The National tribune., 1906-08-02
"FOR COMRADES SAKE"

"FOR COMRADES SAKE"
A Little Fraternal Talk by nm Ex-Co,-
feAerste.
From the silence OF sorrowful hours
The des0late mourners 60,
Lovingly laden with flowers,
Alike for the friend and the foe"
Editor National Tribune: kindly CON
vey to the survivors Of the 54th Pa.
through the columns OF your most val
liable paper that the writer. chock full
OF such sentiment as is expressed In the
poetry above quoted, proceeded on Me-
mortal Day to the monument erected by
them In commemoration OF their dead
comrades who fell. May 16. 1854, on
the field on which this monument
stands, and with lifted hat and loving
hands placed tenderly thereon a bou-
quet composed Of red and white roses,
honeysuckle and evergreen, bound to-
gether with blue ribbon, thus repre-
senting the National colors.
Tell them we placed 1t In the center
OF the now wfthered but once beautiful
wreath which Comrades Bryan, Ben
nett and others placed there on the 42d
anniversary Of the battle.
While with US these comrades were
invited by a committee Of Neff-Rice
Camp. U. c. ". to take part In the Con-
federate Memorial services which are
always held on the anniversary day OF
the battle OF New Market by the ladies
OF the Memorial Society.
1t Is useless to say that they gladly
and willingly accepted the honor, and
marched at the head OF the procession
from start to finish. side by side with
an equal number Of Confederate veter.
ans OF Neff-Rice Camp. Thus, for the
nrst time in the history Of Memorial
Lay In our town, the blue and the gray
mingled and commingled In ffaternal
friendship on the very field where ~
years ago to the day, and perhaps hour,
they looked upon each other as bitter
enemies, striving to Kill, anniailate and
destroy one another.
It was a scene long to be remembered,
and, we trust, never to be forgotten, in
which our people Joined In admiratton
and approval.
We hope this IL only the forerunner
OF future Reunions OF the blue ana the
gray, when the survivors OF both armies,
their families and friends may meet in
one grand Reunion, In fraternal friend
ship, relating to each other their experf-
ences and hardships during those four
long years of strife. / believe this Il as
II should be.
Only one thing was seid and done TO
mar the pleasure Of the veterans above
named while with US. and to this we
learned they took no umbrage. We
aiude to the introduction Of the orator
OF the occasion by, as the reporter stat
ed. an "old grizzled veteran" who said:
our cousins from across the river (the
Potomac) came into our country with
guns in their hands and matches In
their pockets" We are surprised that
he didn't finish with. land malice In
their hearts," but he stopped short. and,
we trust, never to go again as an intro
Queer or speakers In the presence Of an
intelligent audience of veterans ana
their friends. We suppose this "old
grizzled veteran" thought ''our cousins"
ought to have crossed the river with
sticks instead Of guns and bouquets in
stead OF matches. Had they done so,
what cinch the Johnnies would have
had! We allude to the Johnnies who
went across the river with gums In
their hands and matches In their pock-
cts" and who burned In part Chambers
burg. Pa. not Ia retaliation. but for
lucre and personal ends
Our friends and comrades found the
Improvements around and to the monu-
ment. made since its erection and un-
vailing. all good, and so pronounced
them. They also found the monument
as 1t was erected. and not defaced, as
some predicted 1t would be. The inn
provements consist Of q nice iron fence
around and q macadamized walk from
the Valley pike to the monument. as
entrance. Other improvements are con-
templated and doubtless will shortly be
made.
While near the monument q thought
flashed through my mind that may be
interesting to repeat and 1t was to the
effect that he had met before some Of
the comrades Of the 54th Pa. under very
the present occasion. We allude to the
capture Of Fort Gregg. In which the
writer aided In defending and the s4th
Pa. aided In attacking. Eighteen regi-
ments Of the Union army claim to have
the honor OF being the first to plant its
be as 1t may. 1t was, before the fort fell,
a scene that will always live ia the
memory OF those who participated. 1t
was on a field which permitted none
other but brave men to stand; O. field
which ran red with blood, % to speak:
a field where blue and gray locked bay.
onets: a field where shot and she'll
pressing Union army. scattering death
and destruction everywhere. undl hum
dreds upon hundreds lay dead and
wounded on both sides. We confess we
were 1oath to take leave OF these COM
rades on the morning OF the 10th. az We
conversationalists. and they made last
ing impressions upon our people.
Come again. boys, next year. and
bring others. and let's have q grand
Reunion Of the boys IN blue and the
boys In gray. and you'll nnd q rousing
crowd to meet and greet you: bat don't
come, az the ''oid grizzled veteran" said,
sSui cr,sn~ In x,o.r IN M In "a yYaafcho1
In your pockets" but ~ you did on this
occasion. bringing bouquet4 wreaths
and fowers. and al will be serene and
w. Kennedy, Prices Bat
terry, NcIntosh's Battalion. Hilfs Corpss
n. ". Va. New Market. Va.
Every solaaer, Ssa1eY - Marans