Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1904-06-23

Daniel LINE FOcts Bttnttf a. ~ nv :
Saturday evening, May 18th. II brings
out the realities Of the great rebellion ana
The magnitude OF the struggle IN way
seldom reached by wrlters-the words
come from he soul.
To THE REV. J. HALL LONG,
zee Won are 10 address the old soldiers
an the coming Sabbath. My first wish
ives mai might be there to hear you.
Common sense commences m the country !
II II did not feed the cities then the cities
would degenerate. That is why the busi-
ness OF the cities is done largely by the
once country boys. ] remember a country
parson saving that be was discouraged,
Tor hen his young people grew up ana
became company and pleasure 70 MN,
they were suddenly called to the city, ana
he had TO begin all over again, and buhd
gp another church. Finally he concluded
that II was his life work 10 train up young
men to run the big cities. Nowhere VIII
Won hear stronger sermons than are de-
iivered to the churches in the country
towns There, fashion is not paramount
issue. and fattery is not a cultivated sci
ence. So as / say, my first thought was
that would love TO hear an earnest, serl-
Gus sermon in my own native land.
Bethel always seemed a part OF my old
home One of the happiest experiences OF
nv life was To ride down TO Bethel on
horseback, when ] was very small boy,
10 see some 4th OF July fireworks. As u
rained Just at the critical moment the hfe-
works were postponed one week, ana
again 1 rode the old bay mare down 70
witness a more miraculous eNhiDltloh
than had ever dreamed Of, in the burn
ing OF a few dollars worth OF Boston nre-
works. The first time ] was ever on the
cars was at Bethel when started for the
war. Nothing would please me more thah
TO have a good campfire talk with the
relics Of the war that will sit before you on
and easier every year.
The living more forget u.s.
Every year, every year,
As we grow older and fewer. we love
each other better, and hate the enemy less.
Time softens our aspertties' ana Whlte
hairs are forgiying. ! fancy see Pelore
your hand with a sincerity that reveals
hts whole nature; there must be Albert
Kendall Of beef steak iamei ana one
Moody who is older than he was 40 years
ago: there must be Lieut.. ClOugh, whose
shadow must be longer in the sunset OF
bis days. Brave fellow, he never asked
man to 90 where he did not first 20 him
self. ] have all Of their names, but VINO Il
living, and who has passed on to the Great
Forever, am never certain.
No man knows what it IS to be soldier
until be has been caught in the very act
exhausted, hungry, very hungry he must
dream of those he has left at home, those
whom he loved best; he must see sickness
suffering, death; he must smell the SICK
ming odor Of the hospital, see the dead
carried out as though life is cheap, and the
most precious body mere numerical
thing; he must write a few letters Tor ms
sick comrade, to his dear ones at home to
whom he reveals the sad story OF his suf-
fertngs; he must enquire morning ana
evening, at the hospital door, for his SICK
terminate; he must dread the cold, lonely
watch at night when be fears that to tall
asleep is death; he must hear the night
bird, the southern whip-poor- IN the
dense dark woods, hear 1t while he IS
watching all alone on his wild beat, 50 far
from his beloved, OF whom he is constant
fy thinking; he must measure time by
minutes aud hours, when every minute
seems day and every day month. AS
an illustration Of how long time seems TO
4 homesiek boy will say that my life has
been divided into three equal periods-the
10 years before the war, the nine months
was in the war and the AZ years since.
Really they seem of equal length.
/ have heard OF the rapture OF the
fight;o rarely is there any rapture OF the
fieht. / remember the first rapture saw,
1T was horse / saw from in front hob
bling down the hill, on three legs, one
foot having been shot of. Presently /
saw men without heads, men with half a
body and so mangled, the face turned one
way and the body another Dead soldiers
are not white but ash colOred, the CHASTITY
ash color. A rank of handsome men
marching with superb bravery are missed
in second, a shell has annihilated them; ;
nhe ranks close up as though nothing had
happened. That night | could walk
hundred rods on bodies, some naked, some
partially dressed, some still moaning,
~ "a
loss OF blood creates. A line half mile
long marching to annihilate as many
more, IL 900 all in line; We saw them melt
away to few hundred. II there is any
rapture n a fight did not feel il. Sher-
man did not define war correctly; he rode
q horse and so was not tired like the foot
soldier.
/ remember the first long march. re-
mem Der it because we cannot forget the
sererest experiences, 1t was Is miles in
the mud, cold mud, red mud, Virginia
mud, army mud. sticky mud, heavy mud.
IL was a march from Alexandria to Fairfax
Court House. ] was loaded with a gun,
nEyonet, knapsack, canteen, haversack,
with several days rations, cartridgebox,
overcost, blanket, several pounds OF nails,
several quires of foolscap paper, small
sheetiron stove, Undertaking, stockings.
cooking utensils, looking glass, brush and
comb, shoe brush, camp stool and other
neeessaFies too numerous to mention.
Alter the first mile / was tired; after two
miles | was disappointed, hut dared not
complain: ! was laboring under delusion
shat j vas a brave soldier. After going
live miles every strap cut into my flesh
with provoking soreness so there was no
place for the gun or canteen strap, all had
got sore and chafed. / wanted to throw
everything away and sit down on the
roadside and pretend that was sick, but
no, ] was too honest, and thought ] must
DO my duty. II ] fell SIX feet behind my
place at the head OF the company II was
orderly them il looked like greater effort
20 make up that six feet than II ordinarily
would to have walked five miles home
with a girl from spelling school. said
then and there that never would drive q
tired horse or abuse dumb beast; that Il
they seemed tired / would let them rest
and never have broken that promise. II
was BY far the severest trial OF my life, Sc
lar as being tired is concerned. Think OF
the constitutions that march undermined
she dregs of camp life We carried with Us
she vitality we wasted never to return
After 10 miles we all thought we were
dead, and were quite glad OF the thought
Ghe minutes were so distressing. Who