The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-05-30
and nothing remains to identity those

and nothing remains to identify those
beneath them.
When | reflect upon the awful har
vest of life that this war reaped, l
cannot but feel the all consuming
passion that the love of home and
country can kindle in the human
heart. You will bear with me, while
| revert for a moment to the harrow.
rowing scenes that We're enacted in
our own city within the personal recol
lection OF many who are here today.
With what mingled feeling of sorrow
and pride do you recall the early au-
tumn of 1861. Once again you can
hear the call to arms and feel your
hearts responding. Memory is alive
to the sound of drums and the final
mastering in. 1t all comes back again;
the heavy footsteps of resolute men
as they march down yon street to the
wharf below, where boats await to
transport them to the front. And
what agony at the final parting, There
| at the waters edge are the wives and
mothers, sweethearts and daughters.
All the loved ones have come for a
parting kiss. Every heart is filed with
anguish. There is tear in every eye,
and prayer on every lip; yet on each
cheek is glow of pride-pride born
of courage and resolution.
The soldiers heart is torn asunder
with emotion. He sees behind him the
sweetness of home and family. His
love of peace and contentment beck
ons hi mstay; but above all else he
hears his countrys voice. With aw-
full effort he keeps down the sob that
would choke him, casts a last fond
glance at those behind. and floats
silently down the stream. To my mind
that parting was the greatest test of
patriotism imposed upon men, and |
think that those who recall it will af-
| firm me.
TITS the pang alone to part from
these we love, that rends
the heart;
That agony to save, some name
less power in nature strives,
Our fading hope in death
revives
And blossoms in the grave"
In the parting there was an ele-
ment of uncertainty that intensified
the pathos. Many of those whose lips
met in parting caress, were to meet
no more until eternity Many of
those soldiers were doomed to die, I'M
\ II in,
swamps and prisons.
1t is told that after the battle OF
Gettysburg, union soldier was found
in a secluded spot on the field, where
wounded he had laid himself down to
die. In his hands tightly clasped was
an ambrotype contains the portraits
of three small chilren; and upon this
/ picture his eyes, fixed in death, rested
| The last object upon which the dying
soldier looked was that image of his
children. AS he silently gazed upin
] it his soul passed away. Who can
describe the feelings of this patriot
| father, as he thus looked into the pic
4 ture faces of those children, so soon
/ to be made orphans by his own sacri-
4 flee. Wounded and alone, the din of
battle still sounding in his ears, he
lies down to die. His last thoughts
and prayers are for his family: he has
! finished his work; his last battle has
been fought; he has freely given his
life to his country-and now, COM
| mending his loved ones to the eternal
| goodness, he takes his departure from
the world. What picture of unself-
ish sacrifice, and yet but one of thou
sands.
My friends, have you ever stood at
the deathbed of a dear one at the final
moment, and watched the agon,zing
battle twixt life and death. There,
gathered about him are those who
have prayed and hoped against hope