The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1911-06-01

lMNHtDHsN 81 61tlN lse memory rf Tn,
AEAoldiArsS that helped Mtscty 70 toucl
all dAGr aallA The Rsldicss, tina
18th their blood and theis tears hap
ftiIsd tho scattered states into or,
freedom. ono love. one Union. II
the wordaN of David Swing: while
We stand with hands full of memoir
HAL wreaths. the scene expands. the
tholy ground widens from State t.
State, from Mountain to Prairie, and
from ocean to lake and river until
at last the heart bows down in grief
over the silent forms of 300, 000
mem. They gave up life that we
might live moro nobly. OF this NUM-
her not many fell in instant death.
nearly all went out by the gate OF
long suffering, asking help that could
not come, and thinking OF loved ones
they would never see again. and all
this suffering, all this dying vas for
us who today are speaking the lam
guage and taking the footsteps and
seeing all the e and Joys In the
sunshine OF life. Decoration Day
ought to come back as long as our
minds can study political principles,
long as our heart can appreciate
the self-denial OF a soldier.
After these many years OF sober
and after all these years Of
testing which have proven the wis
dom Of the men who planned and
carried out the conflict, and of the
men who bore the heat and burden
of the day. In spite OF the attempts
to make light of the great sacrifices
made on battlefield and by fireside.
In spite of yelled attempts and
open declaration that it
was q war OF political subterfuge,
we must with hearts burning with
pride and yet filed with sorrow and
grief for che suffering and loss, hon
or by our most sacred memorials the
memory of the dead who died for the
we must not forget the struggles
and losses Of Bull Run and Vicks-
burg, OF Gettysburg and Anteitam, of
Fredericksburg and Shiloh, Chicka-
manga. Winchester, Petersburg and
the many other battlefields. We
must not forget the long hours of
deferred hopes. the exposure, the
the worse than deaths,
the suffering that made death sweet
In Southern prison pens. Nor must
lose sight Of the long marches.
the scant rations. the bivouacs in
mud and mire when like the Son of.
Man they had n place to lay their
Nor must we forget those
left at home. The long wait amid
the lonliness Of hamlet and farm.
The anxiety and anguish that wrung
hearts to the breaking point as news
Of battles hard fought and costly Of
life came trickling through. The
dread that was theirs lest their low
ed ones were among the slain, the
long hours Of waiting until at last
the slow trains or the still slower
stage brought back to the old home
the silent form in blue that it might
rest among kindred and friend. But
what of the long suspense when after
the weary waiting news came that
he was among the missing? The
days and the weeks that lengethened
into the years of waiting and watch
Ing. The long years of silence n
broken to this day as to how and
when and where death came. Wheth-
they went out by the shorter and
more glorious route by shot or she'll
Or by the hunger and suffering in
pens. Who can measure the
silent years of grief and pain of
many a mother heart that waited and
and wondered and never was
answered this side of the grave? The
years Of suffering and hardship of
sorrows. 1t is our duty to remem-
Der these things, to call them to
mind from time to time that we may
with what a price the bless
we now SO freely enjoy were
That too the fires of patriot
SIN may be kindled and kept burn
ng within us and that the lessons of
'e~lfsacriace they have laugh. the
ace may be learned.
But u greatest task does not
lie in our scattering of flowers that
will wither and fade. Nor
loes it consist in eulogizing our citi.
zen soldiery in their heroic strug-|
lies. In the words of Lincoln at Get.