Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-11-02

dog, picking up the struggling officers
and men and helping them to places of
safety. When he jumped over the gun
boats side he struck a piece of tim
Der. md dlsiigured his face so fearfully
that Colonel Ellet could not recognize
him. The lad. however. being asked
how he came by his injuries, replied,
with the usual salute that he had had
"a whack on the head, and so went on
helping his companions out of the
Chicago Chronicle
Thinning Ranks of the G.. a. n.
1t was a thin. blue line of heroes
which paraded at Saratoga September
IL. in the annual march OF the ma
tional encampment OF the Grand Army
of the Republic
Shoulder TO shoulder the war veter-
through forty-two years. meeting an
nually TO renew old ties and testify to
deathless patriotism. Year by year
the parade OF the veterans has been
growing shorter In It's line, until now,
when its march past the colors num-
bered fewer than 10000 men.
Ii was the least number that has
ever paraded since the formation OF the
G. A. Il.
OF the 100000 members OF the order
II is estimated that there are between
$1,000 and 10000 In Saratoga, but of
these fully two-thirds were unable to
march the mile laid out for the pa
rade
What this means no one unac-
quainted with Grand Army men can
realize. Heretofore nothing has been
able to keep these pfucky veterans from
their places In the line of march when
the drums rolled out the signal
But age and infrmity break the
strongest will. and on that September
day from some vantage point along the
way many a brave old soldier looked
wistfully looked his last-upon
his comrades as they toilsomely
marched, a part of pageant the like
OF which can not be seen anywhere
In the round world except just there, at
G. A. Il. parade.
The Grand Army represents about
one third of the surviving veterans OF
the Civil War. IT'S losses by death and
the falling condition Of strength Of 1t:
members are an index Of what is oe
curing among all the veterans Of ia,
war for the Union.
Possibly we have seen the last of the
| great historic marches OF the G.. A. X
In its national encampment. The
strain upon the men Is too great, and
1t has long been contemplated to dror
this, the most picturesque and affecting
feature of the meetings.
1t liz probable that very soon the AN
nual encampment viii be merely q
meeting of delegates In Washington, for
il is growing more and more hard for
the veterans to travel and endure the
chances OF strange scenes and faces and
circumstances.
There has been nothing more pa
thetic in history than the gradual dis
appearance OF that army Of more than
million citizen soldiers who sprang
10 the cali to arms in the early sixties.
The time Is soon coming when there
viii be not one survivor OF the fighting
legions Of those stirring days
The army Of blue Is fast answering
the last roll call. The long drawn
notes OF taps are blown over the
newly made graves of thousands of
that army every year.
Into the silence and the mystery the
heroes go. leaving behind them a loving
and grateful people. The boys" Lin.
coin loved, the stern fighters of Grant
aud Sherman and Sheridan, on, on they
go. TO join their old commanders and
their beloved chief
Peace be with them all! And we
who look on-we can only give cheers
for the livings, tears for the dead. ~
Ada e. Sweet IN Chicago Journal
How Lincoln Henrd of Lees surren-
der.
Mrs. Lincoln had returned 10 City
Point with a party which included Sen