The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1908-05-28

TWV
had gone out 1000 strong; IL had been
recruited and re.recruited; Il had beer
yeteranized and added TO in other
ways; and now II was bringing home
less than 300 OF all the men who had
gone out from that section OF the
country from which II had come. Tn,
Joy OF going home for the 300 was
great, but II was n fearful Joy the In
slant one thought OF the 500 OF more
who could not 90 home. who never did
go home. who we're buried somewhere
IN the broad land over which the 200
had marched. and too often with
headpiece marked Unknown"
After the war | stood in the large
cemetery near Murfreesboro. Tenn,
with Gen. II. b. Hayes (afterward
presldenO and Mrs. Hayes. / remem.
Der how Mrs. Hayes. who was an ex.
ceedingly handsome woman, looked
up into the faces OF the general and
myself as her large. dark. speaking
eyes we're flooded with tears. when she
said: lust look there. that plot OF
ground Is covered with headstones
marked Unknown Unknown, un.
known" she repeated. "and yet he
gave his life that his country might
liye,"
Il was a touching picture. but every
time ! think OF Il ! say TO myself:
Really. that unknown soldier. ap
-
wss not really unknown. Somebody
knew him. His comrades knew him
A mother. a sister. a wife and children
n he had them. knew him. There 10
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 10 be duty, has
ever been or ever will be made in
vain.
The saddest pictures OF all. 20 my
mind. are those connected with a los.
ing battle like that OF Fredericksburg.
and still more that OF Charlottesville
At Fredericksburg the army OF Burn
side went straight forward TO fits own
destruction. The lines OF Lee. half en-.
circling Burnside's points OF attack.
we're complete. II was like a trap into
which an animal deliberately puts his
feet We sprang the trap. and it Is
wonder that Lee had not dealt with
Burnside's army as the sturdy Thomas
dealt with Hoods az Nashville. can
see In my minds eye those immense
plateaus in front OF the Marve Heights
and other confederate intrenchmenis
and barbados covered with the dead
and dying. The plateaus we're fairly
blue. as they we're dotted with the
wearers OF our uniform.
Cen. Couch was standing by my side
in the steeple OF church. near the
close OF that battle. where we together
were taking fresh reconnaissance.
when noticed that his voice trembled
as he spoke to me. He said: "Oh. Gen.
Howard. look there Look therel See
the ground covered with the boys ia
blue. aud all 10 no purpose"
After we had returned. all OF us
who could return, TO the other shore
OF the Rappahannock. the depression
OF the soldiers was greater than at any
other time during the war. We could
hardly speak 10 each other Now, after
years. We can recognize the fact that
our grief was balanced by the JOY OF
the confederates over great victory,
and yet not q decisive one. gained BY
them.
At n moderate calculation tkere
were sent into eternity more than
million OF men. who left home In the
prime Of health and in strength; more
than a million Of souls by the terrible
conflict. For one. l am glad, indeed
that there Is an effort on foot 70 set
tie difficulties without bioodshed. OF
course. the waste OF human life Is not
all of IL. There Is IN every war waste
of possession. a destruction OF proper
~ and degradation OF character had
to avoid at the best know that tkere
are some things worse than death. I
know that the union Of our states was
worth all that Il cost. and know chat
humanity speaking, Il WAS necessar,
that we should be purged as by fire;
but is II not Wise now 10 do all that
we can 10 hold up 70 the world the
blessings OF great peace; even the
peace that passeth understanding,
which never must exclude any OF the
noblest qualities of a womanly woman
or a manly mani
A soul full OF memorial greetings to
all our sorfowing comrades of the civil
war.