Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-11-08
Thinning Ranks of the G. A. r..

Thinning Ranks of the G. A. II.
It 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
ans have stood, even as in war days,
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 its line, until now,
when its march past the colors num-
bered fewer than $1,000 men.
1t was the least number that has
ever paraded since the formation Of the
G. A. r.
Of the 100000 members Of the order
it is estimated that there are between
$4,000 and $4,000 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 pluczy veterans from
their places in the line Of march when
the drums rolled out the signal.
But age and intirmity break the
strongest will, and on that September
day from some vantage point along the
way many a brave old soldier looked
wistfully-and looked his last-upon
his comrades as they tOilsomely
marched, part Of a pageant the like
of which can not be seen anywhere
in the round world except just there, at
a G. A. r. parade.
The Grand Army represents about
one-third of the surviving veterans of
the Civil War. Its losses by death and
the failing condition of strength Of its
members are an index of what is oc-
curing among all the veterans Of the
war for the Union.
Possibly we have seen the last Of the
great historic marches Of the G. A. r.
in its national encampment The
strain upon the men is too great, and
it has long been contemplated to drop
this, the most picturesque and affecting
feature Of the meetings.
1t is probable that very soon the an
nual encampment will be merely a
meeting of delegates in Washington, for
it 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
a million citizen soldiers who sprang
to the call to arms in the early sixties.
The time is soon coming when there
will 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 loving
and grateful people. The boys Lin
coin loved, the stern fighters Of Grant
and 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. y
Ada C. Sweet in Chicago Journal
How Lincoln Heard of Lees Surren-
der.
Mrs. Lincoln had returned to City
Point with a party which included Sem
ator Sumner and Senator and Mrs.
Harlan They made a visit to Rich
mond, accompanied by Captain Penrose,
while the President remained at City
po;,,t +l,o cr11nSt of Admiral Porter un-