The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-08-11

i
was sent;
Then arose, and died and went"
This will probably be our last regI
mental reunion. From Keokuk w,
answered to the call of the first morn
ing detail. And we come back t.
Keokuk for our last reunion befor,
the final evening detail is made.
! Captain Clark presided after hi.
response and in turn. the addresses O
Judge E. r. Mckee, J.sB. Weaver ant
Major Lacey were given, these gen
tle.men occupying the remainder of the
| time. IN 4.
General j. H stibba. who was te
have given recitations and stories OF
war times, was unable to be present
having been delayed in arriving by an
accident
Judge Mckee In greeting his com
rades, recalled to their memories days
when the martyred Lincoln called to
the front the then young men of the
nation, Of the strife and struggle for
supremacy of the north over the south
and what time has wrought.
James B. Weaver, Jr.
James B. Weaver of Des Moines
spoke as follows:
Mr.. Chairman, Veterans of the Civil
War, Ladies and Gentlemen:
/ have no desire to conceal the pride
feel at being introduced to you, as
the son of one of that famous COM
pany that, fifty years ago, began an
immortal service to the nation and to
humanity, with the oath of enlistment
taken within the very city in which
this meeting is held. From that faith
er, necessarily detained in the far
west, bring to you the affectionate
6ne L am happy RI sas.. nj; :. 1888
as erect, whose mind is as cieaiS'
whose fighting courage is as keen,
and whose heart is as warm at seven
ty-eight years, as in the memorable
days when he gathered with you upon
the eve of the most significant con-
flict in the history of the world.
Significant why? The world has
seen the legions of Rome traversing
the highways of the empire at the
bidding of a Casear fired with the
passion for conquest; it has seen the
eagles of France screaming at the
gates of the capitals of Europe IN
search of the glory of dominion; it
has seen the shining helmets of the
lancers of Prussia in the palace at
Versailles because Bismark chose
to cement the German empire through
the influence of the sword; 1t has
seen the rugged Kopjes of Boerland
ablaze with the fire of musketry In a
conflict involving the effacement OF a
nation; it has seen the little brown
men of the Pacific throttle the giants
from the Russian steppes, pushed by
the subtle necessities that mean life
or death to Japan-but never before
Or since the days of '61 to '65 has the
world witnessed a conflict like that
of the civil war, for the preservation
in our little world of the great ideal
of democracy-a conflict wherein was
expended for the vindication of a
principal, all the suffering and hard
ship and sorrow and sacrifice of which
the human soul is capable.
And yours was the blessed oppor
tunity to have been part of that con
flict. / congratulate you both upon
YOUR service and upon the fact that
many of you are here today among q
grateful people and to be made to fee
something of their sense of obliga
ton.
| congratulate you men of the Isl
Iowa, that fifty years ago today YOU
courage saved from effacement one
star in the flag, and preserved the
honor of one state, while you reflected
glory upon another-your courage tina
received, as it deserved, nationwide
recognition.
To you of the End and Bird Iowa,
need do no more than speak the OLE
names, that, fifty years ago today
lay, pregnant with possibility, within
the confines of that mysterious realm
we call The Future-the names nov
old and glorious, Donelson, and Cor
NTH and Shiloh.
One can but be impressed with tn.
significance of the capture of FIT. Don
e!son. Little progress had been mad,
| in breaking the rebellion. Bull Rul
had been fought and lost. The Nintl
was impatient Lincoln was harrasset
on every side by the demand for &C
ton. At this juncture Grant planne;
the advance on Forts Henry and Don
elson. FIT. Henry fell and the Confed
crates, $4,000 strong, fell back on Fl
Donelson, where they were protecte'
by the river in the rear end by TIL
fort and heavy intrenchments on tn
land side. Grant invested the strong
hold with $4,000 troops The Confed
crates endeavored to cut their wa,
out on Grants right There was Sc