The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-05-14
The BOYS of 'e1.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In de
Tense Of tie truth l write to correct /;
statement by Comrade G. A. Howe. Co
! G. fS9th H., of Wyanet, H., printed il
the issue of Feb. >. 1903, page ., and
headed chaplain Trumbul's Story"
| can ,indorse his article until it comes
to the statement in regard to the volun
teers i'll 1861, where he says: The first
call in 'G1 the majority Of those who
rushed to arms We're young men. foot
| loose, and in many cases not our best
young men by any means" This state
ment, / affirm. is not correct. and is n
false charge against the noble boys and
men who from pure, patriotic motive
responded to their country's call in its
most urgent need, and continued in its
defense until they were killed in battle OF
died of wounds or disease, or were dis.
abled by wounds or disease. Few Of those
brave boys of 'G1 lived to see the grand
and glorious work accomplished, and our
| flag Of liberty and freedom floating over
| our reunited country, "the land of the
| free and the home Of the brave" and
these few continued true to the end and
many of them came out with scars they
will carry to their graves.
1 want to say further, most Of them
were refined in life and religious in char
acter, and sprang from as good homes and
noble blood as any American can boast Of
The few remaining are filling positions
of trust and honor. In 'G1 some were
teachers in colleges ana high schools.
some engineers, telegraph operators, mer-
chants, mechanics. and farmers, but they
laid aside those high calings and fruit
full trades. What for? Not certainly for
the paitry sum of 81 per month and
coarse clothes and roIgn diet, and to en-
dure tie hardships Of an exposed life out
Of doors in heat and cold. in rain and
snow, without shelter. Then, we ask
again, what for? / answer as one of
them and for all of them, for our love
of our country, from as pure and patriotic
principle as ever entllusod Washing
ton. Warren. Grant, a Mcpherson,
and such patriots.
In my own section of the country, near
Lima. Ohio, when the boys went out in
81 it was said: There goes the nobest
and best Of our men 20 die, if need be. for
our country. and fol the protection of
home" And so | believe it was in all
sections of our common country.
| have no complaint to make against
tie noble men who enlisted in go to go.
believing that all Of them We're good and
loyal men, who went of their own free
will, but we all know that there were
less Inducements held out by way Of
moneyed influences in 'G1 than at any
other date.
And now, comrade, we hope You will
never make another such ungalIant as
sault upon any Of the old comrades who
went to their country's call in 81, but
let US think Of the good old army song
we used to like to hear when sung by
our friends at home:
Brave boys are they, gone at their
country's call,
And yet. and yet, we cannot forget,
That many brave boys must fall"
l enjoy Green b. Raum's historical
papers, with the Western Army" and
find them excellent on historical facts in
the campaigns Of Sherman to Atlanta,
etc. While he cannot describe every par
ticr'ar skirmish and incident in the cam
paign. yet they are full of historical facts
and fisures.-THoMAs =. CoNNoR. Co.
\, 10Th Ohio, and Co. II, 32d Ohio, Phil
omath, Ore.