Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-10-15
HONOR HERO
OFFICIAL WASHINGTON ATTENDS
UNWILLING OF SHERMAN
EQUESTRIAN STATUE.

Washington. DC. Oct 15.-To the
memory of William Tecumseh Sher.
man an equestrian statue was unveil- |
ed here this afternoon by Tecumseh
Sherman Thorndyke the young grand
son of the dead chieftain in the pres
ence Of all official Washington with the
President. the diplomatic corps and the
cabinet at its head. The G. A. r.,
veterans and all the regular troops in
the vicinity of Washington, battalions
OF marines, seamen and national
Guard were reviewed by the President
before the unveiling ceremonies. Among
the speakers were President Roosevelt
David b. Henderson. Charles H. Gros-
venor General Thomas ]. Henderson,
and General Daniel e. Sickles, all of
whom eulogized Sherman's character
as man, soldier and patriot Pres
ident Roosevelt addressed the audi
ence in part as follows:
Helped Preserve Nation.
To-day we meet together to do hon
or to one of the great men whom, in
the hour of her agony, our nation
brought forth for her preservation.
The civil war not only in the import.
ance OF the issues at stake and of the
outcome the greatest Of modern times,
but it was also, taking into account it's
duration, the severity of the fighting,
and the size of the armies engaged,
the greatest since the close of the Ma
poleonic struggles. Among the gener-
ais who rose to high position as lead
erS of the various armies in the field
are many who will be remembered in
our history as long as this history it
self is remembered. Sheridan the in.
Iacarnhtion of fiery energy and prowess;
Thomas, farsighted, cool-headed,
whose steadfast courage burned ever
| highest in the supreme moment of the
crisis; Mcclellan, with his eXtraordi-
nary gift for organization; Meade, vic
! tor in one of the decisive battles of all
! time; Hancock, type or the true fight
| ing man among the regulars; Logan,
| type of the true fighting man among
| the VolInteers-the names of these and
of many others will endure so long as
our people hold sacred the memory of
| the light for the union and for liberty.
| High among these chiefs rise the fig.
1 ureS OF Grant and OF Grants great lieu
] tenant, Sherman, whose statue here
| in the national capital is today to be
| unveiled. L is not necessary here to
go over the long roll of Sherman's s
| mighty feats. They are written large
1 throughout the history of the civil war,
| Our memories would be poor indeed il
/ we did not recall them now, as we look
along Pennsylvania avenue and think
of the great triunphal march which
surged down it's length at the close OF
/ the war the victorious armies of the
east and of the west met here in the
capital of the nation they had saved.
There is peculiar fitness in COM
memorating the great deeds of the
soldiers who preserved this nation, by
suitable monuments at the national
capital | trust we shall soon have a
lproper statue of Abraham Lincoln, to
whom more than to any other one
man this nation owes its salvation
Meanwhile, on behalf Of the people OF
the nation, / wish to congratulate all OF
you who have been instrumental in Sc
curing the erection of this statue to
General Sherman.
Lessons From the Tomb.
"The living can best show their re
|spect for the memory of the great
dead by the way in which they take tc
heart and act upon the lessons taught
by the lives which made these dead
men great. Our homage today to the
memory of Sherman comes from the
depths of our being. We would be un
worthy citizens did we not feel pro
found gratitude toward him, and those
| like him and under him, who, wher
the country called in her dire need
sprang forward with such gallant Gag
erness to answer that call. Theil
: blood and their toil, their endurance
and patriotism, have made us and al
| who come after us forever their debt
3 ors. They left us not merely a re
united country, but country incalcu
! lably greater because of its rich heri
! tage in the deeds which thus left it re
united. AS nation we are the great
er, not only for the valor and devotion
to duty displayed by the men in blue
who won in the great struggle for th'
! Union, but also for the valor and th
loyalty toward what they regarded a
right of the men in gray; for this wal
thrice fortunate above all other recen
: wars in it's outcome, left to all of II
s. the right of brotherhood alike wit
!. valiant victor and valiant Vanquished.