Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-07-14

| from the plduDEm the DldCkSnlll-
his anvil had been carted over there
fired off a shot that made the ola
woods ring. l was, of course among
the small boys around the blacksmith
| and his artillery, and so did not hear
much OF the platform Oratory. Henry,
| having marched with Henrietta, had
to sit with her on the hard benches.
| while we boys who had no. yet come
| to be young gentlemen, had as much
! fun as being In battle. Though we
little chaps did not hear much of the
| program, we were filled with the
germs of patriotism, and it WIS
great day for us,-one long to be re-
membered.
I'd like to go again to just such a
celebration as that was I'd like to
hear an old-fashoned independence
day Grafton, and I'd like to hear the
declaration read and see the people
clap their hands and hurrah. I'd like
to have it off in a grove, and have
country people there, and see the
whole crowd sit and listen to the
reading of the declaration and
rousing Grafton concerning country
love and the blessings OF free insti-
tutions as II they had not outlived
such things. And I'd want no bigger
noise than that of the bEacksmith's
=, anvil and the little firecrackers If
| could attend that celebration back al
Dakota again, SO years ago, there's
one thing I'd undertake to do, any
how.-get ahead of Henry and march
beside pretty Henrietta Hamilton.
| have taken pains to find out how
many soldiers that Dakota commun-
ity, from four to eight years later,
sent to the war for the union, and /
have now the names and records of
/ IS OF them. Several of them gave
their lives for their country. My
friend Henry was in the famous iron
brigade. He enlisted may q. 81, in
Company Z of the 7th Wisconsin. and
died at Belle PLANE, Virginia, of dis
ease. Henrietta died many years ago
The next fourth that | recall in
particular was seven years later,-at
y III 1910. ne udy O6lOIcs
Generals Grant and Pemberton had
sat together under the famous oak
and talked it over. All General
Grant asked was unconditional sur
render 1t was not easy for Penn
berton to agree, and he was given I'M
til the next morning at 10 O'Clock to
decide what to do In the meantime
we all waited in suspense. 1t was a
beautiful morning, just such as we are
having these first Jays of July 46 years
later While we waited there was no
firing going on. All was quiet and
serene where for weeks there had
been more noise in any one minute
than our Dakota celebration had all
day with the anvil and ffrecrackers.
How We did wish the end might come
that day.-it would be so fitting a
tl'Ig for the fourth day of July. But
at eight o'clock we heard heavy firing
off to our right. o. how disappointed
we were, But as We began to take
notice of the eannonade We found tt 1T
the big guns We're going off at r-gu-
lar intervals. When "a shots h : been
fred as many as there were then
states in the union, the canno lading |
ceased. and all was as still as
country Sabbath At q minutes be- !
fore ten white flag was stuck up |
on the fort in front of the center of |
our works. and the siege was over.
There were no set speeches that |
day. but there was rejoicing enough |
to make up for a great flood of ora |
tory. Mn shouted themselves |
hoarse; they Rugged one another for |
joy; they Ieaped and jumped and cut !
every caper they were able; they went |
fairly wild with JOYFUL excitement. /
And then the poor hungry Johnnies
came into our camps and We gave
them our surplus bareback and coffee
1t seems pathetic to me today 20 /
think how grateful they were for thai
eth of July dinner We all rejoiced
to see them so glad to stop a hope
less fight and have something 10 fill
their empty stom lchs withal. It did
us good to see th EN- chew our hard
tack as II ii were cake and pie and
cookies to them. That which seemed
TO crafty their paates most was the
coffee. Some of tnem had not tasted
50 great a luxury since they seeded.
and they fairly reveled in both the
taste and the smell OF 1t. Poor Eel.
lowsl Though Inundated by defeat,
there was some compensation. FOR {
they had begun 20 live on mule steak.
the mules being all but starved be
fore being made thus useful
After the confederates had filed
themselves with our ratious We had
long talks wita them about various
questions concerning the war. Some
of them were discouraged and would
like to have the surrender Of Yicks-
burg close the war. hut there we're
others who were possessed with what
seemed to them I'm spirit Of patri-
otism. ana they hoped vet to win
am glad now, as years after that
we treated them so we'll One is not
apt. after he has had time to think Il
al over-to look al matters IN a
large vay-to regret having been I
kird and sympathetic and magnani-
nous.
-sa.- - s--.L- - II