Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-05-26
JOIN IN MEMORIAL
TO BLUE AND GRAY
SUCH rs HOPE EXPRESSED BY
MAJOR ISAAC sRoWNwELL
BROWN AT PETERSBURG.
SCENES ENACTED THERE, lNsPI
RATloNs TO CONTRIBUTE TO
PERPETuiTY OF REPUBLIC

ment 10 the third division, of the
ninth army corps OF the federal army
here yesterday, Major Isaac Brownell
Brown euiogized the men of both the
blue and the gray and expressed the
hope that the government OF the
| United Statess. and all the states OF
the American union may, in a fra
ternal and loyal spirit, unite in the
building of joint monument to the
confederate and union soldiers which
shall be commensurate with the great
sacrifices and the unsurpassed BRAY
cry which characterized the American
soldiers in the great siege of Peters
burg
Here. near Petersburg" i familiar
phrase of old war time days, said
Major Brown, upon the sacred soil of
old Virginia, made forever hallowed
in the unpreceden' clash of arms
and the shedding of American blood.
do two great commemorative extend
fraternal greetings. Looking back
ward; not in bitterness, not in re
sentiment, but in pathos and venera-
Iion--in tears for the sacrifices of
their chivalric sons, and in generation
and pride for their limitless valor.
Yes, reyerently do we obey the com
mand to look backward when it is
given in the name of American blood
and American bravery, but in all else
our thoughts are of the future; our
| enterprises, our energies our ambi-
tions, our fondest hopes are in the
| promising future wherein we look for
| the advancement, the uplifting and
the greater instrumentality for good
of this reunited American republic"
There was pathos, said Major
Brown. in the signing of the pines,
grown to great dimensions on the
| time worn Notifications, for elo-
| quently and sweetly do they sound a
requieum for those whose blood Grim
| soned the soil on which they grew.
The feathered tribes hutter through
their branches. carol their songs,
build their nests. and rear their
| young, as joyfuly as though peace had
here dwelt in these habitations, unmo
Tested. for a thousand years. Thus
does nature, sublimely and sweetly, In
her rhythm of music and in her pro
cesses, furnish an example of peace
on earth, good will towards men
worthy of our emulation, and in this
almost divine spirit are here not, IL
their old age, these survivors of thu
great confederate and union armies
and in this meeting bless our coun
.. try and our posterity in commemo
rating the valor Of the American sol
der Pen, he declared never coui'
portray songs of poets or eloquenc'
of sages describe, the campaigns be
tween the army OF the Potomac ant
Lees army of Northern Virginia il
the struggle for supremacy aroun'
! the baleaguered city OF Petersburg
TT was a fierce, prolonged, unprece
] dented siege, in which the valor o
r men was put TO it, most crucial test
, struggle covering ten. seemingl
. endless months--a death graphic
: test for supremacy wherein huma
5 lives seemed but atoms of dust an
5 scarcely considered in the plans q
2 campaigns"
, Into such a siege in the fall q
0 1864. said Major Brown, appeared tn
banners of six Pennsylvania reg
ments. whose survivors were no.
gathered around the monumen
erected by their commonwealth 81
coming the third division OF the mint
corps. Major Brown said those reg
| ments were reserved and were sen
rapidly from place to place as necei
y sitv required and thus rendered ser'
J. ice in nearly all the territory en-
/, braced within the great siege. y
i pierced the darkness Of Stedman
L carnage. TO meet 10 check and to RI
/ pulse the last grand offensive move
+ ment of Lees army of northern VII
a gjnia. Here 1t fought In the pres
T. ence OF Abraham Lincoln. Here
/. met the flower of the confederat
d army as II GdtHe oul 6thS NHiNN7N -
@ broken embellishments Of Fort Stec
n man. and. like a resistless avalanche
h Dassed ON to sever the army OF tn
Potomac In twain. Here it won fam
Q and its conduct in the grand pictul
!. esdue array in the final assault for IN
recapture OF Stedman. was mos
(. highly commended by the great lite
n airy chieftains'
+, Major Brown congratulated tb" 80
7, diers Of the third division tina the
=, had lived to see the day and NEE
. with each other again on such a 81
cred spot. How meaningless woul
this obelisk be" he said. had tn
men who fought here not been anon
the bravest Of the brave?' No cla
sic. no anthem Of praise, no encomiuI
OF glory. no Athenian panegyrlc 70
heroism on the fields Of Marathon. h
declared could TOO strongly accent
ate the vaior Of the confederate 80
der. who here fought for his conyi'
lions and stood In decimated ranks b
his c0lors until the Ia Jun was fire
at Appomattox." Every measure O
commentator which he soldiers G
Y the confederacy merlted. be said. wa
most generously bestowed by the We
g Grams In blue" "Oh Ny countri
. men Major Brown exclaimed 1T wa