The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1907-06-13
THE GRAND ARMY.

death. Only few more reunions,
said these mournful writers, and the
last of the members would make
their last march on earth. 1t is sur
prising and gratifying to know that
these Projectors of speedy extermi-
nation by death of the old soldiers
were mistaken. At Minneapolis last
year something like $4,000 of them
marched distance Of two miles on
boiling hot day over the hot pave
ment and with the sun reflected on
them from the tall brick buildings.
Not only that but the old boys step
ped off pretty lively, kept step well
and showed a good formation Of
their ranks. OF course some of
them imped and none Of them felt
quite so young as they did 40 years
ago but considering their ages they
showed up a pretty vigorous lot of
men and what is more. 10 years from
now quite number Of them will
still he able to fall in line and march
mile or so on reunion occasions.
Another thing that is surprising to
learn is that the membership Of the
Grand Army has actually increased
during the past year.
Now there is no use to lie about
the old soldiers. They are not all
saints by long shot and never we're.
Some of them are cranky and UNI
reasonable and do heap more chew
ing Of the rag than is necessary, but
on the whole that was a bully army
and taken as a whole they are fine
lot of old men who still live who
wore the blue when they were young
men and boys. No matter whether
they expected to endure the hard
ships they did endure or not they
stayed and did their duty after they |
got in and when the hardest test
came to some of them that could J.
come to men, they stood the test. y
A good many thousands of them
were cooped up in the hell hole at !
AndersJnville. They were starving. /
Disease and starvation were moving
them down by the hundred everye
day Then came the test Theys II
were offered food and freedom and h
even bounty if they would agreed
to join the rebel army and fight
against the flag of the Union. Fur-tl
thermore the tempter said to them: 70
why should you remain true tor
your old government; it has for
saken you. Your secretary of warI
has refused to exchange rebel pris- "
oners for you and has left you III
here to die. You don't owe your
anything; take your
liberty and help US fight against it"
1t must have been a pretty tempt ,
ing offer to those. starving young
fellows. To refuse, meant to go
back to almost certain death by ,
starvation; to accept it meant liber-
ty and at least enough food to eat.
even if it was coarse food. Thinking
L over now, il seems wonder to us
hat the offer wasn't accepted. We
AN see how the starving prisoner :
,ould justify himself with argument. :,
lie could have said TO himself, If | :
itay here | will starve and that will Ii
,e hard on me and not help my Il
ountry. If on the other hand / Il
.ccept this offer and enlist | will i
ave chance to desert and escape .,
o the union lines. But the fact is r,
hat these boys resisted the tempta- cl
ion practically to man. They told al
heir captors that they preferred to
tarve rather than fight against their
ountry. 1t was as noble an example er
{ self sacrifice as the world ever OF
lw, when those men deliberately II
hose death by starvation in prefer SC
nee to liberty and disloyalty to ca
heir flag. And a good man of them .ev
ctually starved to death as a result ~
t their choice. just rs they knew M
hey would. Starved until merciful ha
elirium relieved them from their Ike
Iisery. And so they died, imagin- go
lg that they were back at the old 20
)me under the ministering care of
leir mothers; back at the old home Di
here the cows with steaming sides pli
ere coming home at milking time; 90
ack where in their delirium they 60
,uld see the milk pans sitting in
lie pure cold water that ran over Sc
lie flagstones in the old spring house ou
I'd gather the rich coat of cream
I'd pour it, thick, almost as paste, Tia
i the sweet mush that mother had an
ade for supper. Died as they ~