The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1908-05-29

had gone out 1000 strong: II had beer
recruited and re-recruited; IL had beer
veteranized and added to in Other
ways; and now IL was bringing home
less than 300 OF all the men who had
gone cut from that section of the
country from which IL had come. The
Joy OF going home for the 300 was
great, but II vas a fearful Joy the In.
slant n thought Of the 500 or more
who could not SO home, VIII lever did
go home. who were buried somewhere
In the broad land over which the 300
had marched. and too often with a
headpiece marked Unknown"
After the wal | stood in the large
cemetery nea Murfreesboro. Tenn
with Gen. r. b. Hayes (afterward
PRESIDENT and Mrs. Hayes. / remem-
Der how Mrs. Hayes. who was an ex-
ceedilgly handsome woman, looked
up into the faces OF the general and
myself as her large. dark. speaking
eyes were flooded with tears. when she
said: Just look there, hat plot OF
ground is covered with headstones
marked Unknown Unknown. I'M
known" she repeated. and yet he
gave his life that his country might
live,"
II was a touching picture, but every
time / think OF 1t / say TO myself:
Really. that unknown soldier. ap-
parently unknown. recorded unknown.
was o really unknown. Somebody
knew him. His comrades knew him.
A mother, a sister, a wife and children.
II he had them. knew him. There is
a better record somewhere than that
in the soldiers cemetery" Our faith
is so strong that we all believe IN the
resurrection and in the future life and
have a great satisfaction in feeling
that no sacrifices and particularly not
that OF life itself for duty, for what
one sincerely believes 70 be duty. has
ever been or ever will be made in
vain.
The saddest pictures Of all. to nv
mind, are those connected with a los
ing battle Ike that of Fredericksburg.
and still more that Of Chancellorsville.
At Fredericksburg the army OF Burn
side wen straight forward TO it's own
destruction. The lines OF Lee. half en-
circling Burnside's points Of attack.
were complete. II was like a trap into
which an animal deliberately puts his
feet. We sprang the trap. and II is
a wonder that Lee had not dealt with
Burnside's army as the sturdy Thomas
dealt with Hoods at Nashville. | a
see in my minds eye those immense
plateaus in front Of the Marve Heights
and other confederate intrenchments
and barbados covered with the dead
and dying. The plateaus were fairly
blue. as they were dotted with the
wearers OF our uniform.
Gen. Couch was standing by nv side
In the steeple of a church. near the
close OF that battle. where we togethe.
were taking a fresh reconnaissance,
when I noticed that his voice trembled
as he spoke TO me. He said. sOh. Gen.
Howard. look there, Look there. See
the ground covered with the BOYS in
blue. and all 10 no purpose
After we had returned. all Of VS.
who could return. to the other shore
OF the Rappahannock. the depression
the soldiers vas greater than at any
time during the war. We could
hardly speak 10 each other. Now. after
years. We can recognize the fact that
grief was balanced by the Joy OF
the confederates over a great victory.
and yet not a decisive one. gained BY
them.
At a moderate calculation there
were sent into eterpity more than a
OF men. who left home in the
prime OF health and IN strength: more
a million OF souls by tho terrible
For one. I am glad. indeed.
that there is an effort on foot TO set.
tie difficulties without bloodshed. or
the waste OF human life Is not
OF II. There Is in every war a waste
81 possession. a destruction Of proper
y and a degradation OF character hard
70 avoid at the best. I know that there
are some things worse than G0eth.
that the union of our states was
worth all that II cost. . know that,
humanity speaking. II was necessary
hat we should be purged as BY fire:
but is II not wise now TO do all that
we a 10 hold mp 20 the world the
blessings OF a great peace. v q the
peace that passeth understanding.
never must exclude any OF the
qualities Of a womanly woman
Dr. a manly man?
A soul full OF memorial greetings TO
MI our sorrawing comrades Of the civu
rar.