members of her
order to participate in a reunion and
aid in making glad the hearts of the
old soldiers, declaring that there will
never be but one q. y. Il. and that
with its passing the world will be a
great loser. Her greeting to the
comrades was that of the children
to the parents, pledging their eternal
gratitude for a country saved and a
nation at peace.
Gen. Blacks Address.
Gen. John c. Black, of Chicago, past
commander of the Illinois division,
q. y. r., and the gallant and famous
leader of the old 37th Illinois in
fantry in THE war of the rebellion.
was the next speaker. His address
was given response to the greet
ings that had been extended by the
ladies to the G.. \. II. In 3ginning
he took occasion to remark that "a
woman should always have the last
word, particularly when she said
such pleasant things as had the
speakers who had preceded him. One
mistake, he said, all the ladies had
made in common: They had all as
sumed that they were addressing old
men, when such was not the case.
for the 6. y. II. will not admit that
it's members are old. Gen. Black
said in addressing Rock Island au-
dience ne was talking TO men he
loved, for two companies from this
county formed part of his regiment
through the war. Then some of the
scenes of battle and camp were pass
ed over and reference made to the 20
of the 200 that went out whose names
are today engraved on the marble
shaft in the court house square,
erected by the county in honor of its
soldier dead. There has been no
greater contest in all time, the speak
er claimed. than the civil war; no
greater state ever fought for, nor no
greater victory was ever gained.
Coming up to the present time Gen.
Black spoke of the relations now eX-
isting between the blue and the gray.
He told of attending the reunion of
the confcderates at Dallas, Tex,
three weeks ago and of the small col
umn of men in gray marching in re-
view with their ranks patched out
with their sons in blue, who have
been serving the country recently.
In this connection he drew n graphic
picture of the state of affairs that
might have existed had the rebel
arms been successful in the great
struggle. instead of the reverse being
true. The conclusion reached was
that it was better to have died sol
der on the field of battle than to
have lived and had the cause of the
union perish. Gen. Black closed
with a short discussion of the pur-
poses gained by the existence of the
G.. a. r., in which he concluded that
its effect will be to cause to be en-
graved in history the fact that the
civil war was the greatest drama the
world has ever known.
Col. Marsh Talks.
Col. i. +. Marsh, of Warsaw. was
the next speaker. His remarks were
not long and they were for the most
part devoted to lauding the American
soldiery, which he characterized as
the bravest and at the same time the
most humane the world had ever
known. He paid a special compI-
ment to the regular army man,
showing that he is volunteer in the
highest sense. and is therefore en-
titled to all the credit that is due
any soldier.
Rev. Frank Bruner, of Beardstown,
past department chaplain and Rock
Island county boy, was the last
speaker. The war and G.. \. II. record
of the county of his nativity was his