The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-06-05
SYNOPSIS OF HIS ADDRESS
A Patriotic Address by Commander
Blanchard Of State Grand
Army Republic.

49, - o"S SSAA AAA> II
Hon. T. E. Blanchard delivered one
OF the most interesting addresses |
that we have ever heard on a sim" |
lar occasion. We would have been
glad indeed to have produced it in
full, but our time was too limited to
get it all into type. We give a
synopsis of the address as follows:
1t was a beautiful thought which
gave rise to the custom Of decorating
the graves of departed ones with the !
earliest and choicest blossoms OF
spring. This custom is Of very ancient
origin. We are informed that the
Greeks and Romans borrowed it
from nations still more ancient, while
the Chinese have from time imme-
mortal decorated the graves OF their
ancestors at least one a year.
In our WI country, however, orig
mated the sublime idea Of assembling
a whole nation at the same time for
the mournful yet appropriate cere-
monies OF thus honorlng the comrades
Tense of her flag and to draw lessons
from their heroism for our guidance
in the future. Forty-two years ago
last month organized rebellion made
an assault upon the f1ag..--Of our
country.
After the lapse Of forty-two years
W. are more thoroughly convinced
than ever that the principles for
which W fought were eternally right
and that the principles Of secession
were eternally wrong.
Fellow citizens, many of you re-
member the thrill Of patriotism that
ran through the northland when the
first gun was fred upon Fit. Sumter.
You remember the call for volunteers,
the enlistments, the departure of the
flower Of American young manhood,
the organization Of a great army and
navy, the terrible struggle and the
final victory.
These old veterans whom you be-
hold today are some of the remnants
of that mighty army. Together with
their comrades they sprang at their
|country's call from all the pursuits
Of life incident to good citizenship.
The comrades whose services we to-
day commemorate are not simply those
who lie out in the cemetery and
whose graves we today decorate,
but those who are lying under the
green turf of every village. grave
yard throughout the north and incur
national cemeteries while upon south
erenlbattlefelds, upon the outksirts Of
camp and in the lines of march
thousands lie near where they fell
in obscure graves, unknown to all save
Him without whose kindly notice
not the huublest fell am His watch
full eye guards we'll their resting
places. While we are not today per-
mitted to srrew flowers upon their
graves it is consoling to know that
nature is in harmony With US, for
she cloves the unknown tomb and
today, let us hope, she is weaving
the wild flowers in beautiful gar
lands over those beyond the reach of
loving hands.
While we are paying u tributes
to our fellow comrades Of the civil
war we do not forget those whose
lives were sacrificed on the altar Of
liberty in its world wide sense in
the Spanish and Philippine wars,
nor the patriots Of the Revolution
airy war, whose valor gave to US a
country nor any who have fallen in
defense of our flag at any time upon
land or ca.
In comparing the fighting qualities
Of the contending forces Of the north
and south and of the loss sustained
in a few Of the battles of each army
the speaker gave the following:
Losses sustained in a few of the
battles fought and the percentage Of
losses sustained by a few Of the regi-
ments of the Union and Cofenderate
forces. At Gettysburg the losses in
killed and wounded were: Union
Is, 534, Confederate Is, 900. Add to
these the missing and prisoners and
we have approximately: Union
%, 900, Confederate from $4,000 to
40, 900. At Spottsylvania Court
House, including Fredericksburg
Road, Ny River and Laurel Hill,
Union %, 800. The Confederate re-
turns of losses in these and many
other battles were so meager that
exact numbers cannot be given. At
Antietam, Union 1850; C%onfeder-
ate 10, 900: at Chickamaugua, Union
louisville about u, 200 each; at Shiloh
about 10, 900 each; at Stone River.
Union 5000, Confederate IA, 500.
TO these may be added the Wilder
ness, Petersburg, Chattanooga, Attain
ia, Winchester, Cedar Creek and
! many others with losses from five
thousand to ten thousand men each.
Referring to the loss Of lives in the
Union forces and to the matter Of
old soldiers and pensions the speaker
said:
During the conflict 359, 52S Union
lives were lost, besides 275, ITS wound
ed who survived and 222. 535 dis
charged for disabilities incurred in
the service. There are several facts
to which / wish 10 call your atten-
| ton: Gathered from reports Of the
| war department and pension depart
ment l find that there are still liv-
ling about $4,000 soldiers OF the civil
war. OF these T24.446 are upon the
agesEE=4