The Ordway new era., 1907-03-22
FIFTY YEARS BACK
OUR COUNTRY AS IT WAS MALI "
CENTURY AGO.
49,, !, the History Of the "0''
Have Such Vas, Changes ess"
No,ed-Names on the Roll
Of Fame.

A, that time our country was VIZ
-, direrent one from that In wni1n
mo - a,e now living; and so great ha''
bean the changes that could the ,'Ig va
,rr merchants Of our cities o'
yrors ago. or the farmers who se se''''"
ia tho primcyal timber Of the "'1"
-a,nr, the former would not reeos'
- ono street from another. and lne
,a,,,.- wcpId look in vain for the As'u'
and woods that met their eye ','.,
the doorstep. writes Morris SeHA'', w
the Atlantic Monthly The popu.lA',lou
~ tho country. now rising sO,o'V"v''
vss loss than $1,000 900 not oonnunE
tho territories. and Of these l9,V''V'o
w., IN the north or free states AHu
20 400 600 in the south or slave states
The frontier was along the "es.e'"
boundary OF Arkansas. and 'hra''
north 10 the Canadian line The great
r,de OF emigration that set In Win
the building Of the national road vas
srIll flowing west. while the railroads
and TELEGRAPH were Just beginning 20
nush their way after IT, Steamh'ais'
called floating palaces. 'ouli 1e
seen at almost every bend OF The
beautiful Ohio and on every l77E
reach OF the solemlly impressive Mis-.
sissippi
The war with Mexico was still fresh
In the memories az the people ana
the majority OF the officers who Lad
gained distinction .n i, we're sill. l''
ing, as well as veterans here ana
there OF the war of lSie, and t0 cu
phaslze the march q time. maf SAY
that frequer, visitor NJ my father =
house was d French veteran hy the
name OF Genet. vlo had actually
fought under NAPOLEON al Wa'v-Ioo
save with Mexico. our country Bad
been at peace NI'h all the world t'-
nearly so years. us future. save a7
shadowed now and then By sIa'--T-
elowcd warmly and pride and love
for It burned in every heart
The army consisted Of l6,4S5 Of.
GERS and men; its organization was
made up OF engineers, topographic.
engineers. ordnance supply delari
ments. artillery. infantry, cavalry.
dragons and mounted rifles. The
heaviest guns in the forts were ten
inch columhlads. and the small arms
were all NOTWITHSTANDING smooth-bores
and rifles.
Grant, in utter obscur!ty and almost
utter poverty and fronting an outlook
OF utter helplessness. was a CLERK In
a store at Galena- Farragut was sail
ing the seas and not dreaming Of the
days TO come when. lashed 10 ;he rig-
ging. he would lead his squadron into
the battle OF Mobile bay. Lee was
commanding a post in Texas, and
probably had never heard OF the little
town OF Gettysburg; SedEVick and
Thomas and Jeb Stuart were all on
the Texas frontier. and the future
seemed TO offer only slow chance for
promotion; and yet, in less than FIVE
years they had risen TO enduring
fame. Stonewall Jackson was an liz
structor at the Virginia military iusti.
tute-the West Point OF the south.
but he was dwelling more on the sins
OF this earth. than on Its houo-s eth.
er military Of civil. and was regard.
ed by his intimatec as a queer and
uninteresting type of a belated Round.
head. Within FIVE years he was to
rise 10 the pinnacle OF fame. his star
TO the courtry's zenith. Sherman was
teaching In Louisiana. uttle dreamIn.
that be would one day lead a yicto-
rious army from Atlanta 70 the sea
LonGstreet, the J11nstons. the Hills
Hooker, Bragg and Forrest-the lat.
ter slave dealer. bat the ab'est cav.
airy leader Of the coufederacy-and
the many who In blue and gray rose on
the waves OF the mighty conflict were
all unknown OUTSIDE Of their local and
professional associations.
OF these. Reynolds. who fell al Get.
tysbuFg; Webb Warren. NcCook
Howard, Griffin, schoheld. Har,spff
saxton, Weitzel and Hazen. o, the
union; Hardee, BeaureEard vitz Lee
Alexander and Field. Of the confed.
crate army. were on duty as officers a,
west Point In the CORPS OF cade,s
were Wilson, Upton. Hardin Borac,
Porter, Merritt, Custer and ysrko-,-
ne of the north. while bound in tics
OF friendship with them were Ram.
senF' Wheeler. Rosser. Pelham. Younr
semmes and Deering. Of the s,n,b
whenever and wherever 80
thought OF them as officers or cade,s--
ana II has been many and man
ume-imasination has painted them
naIehing unoonsciously toxard the
neid ,, OF the high test OF the soldier and
the gentleman. anu