Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-05-17

OF all the states in this grand and
glorious union, there is none that holds
place deeper in the hearts of the
whole public than Virginia. 1t is as
ISOLATED with the very first thoughts
OF the country's settlement. 1t was the
entering wedge of modern Christian
civilization in the territory now occu-
pied by the United States. 1t bore its
burdens of the revolution, has always
been the home Of hospitality, and every
American citizen, whether from north,
south, east or west will resent an at
tack on Virginia quicker than on al
most any other state.
For Virginia is the birthplace of
George Washington, the first president
Of the land, of Henry Clay. of James
Madison, Of James Monroe, of Thomas
Jefferson Of John Tyler, Of Winfield
Scott. Of Zachary Taylor. Virginia has
produced presidents, statesmen and
soldiers. Her children signed the De-
claration of independence.
Yet in Virginia., scenes have taken
place which make the war records Of
most other nations look insignificant
when the loss Of life is compared.
Forty years ago this month down in
Virginia two armies were engaged in
the most deadly conflict ever known in
the annals of warfare. They were arm
les of war, still they were armies COM
posed of nlightment, of intelligence, of
Christianity and of patriotism. And
each army felt that it was fighting for
it's honor, for its country, for its life
and the life Of others.
IL. Eel ~ INy
battling, when brother fought brother,
father fought son, neighbors grappled
in death grip, the losses Of both the
armies aggregated many, many thous-
ands of men, and probably never, in the
same length of time, has such carnage
been wrought in any of the wars which
have stained with blood the histories
Of the worlds progress.
A Comparison.
The losses of the Russian and jap
anese forces in the battle of the Yalu
river, according to best advices re-
ceiyed. aggregated not. to exceed s.
900 men. Some newspapers have
compared this enga cement to that of
the Wilderness, participated in by the
armies Of Grant and Lee, forty years
ago. The fact is that there is no
comparison whatever, the battle of the
Yalu being mere skirmish when
compared with the terrific contest in
the woods and swamps Of the Wilder
ness south of the Rapidan river in
1854. In this great two days battle,
which is remembered by many Of the
wearers of the blue and of the gray,
the union loss was not less than H.
900, killed, wounded and missing, while
the confederate loss was equally as
large.
In this day Of peace. plenty and
prosperity, with the United States an
united nation and q recognized world
power, it is difficult, especially for the
younger generation. to realize what
was taking place in this country, for
ty years ago this month 1t was in
the month Of May 1854 that General
U. S. Grant was given supreme com
mand of the union forces. The civil
war had been in progress for three
years. Lees army still held the for
tifications in front of Richmond, from
which no union commander had been
able to dislodge 1t. Mcclellan
Meade, Hooker, Burnside and Pope
had all failed. Though some of them
were splendid soldiers, none was
equal to the great task that must be
accomplished before the war could
end. Finally the man Of destiny ap-
peared. He was Gen. u. s. Grant. He
recognized at the outset that, the true
objective was the army of northern
Virginia. In that lay the chief
strength of the confederacy; while
that stood. the confederacy would
stand, whether in Richmond or out of
1t: when that fell the confederacy
would fall.) To follow that army
wherever 1t went, fight it and de.
stroy 1t was the task that lay
before the army of the Potomac; and
every man in the army as well as most
men in the country, knew that it was
a task that could be accomplished only
through immense labor and loss OF
life, hard marching, heavy fighting and
all manner of suffering.
Plunge Into the Wilderness.
The intention was to have stimuli.
taneous movement of all the armies
begin as near the first of May as pos.
sible. 1t actually began at midnight
of the Bird, when the army OF the Po-
tomac was set in motion and crossed
the Rapidan, which is there about 200
feet wide, on five pontoon bridges
near Germania, Culpepper, Mine and
Ely's fords. On crossing, it plunged
at once into the Wilderness, which is
here traversed from north to south
by two roads mile or two apart. II
has been supposed that Lee would
either dispute the passage Of the riv'
err, or as he had done on previous oc
casions, await attack on some chosen
He did not dispute the passage of the
river and there was no fighting on the
ground, that was suitable for fighting
4th, but on the 9Th. Lee attacked
Grants army and the fight continued
almost without intermission for near
ly two days and nights.
The losses in this great two days
battle cannot be stated accurately
The best of authorities vary as to the
national loss. from fewer than $4,000
killed, wounded and missing to about
15,4eo. AS to the confederate loss, the