The National tribune., 1907-08-01

\
| Hon. William l.. Palmer. Chief OF
staff. Carthage. s. ID.
| Hon William Savage. Chairman Leg
lislation Committee. Los Angeles, Cal.
| ANOTHER MONUMENT.
The Survivors of Co. X, I3Oth Ohio
| Honor Their Comrades Who Fell
| Here.
| The survivors of the 150th Ohio an
swered roll call on July IL at the Bat
! tleground National Cemetery. District OF
! Columbia, and unvailed a memorial
| stone in remembrance of their com
rades who fell in the battle of Fort
Stevens, d. c., July HIP, 1864. Pri-
yate William f. Leach was especially
commemorated as the first of the COM
pany to fall. He was shot July IL on
| the skirmish line.
| Rev. James Hayes Laird. First Ser
seanr of Co. *, now a resident of Hins
dale, Mass, opened the exercises with
| prayer. and an address was delivered by
| Hon. W. V. Cox. in which he told many
| touching incidents of the battle. and
related the efforts made to get the War
| Department to take action to preserve
| the historic grounds. The story of the
monument and how it was erected was
| told by former Private Asa Cannon, OF
| Co. Il
! CoiHElue JOiln MctlTD! Sllu tl3t
| there had been entirely too much de-
probation of the services of the 100
days men. The main thing was that a
man should place himself at the diSpo-
sal Of tn. Government to go wherever
ordered and do the duty assigned him.
The records show that out OF every sew
| en- men who put on the blue one was
dead before he took it off. The serious
resS Of this dedication was faiiy felt
when the 100 days men came out in
the fourth year of the war. While the
| lines of some regiments fell in easy
places others encountered the stern ast
features of the war. The 135th Ohio
lost seven killed in battle and &c starved
! in Anders0nviiie. and other regiments
Jared nearly as ba1iy. They all went
cheerfully wherever ordered and met
every emergency of war with unfalter-
| ing courage.
After the speeches had been made a
box was sealed ih the crypt of the mon
| ument containing Narinus historical
documents. In this box was sealed the
roster Of the company. copy of tac
Washington Evening Star: Col. JOAN
McElroy's story of the Grand Review:
harrington and Battlefield Cemeteries. -
by Isabel WOrrell- Ball; Early's March
10 Washington" by Gen. Thomas Nc
Curdy Vincent: Fort Stevens. Where
Lincoln Was Under Fire" by Hon. w.
V. Cox. and many other sketches, as
well as mementoes Of the battle.
Among other entertaining speeches
was that of Col. Newton Fcrree Com
n1ander of the Department OF Potomac.
G.. a. r.. and Gen. T. NJ. Vincent. Win,
participated in the stirring scenes which
centered in Jubal Earlys march on
Washington.
The story of the monument was told
by j. G. Cannon. Co. X. Lakewood. o..
who was the father of the monument
idea. in part as follows:
The intrinsic value of the contents
Of this box. which I now place in crypt
prepared, is practically nil. but the
value Of the ideas represented by them
IS the value of this great united Nation
which by virtue of the triumph of those
ideas now stands in the front rank of
the Nations of the world.
MY first intention was to provide a
bronze tablet to the memory of Com
rade VIM. +. Leach. of Co. X. who was
fatally wounded by d shot from the Gd-
vance skirmiSh line of E,arlys troops.
This was TO be placed on the wall of
the Cemetery Lodge but the rules of
the War Department would not permit
this but the suggestion was made that
a monument might find a place in the
cemetery. But when we had nearly
succeeded in getting permission for a
monument. having upon it the names
1f VIM. II. Leach shot in battle July
II; Henry f.. Cowles. Aug A ELS.
Edgar l.. Beech and John Monroe. died
in hospital. the War Department ruled
:hat the names Of those whose bodies
were not inferred in the cemetery could
not be inscribed on the stone. and finally
suggested the present inscription
which recognizes that Co. x. I50th o.
Y. y. l., assisted in the defense of Fort
Stevens. July II and IL. 1864 The
result is before you, comrades, but
wish YOU TO ever read between the
lines. Honor to the patriot dead of Co.
Is. One comradc remarked to me-
There is some sentiment about this
To this | reply that the sentiment is
love of country
Not love of self or State
Not love of wealth or race.
Not love of ancestry or rank
He who will not subordinate all
these to love of country Is no true
patriot. This sentiment Is worthy of
the highest culture-not kept in the
dark to grow pale and sickly like a
plant under house porch. but brought
forth into the open valleys thru which
sweep healthgiving breeZes and taken
up to the sun-kissed hilltops where il
may gather inspiration and power
This stone is but a small type of a
grand idea. in the presence of Nhcih
Treason should vail her hideous feat
ures. | woud rather stand in the pres
ence of God with my hand on this
stone and my soul in harmony with its
meaning than rest contentedly in the
shadow of 100000 statue which
tries to glorify treason or exalt the as
sassins of liberty.