Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-02-26
ideal Herolsm.


above named topic, is from the pen
of Warren Lee Goss, of Rutherford,
New Jersey, National Patriotic In
structor of the Grany Army of the
Republic. Comrade Goss was for a
long time a prisoner of war during
the rebellion. He has written several
books concerning prison life, patriot
ism and hero:sm, ard has contributed
much to the literature of some Of our
best magazines This article is taken
, from the February number of a little
magazine. Courage, published by the
American Association to Promote the
| Teaching of Speech to the Deaf. It
is we'll worth reading.
It Is claimed that recent experiments
with radium have demonstrated its
power to transmute common crystals
/ into gems However this may be, it
is true that patriotism has power to
transmute commons men into heroes,
and to make "the safety Of the repub-
lie the supreme law" even among the
humblest soldiers under a government
of the people.
| Reputation for courage is often only
| the result of a good set of nerves; one
easily startled is often as truly brave
| as the other who is not moved by the
unexpected. My own experience is
that the steadiest courage goes with
pride of character and principles
which are dearer than applause, per.
sonal comfort, or even life. That
hero who. gathering to his breast
sheath of Austrian bayonets cried
out, Make way for liberty!" was
grand; the men at Valley Forge, in
the gloom of that terrible winter when
the fortunes of the army under Wash
ington were at their lowest ebb, were
grander still; for 1t Is harder to suffer
passively than in action.
Perhaps no truer heroism was ever
known that that of the Union prison
! ers at Andersonville, and other pris-
oners of 1864. Without shelter, with.
out food, almost without rope, these
men, denied the space in which to lie
down and die, were faithful unto the
! death to the government hey served
/ 1t is not generally known that, though
/ ten thousand prisoners had died in
that prison pen up to the last of Oc-
! tober, 1864, only thirteen men among
these suffering, dying soldiers of the
union had been induced to save their
| lives by taking the oath of allegiance
to the confederacy Men refused so
much as to work for the confederacy,
even when excused from the oath.
! Let me, from personal knowledge,
give two such incidents.
Among those captured with me was
boy of seventeen named John Well
ington, son of wealthy and patriotic
father. He had been well edacated
and had taken his place in the ranks
from a sense of patriotic duty. He
bore the sufferings incident to impr!s
onment heroically; but in July, 1861
three thousand eighty-o1e men died
/ that mpnth-his health failed under
the terrible strain: his limbs were
bloated from scurvy, his tongue
swollen, his teeth falling from his
mouth. His comrades knew that
! without vegetable food he would die.
An freshman, whom l will call Bar
ney, was devoted to the boy. He
would soak the meal in water, strain
it through the fragment of an old
shirt and make kind of corn starch
for him to eat. One day Barney came
to the boy saying.
81 have got a chance for you to go
outside the stoekade and get plenty
to eat"
What will have to dor" inquired
John, sitting up with his blanket over
his shoulders, and glad smile light
ing his face at this prospect of q
chance for life.
TITS bit of clerk they're wantin'
in the Office" said Barn ey; "and here
comes the rebel was ealkin' to about
it now"
yes" said the Confederate official,
I'VE want clerk who cen write and
| cipher; wen give him good treat
! ment-rations of meat. green corn, po-
tatoes and wheat bread; reckon
you're just the man we want"
why do you want mn?" inquired
John, as if suspicious of the purpose
/ OF the IIldU, maven you any SfCi n
who can writer"
ooh, yes" said the officer; but he
has been ordered to join his company;
so we've got to get some one else TO
do the work"
The smile of hope and expencency
| faded from Johns pinched face as he
YEARLY lay back on his poor blanket,
sayin, Il guess you'll have to look
further for a clerk. SIR
what's the matter?" said the of.
fetal; ''wo'll treat you we'll: you'll
! get strong and well out there; but
you'll die here "
Eyes. / know" SAID John; but /
! am union soldier. and I can't take
the place of your man who is going
to the front"
You're fool!" said the officer con-
temptuously. and turned away.
| "Oh. now" said Barney, don't be
so squeam ,sh: shure it isn't foghting
10 write bit: think how your satherl
feel If you die here"
/ But the boy shook his head deter
=