Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1907-06-06

anu SOW Delfy. 'Dldck'Tlee anu Ulhcher
coffee. Nor do You fail TO remember
the many weary, hungry days when
yea had no Tations at all, but had ITO
faIl back ON parched corn and such
other ''roughness" aslyon could share
with the nudes And when the rush
and roar ana tnmult of battle came
yea had experiences that, made the or
dpnary life Of a soldier seem but pic
ME in comparison with the rage and
slaughter of the fight.
Through all those weary years,
whether 1n camp ,Or i'm battle or IN hos
pftal, every day was day OF extreme
prGwation and discomfort Every hour
was rendered hong and heavywith anx-
iinEs thonghts about home and 1.-THE low
ed ones there. And thereiis One other
ifeature of sOldRer' lifenot ofteTTefer-
red to, which deserves mention. Every
soldier when he pItt on tthe uniform
and took the oath, surrendered for the
ttilne being, his cheni shed right OF per-
-sonal liberty and independence, and
tthe cherished condition OF perfect
equality with all other men which all
mobile natures 80 highly prize. He
placed himself under the authority of
'dtber men to obey their orders and di-
mectiOns i'm everything. And those he
must thms obey were nat always his
auperiOrs, nor even his equals. Nor
were they always worthy eff respect, or
i'm any way fit to command. To be
tthHs subject to such authority was, to
my mind, one Of the severest tests for
u @oble- hearted, soldiers manhood.
BUT through all those years, day III
AMID day out, our gallant volunteers
held their exalted manhood and their
most precious ideals of personal iinde-
pemdance in this, respect in aheyance,
iiwing daily life of painful sacrifice,
and became as slaves that they might
serve and save their eo1ntuy They
often bore indignities that made their
blood boil. But come what would,
personal effacemenG and huMih hatiOn,
enforced absence from all that home
means, with hunger and cold and max
edness, enduring sickness and fanhng
death. voluntarily and like heroes as
} they were, they endured it all for the
sake of their highest and dearest ea1th-
= ly love-their country. And they held
on until their dreadful task was dome.
But how much they suffered or how
much they accomplished, is not the
really great reason why we accord our
supreme honors to their, names. Their
highest claim to our honor and praise
is that they were willing and prompt
to sacrifice everything most dear and
sacred, and to endure everything that
men count humiliating and painful,
for the preservation Of the sacred in
terests and institutions of out Country.
And this they did
How many returned MANNED and
crippled OF weakened by disease, to
drag out their lives in WEAKNESS and
pain. And how many thousands went
| down in death with no 500 thing word
or touch, and no farewell kiss upon
their lips
'Do you know what it means you
boys and girls
Who hail from the North and the South
DO You know what 1t means
This twining of greens
Round the silent cannon's mouth
This strewing with flowers the grass
grown grave;
Decking with garlands the statues
brave;
This Haunting of flags,
Some in taters and rags;
This marching and singing,
The bells all a-ringing;
These faces grave and these faces gay
This talk of the Blue, and this talk o.
the Gray
In the North and the South-Decora
tion Day!
Not simply show-time, boys and girls
Is this day of falling flowers;
Not pageant OF a play,
Nor holiday
OF flags and floral bowers:
! 1t is something more than the day tina
starts
War memories athrob in veteran heart
Far across the years,
To the hopes and the fears,
To the days of battle,
OF roar and rattle;
, To the past that now seems so far ava.
! Do the sons of the Blue and the sons o
the Gray
: Gaze, hand clasping hand-Decora
tion Day.
, For the wreck and the wrong of it
boys and girls,
; For the terror and loss as well,
OuI uedTIS ullSl HOlu
! A regret untold,
As we think of those who fell;
: But their blood, on whichever side the,
fought,
Remade the Nation-boon dearl
bought2!
We forget the woe;
For we live and know
! That the fighting and signing,
. The falling and dying,
, Were but the steps toward the future
! the martyrs way,
= Adown which the sons of the Blue an
= the Gray
Look with love and with pride-Decc
ration Day"
: Oh, their services, their suffering
Y and sacrifices, merit well our faire.
e flowers, our sweetest songs, our warm
{ est praises and the tallest shafts G
= granite and bronze hands can eve
+ rear And paralyzed be the hand tha
o would pluck one sprig of laurel froT
a the brows of those immortal Amer
e cans of 1861 and 1866,
But what shall be said of the Amer
@. can women, who sent them FORTH Th
i women VINO gave up their husband
/ and sons, their brothers and sweet
- heartsr Their sacrifice was far MOI
o than yielding mp personal comfort G
. enduring physical hardship. or eve
n LAYING down life itself. Their patrit
i? tic offering upon the altar of the