The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-06-05

The speaker now related in forceful
and interesting manner how the First
Regiment of Minnesota turned approach
ing defeat into a grand victory in the
defence of Round Top at Gettysburg:
Sickles, who commanded the Round Top
corps has stationed 26O of these typical
American soldiers in the rear as a re-
serve. The union line is wavering. Hill
and Longstreet pressing onward. Han
cock has ordered e-enforcements, but
they are far away and cannot possibly
arrive in time. The union forces are
nearly surrounded. All seems lost.
Hancock tries to rally Sickles' men but
in vain. Then discovering the remnant
of regiment in reserve. Hancock calls
out what regiment is this!" First
Minnesota" replies Col. Colvill, the gal
liant leader of the brave band. Pointing
to the advancing confederate forces, Han
cock commands :-"Charge these lines"
They did charge, but two hundred and
fifteen of these two hundred and sixty
gallant soldiers charged for the last time
There never was a more brilliant record
made by fighting troops on land or sea-
Round Top saved, tide turned in favor OF
union cause, Gettysburg practically won.
and Lees ''invincibles" vanquished; these
were the results achieved by the heroic
First Regiment of Minnesota. But the
First Minnesota was not different from
any other regiment. | have mentioned
| it merely because | believe it contains
a true type of the American soldier,
whether he served in the ranks of the
north or the south land time only for
bids me to show you the same type of a
soldier from the history of other regi-
ments.
There is also another class of soldiers
equally deserving OF our praise and graf
tude today. l refer to the mothers, the
wives, and the sisters of the volunteers.
If it is appropriate to call one class
the heroes of the battlefield, why is it
not equally appropriate to call the other
class the heroines of the home. They
I could not give up life on the battlefield,
but thet could, and did, give up their
happiness without which life is merely
q
a burden. | rejoice to see so many OF
them in our midst today, and to know
that they are taking the most active
| part in sanctifying this day and in max
| ing beautiful the resting places of the
fallen comrades on yonder hillside, dec
Grating the lonely graves because of the
sacred dust they hold. This heroine who
forty years ago pressed a dear son to
her breaking heart and gave him this
farewell blessing :-"My son when father
left us two years ago to go to the front
prayed that you, my boy, might be
spared, but your country needs your
service and you must 60. Tell your
father that I gave you UP as freely as
gave him, and may the blessings of
God accompany you BOTH we cherish
in our hearts, and it is your suffering
and devotion, Oh, Daughters of the
| Union, that we also commemorate to-
day. Members and friends of the Grand
Army of the Republic, today in reverent
silence we pay to the hero of the battle
| field and the heroine of the home our
tribute of sincere gratitude. Through
out the length and breadth of our land
we cover the graves of those who have
left our midst with beautiful flowers,
| 'those sweetest of all the dumb children
who draw their nourishment from
Mother Earth. and over whose cradle
heaven sets its watch OF fragrance and
beauty"
But it is not sufficient to merely pay
La humble tribute to the American Volun-
| teer soldier. 1t is an equally important
part of our observance of this day to
cultivate the qualities which have made
him an object OF profound admiration in
the eyes of the whole civilized world
Constancy in disaster, devotion to duty.
and hopefulness in defeat, these virtues
make the American soldier, but they also
form very important part in the make
w of the American citizen. Let every
American cultivate these virtues, and
may the love of God, the love of human
lily and the love of our country inspire
his heart, and the Republic need fear nc
foe however strong. If the subject OF
Russia can shout :-"Long live the Gar;
and with a merry glee sing the praise
of his fatherland in the doleful melodies
of the Russian national hymn; then we
living in the very home of freedom and
enjoying all the blessings of political
civil and religious liberty, should GER
tainly feel the pangs of humiliation, il
on this memorial day, the beautiful
strains of our "America" or "Star-
Spangled Banner" could not fill oul
hearts with patriotic pride and enthusi
asm. My closing wish on this memorial
day is that to the tributes of praise
song and floral decorations, we may ado
our sincere gratitude, a noble character
and deeds of unselish love.