The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-05-31

would De suicidal, so they thought. Vehement protestations. if not open mutiny, might follow the knowledge that in their hands they hold the word advance"
 But that eloquent silence, that mas terly reserve, that shouldering of aw- full responsibility, unshared and alone, is the key to the success of the coming movement. Think you it was an easy thing for him to do? Next morning at early dawn the Union army moves; and when, an hour later, Lees scouts bring in the intelligence disclosing Grants strategy, Lee tears in pieces the dispatch, and stamping violently, exclaims to an officer by his side: sir, our enemy has a leader at last, and our cause is lost. lost!' Lee had ordered his army to sleep late and rest that morning, feeling assured of yicto- ". But now to his dismay, he sees the forces supposed to be 'hors de combat" actually advancing on his flank to- wards Richmond to cut off his base. He hastens to retreat; fights by day and Hanks by night, acknowledging his doom is sealed.
 The old glorious Army Of the Poto- mac, so long the sport of misfortune, or the football of incompetency, now that it had a leader, became henceforth in- vincible. Said a soldier of a New York regiment: "When we marched that morning we took for granted it was retreat, just as 1t always had been af- ter the Virginia battles, and our hearts | Tstf xryhO ahOvf eight o'clock the intelligence flashed over the lines from regiment to regi- ment that we were lon to Richmond" under a man who would go there or die, every one of us felt he was host, and that the Army of the Potomac could never be whipped after that and 1t never was whipped
 But was 1t an easy task, that "On to Richmond?" Bear witness, you who were an integral part of that forceful, victorious army. Was there no need of self-denial of submission, of incessant conflict with difficulties before Rich mond was reached? Let Spottsyivania, Cold Harbor Pettrsburg and Appomat- l tox testify.
 I We may tell the world of our great achievements as a nation; we may speak of it's mines, of it's miles upon miles of railroads, of its fertile lands 1 yielding rich harvests, of it's factories with their thousands of humming wheels, scattered north and south; all these are good, and well may we glory in them. But our nations greatest glory, it's most priceless gem, are those men who went forth in the face of fire and smoke, starvation and desolation, wounds and death, at the behest of their country. These are the choicest | treasures, the crown jewels, the spark ling gems in the glittering. scintillating crown of the southern as well as the northern states.
 Our forces knew nothlngSexperimen tally of the agony endured by the men in the southern ranks. You fought and buried your dead, cared for your wounded and gloried in whatever tri- umph might come. But they not only | fought, but fought amid great want. Of tea and coffee you had the very best, but a pound of tea from Nassau cost them five hundred dollars. Our army was well shod. If a pair of shoes were worn out after long march the ouarterrnaster would issue another pair. They were often obliged to go bare- footed, while prominent general of the south afterwards stated that pair of boots cost six hundred dollars. And lin 1864 1t was officially announced that a large number of Stonewail brigade were entirely without shoes.
 We of the Union cause think of the triumph of our arms and we rejoice in it. but 1t were we'll for us to. ponder the \ fact that while our army was fighting the Confederates in front, General Starvation, with his cohorts, was as- lsaulting them on the flank and rear. In January, 1863, the Virginia papers lquoted flour at twenty-five dollars per barrel. In January, 1864, ninety-five dollars per barrel. Tn January, 1865, over a hundred dollars per barrel. For the heroes of the south there was death at the cannon's mouth Tn front and starvation In the rear. In Septem- Der, 1861, s110 of Confederate money was equal to one dollar in United States gold. But in January 1865, Il ltook sixty dollars in Confederate mon ey to buy one dollar in gold. We are told that the rebel soldiers made pen lcils to mark roll call from molten bull lets poured into the cavity of small lreeds from the cane brakes. The juice of the poke berry composed with vine gar furnished the ink, while the goose quill, all that you Yankees left of the goose. took the place of the steel per to write to the girl they left behind them. But brave souls that they were
 thus embarrassed, they went forware in the performance of what they con tsidered their duty. They were Ameri-
 can citizens and American blood flowed
 in their veins.
 An interesting story is told of Gene
 ral Scott by Confederate officer Ont
 day Mir. Lincoln said to General Scott
 twill you explain why it was you were
 able to take the City of Mexico in thre; months with five thousand men, and have been unable to take Richmond ir
 six months with one hundred thousand men?''
 ''Yes, sir, will, MT. President" re- piled General Scott. "The men who took me into the City of Mexico are the same men who are keeping me out O
 Richmond now"
 know you will pardon me when
 say that the best men on both sides o1
 the conflict are not visibly present witt their comrades to-day; they lie buried