Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-27
OLD VETERANS
HEAR BURDETTE
TEMPLE BAPTIST PASTOR DE-
LIvERS ADDRESS
Preacher Gives Vivid Word Picture
of Battle from Personal Expe-
rienee-Patriotie Airs Rem
dered on Organ

Five hundred veterans of the Civil
and Spanish wars congregated at Tenn
pie Auditorium yesterday morning at
the big memorial service held under the
auspices of the United Spanish war
yeterans. Comrades of the blue and
the gray sat side beside, while one OF
the Union boys, Private Robert j. Bur-
dette. preached the sermon.
IT was an inspiring service, ana time
and again the grizzled wardogs NODDED
their heads in vigorous approval, OF
their eyes dimmed at some dear MEM
ory the speakers words recalled
Instead of the usual hymn tunes
prof. Kingsley played the grand old
hvmns of the republic, "Just Before the
Battle. Mother" maryland" March
ing Through Georgia" Bonnie Blue
Flag" TRAMP, Tramp. Tramp
Rally Round the Flag and Dixie.
AS an organ solo Prof. Kingsley played
Mendelssohn's War March of the
Priests" from Athalie.
Mrs. Bessie Ives Harrison sang the
solo part in "The Vacant Chair the
quartet accompanying her in the
chorus. Her clear, sweet voice as she sL
sang the we'll known song, dear to the
veterans of both sides, brought tears to
the eyes of many.
Tells Own Experience
DR.. Burdette took for his subject
'oThe Lost Fort" telling graphically OF
the capture of a fort which he helped
take. He said:
$50 far away-away in the advance,
and far on another road-so faint and
dull that it scarcely seems to be
sound, but rather a sensation that runs
past the unguarded portal of the war
70 touch the brain-the echo of a
dream-boom! And yet it is deadly
clear; fearfully near. Every hstless
head in the weary ranks is hfted'
Questioning eyes answer each other'
Every soldier has read the message,
shouted so far away by tongue OF
flame between black lips.
| "Unconsciously the marching ranks
are locked. Instinctively the step Is
quickened. The man with the whiten-
| ing face drains his canteen to the last
precious drop. He Is going to nave
strength to get to the front with the
regiment. Then, if he dies, he will die
in the line.
wheels put a defiant tone in the old
monotony of the wheels. 'Clippity-
clippity!' Another galloping trooper
goes down the column in cloud OF
dust. but this one is garlanded with
cheers, and his face lights with grim
smile. You'll find somebody thatn
make you holler when you ketch up
with the cavalry floats back over his
shoulder. It's his DEAL laughs sol
died, pulling his belt buckle hole
tighter Tramp, tramp, tramp.
"a single rifle shot. Sharp, pene-
trating, anger and surprise in it's de-
| fant intonation. A score of excited
echoes clattering after 1t from hill and
| forest. A thrill of nervous tension runs
through the column that closes the
ranks in orderly formation. Quick
terse orders. Absolute discipline IN
every movement. The crooked rail
fences on either side the road are lew
eled as the hands of the men touch
them. The column double quicks out OF
the road to right and left; the curtain
ing woods swallow it. The men dror
on their faces They are lost from
sight. The skirmishers, deploying as
they rum swarm down the hill slope tc
the front like a nest of angry hornets
Pictures Battle
"a handful of shots leap into the air
They have found the pickets. fitfu
rain of skirnish firing; shot here; g
half dozen; a score; silence; another
half dozen shots; cheer and volley
Far away, ringing in clear and close
drifting away almost out of hearing
off to the right; swinging back to the
left; coming in closer; more Of them
gathering in numbers and increasing II
their intensity; few field guns
feeling the woods a long roll of mus
kerry; ringing cheers; thunders o
awakening batteries on right and left
the line leaps to it's feet and rushei
with fixed bayonets to meet the on
coming charge; the yellow clouds hav'
changed to blue and gray; sheafs o
fire cleaning through the trees; sickle
of death gathering in the bloody har
vest: shouts of defiance and screams o
agony; shouting of the old-fashioneC
colonels' who ride with their men
payonets cleaning about the smoke
grimed muzzles of the guns; mel
fighting men swarming like locusts int,
the embrasures; saber and bayonet
sponge staff and rammer lunge, thrust
cut and crashing blow; men driven ou
of the embrasures and over the parape
like dogs before lions, turning agail
with yelp and snarl and fighting thei
way back again like blooded bull dogs
holding every inch they gain; hand t
throat and knife to heart; hurrying re
Inducements racing to the crater o
smoke and flame from every direction
a long wild cheer, swelling into fierc
exultant cadences over and over an
oYer-the reversed guns, like the hound
ora ctaeon, baying at the heels and O
the masters rending the bodies of tn
masters for whom but late they fought
white flag 1uttering like frightene
dove amidst the smoke and flame, tn
fury and anguish, the hate and terror
I, the madness and death of the hell G
8 passion raging over the sodden earth
S the fort is ours!'
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