Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-05-31
address Of Commander J. ". Millett Of
John B. Mcpherson Post No. 2 G.. n. r.
Delivered at Memorial Day Exercises
at tie Armory Tuesday Afternoon

| DSSSVeVCO ~ III GU
at tie Armory 7
orzaszokmzsoKa
The silver tOngued orators who hav'
preceded me have left little for me tt
say, and that little l am not capable
of saying in the way that would wish
I have not had the time to prepare {
speech, but have jotted down a few
random thoughts which with your
kind permission and indulgence will
read to you.
We have met here to honor the
memory and decorate the graves Of
our dead comrades. What sad mem
cries these words bring up! AS
glance backwards through the vista
of fifty long years to the time in oul
country's history when the smoke Of
conflict obscured the sun and the earth
trembled with the shock of battle
and the march of the mighty armies, in
fancy's dream I see again the far.
flung battle line of the Blue and the
Gray stretching for miles like huge
sepent's writhing in death strug
giles, each striving to obtain the mas
terry. I see again the batteries OF
light artillery coming onto the field
the drivers standing in their stirrups
lashing their horses in mad fury; The
cannoneers their faces black with
powder and smoke, clinging to their
gun carriages. see those guns un
limbered to the front to 60 into action
l hear again the shrieking shell, the
whistling canister, as they 60 crash
ing into the ranks of the enemy. Now
I seem to see my own good regiment
coming into the field in column by
tours, their arms at right shoulder
shift. hear again the command BY
the right of companies, on right into
line of BATTLE" see the companies
break from the column and deploy
into line. Now l see the face of our
dear old gray-headed colonel as with
a smile of conscious pride he glances
down along the line of the boys who
never famed him and gives the order
charge bayonets!" l see the line
go forward with bowed heads like men
facing Dakota BLIZZARD; but 1t is
not blizzard of rain or snow they
are facing now-it is a blizzard of
those little messengers of death, the
MIME bullets. hear again the "zip
and ping" the sickening thud, as they
find mark in the breast of some
brave comrade. see one dearly loved
comrade after another throw up the.
hands and go down to earth in death
or. writhing on the ground in their
death agonies they beg piteously for
the drop of water we cannot stop to
give them. I see again the stern
faces of the enemy as they fight so
bravely and steadily, but at last over
powered by numbers break and run.
Now hear the laundering hoof beats
of the cavalry. see column after
column Of the blue-clad horsemen hurl
themselves, sabre in hand on the brok.
en- ranks Of the foe. hear the cries,
sabres dripping with blood, and all is
over. Now I hear the agonizing
groans and cries of the wounded.
see the pale faces of the dead, star.
ing up to heaven with eyes that see
naught. And then begin to realize
at what fearful cost we saved the
country. Oh! My fellow citizens, war
at best is but legal murder-a some.
times necessary evil
Now my mind drifts back to the
present and see a great and mighty
of the most powerful,
and happy on the face of
the earth, and think perhaps that our
suffering. our trials and sacrifices were
not all in vain. God has indeed been
good to this nation and this people,
for we are at the present time enjoy
ing an era of unprecedented, prosperi-
ty. Allow me to ask you to whom do
we owe all this prosperity? Not to
we old coffee coolers you see before
you today. We are pretty hard lot
If old "geezers" anyway. We have
very many bad habits; in fact, their
lame is legion. We acquired these
,ad habits in the army when we were
'mooth faced boys. Far from home
md friends, bereft of the kind advices
# parents and teachers, we acquired
cry many bad habits. Not the least
# these bad habits is the habit that
ONE of US have of spending our pen
ion money for liquor. l never was
runk in my life, but I would esteem
t an honor to get drunk and roll in
he gutter with any good honest old
older though he were covered with
irt and clothed in rags, compared
o being found associating with the !
Fch coward, though he were clothed /
purple and fine linen, who deserted
lis country in her hour of need. But !
Honest Advice IN