The Republican journal., 1910-06-16
Waldo County Veterans
Hold an Interesting Meeting in Morrill,

Hold an Interesting Neetln2 In riOIIlli.
The Waldo County Veteran association
met in the Grange hall, Morrill,. June End.
1t was a beautiful June day, and every
thing seemed to say to the veterans,
'welcome to the land you fought to
save" At an early hour the old boys
began to arrive and at 10 o'clock the hall
was full. President L. C. Putnam called
the meeting to order, and after reading
the records of the last meeting COM
mittee on the time and place of the next
meeting was appointed. A recess for
dinner was then taken, and very fine
dinner it was. Morrill, is noted for its
handsome women and fine cooks and
they were in evidence on this occasion.
After dinner the veterans marched to
the church, and every seat in the house
was filled. The President called to order
and Rev. Mr.. Cox opened the meeting
with prayer, followed by singing by the
choir. Comrade Harden then gave the
address of welcome, as follows:
Mr.. President Officers and Members
of the Waldo County Veterans Associa-
ton. and Fellow Citizens: To me is as
signed the pleasant duty of bidding you
welcome. No words of mine are needed
to tell you how cordial and sincere that
welcome is; you have read it in our faces,
felt it in our hand grasp, seen it IN our
actions, tasted it at our board, and the
very air you breathe is charged with
fraternity and good fellowship. 1t is
genuine pleasure to us all to have sou
with US here today. When we remember
the part you took on land and sea IN help
ing to make this nation what it is, we are
truly glad of this opportunity OF dong
YOU honor. Your association is doing
noble work in teaching love OF country
ard of the flag. Your examples OF 10y
atty and fidelity can but have good in
fiuence upon every community where
your meetings are held. May your days
be long in the land which you by your
sacrifices helped to place on sure foun-
dalton. Comrades, contrast your sur
roundings today with those Of forty-siX
years ago today. The Army OF the 20
tomac had started from Brandy Station
Nav 4th and had had continuous fighting
through the Wilderness and Spottsyl-
vania. The Army of the James started
the same time from Gloucester Point and
had been engaged at Bermuda Hundred,
Port Walthal Station, Wier Bottom
Church and Drury's Bluff. On June LIST
the Army of the Potomac and the Eigh
teenth Corps of the Army of the James
were fighting at Cold Harbor. June Sd
occurred the disastrous charge when,
according to Buffers History of the
War, fifteen thousand r.en were put out
Of the fighting in less than twenty min
utes. No wonder that historians have
little to say of this battle; for the loss
was fearful, the gain nothing. One
would have thought that the last drop of
heroism and loyalty would have oozed
out of the soldiers at this slaughter, but
they closed up the ranks, made another
flank movement, and all were hammering
away at Petersburg, where for more than
one hundred days in succession the armies
were under fire ,and no more than three
hours sleep was allowed in any one night
and when business was at its best, or
worst, no sleep at all.
Fellow citizens, do you ever stop to
think who made up the ranks Of the
Union army's men behind the guns?
One million, one hundred and fifty-nne
thousand, seven hundred and eightynine
were tWenty-one years old or under.
Eight hundred and forty-four thousand,
eight hundred and eighty-one were sew
enteen years old or under. Two hundred
and thirty-one thousand and tifty-one
were sixteen years old or under One
hundred and four thousand, nine hundred
and eighty-seven were fifteen years old
and under, and four or five hundred most
ly drummer boys, were twelve and thir
teen years old. There We're two million,
eight hundred and forty-one thousand,
nine hundred and six men and boys mus
tered into the U. S. service, and only six
hundred and eighty-two thousand, one
hundred and seventeen were more than
twenty-one years old. So you see the
great fighting force of the army was
boys who should have been under home
influence. They came back and took
their places in society and have made
good in civil life, being quiet, peaceful,
loyal citizens, and many of them are
holding high and important positions in
to US each day by man who answered
his country's cali, and there are thou
sands of them in that branch of the SER
vice. Only last week was reading that
comrade Dan Mahoney up in Vermont
had three members of light infantry in
his family less than seventeen months
old, showing that the old boys have no
sympathy with race suicide. The vigor-
Gus protest put up by the eX-soldiers
against having a statue of General Lee
clothed in rebel uniform in the Hall of
Fame shows that rebel gray and the
stars and bars are not held in reverence
by them.
How would the people Of New Orleans
enjoy having a portrait of Ben Butler in
uniform in their State house. Gen. Grant
was very magnanimous at Appomattox
but he should have had every rebel flag
burned that was in sight, and dealt out
the penalty for treason to any one show
ing one afterward. Zone country and
one flag"
There seems to be considerable talk at
the present time about Regulars" and
insurgents" Cannons spiked and Can
mons going off prematurely, Uncle Sam
taking nap and Uncle Joe running the
Ship Of State. There are few men in
this country who think they are capable
of running it with no thought of respon-
sibility. They seem to forget that there
is one
"Whose unerring hand guides nations in their
blindness,
Doth WELD at once the scepter of His kindness.
He is the Good. the Great, the Just,
This is our strength, In God we trust y"