Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-06-01

mon them by the sacrifices Of the men
who gave their all that their country
might live.
Hall Was Beautiful.
The hall of the south side post was
decorated in the national colors and
flowers were everywhere about the
rooms in great fragrance and beauty
Old and young alike were bedecked in
flowers, and the animation percCptible
in the movement and manner of the
old soldiers. but remnant Of their
former noble body being in evidence
was pleasing to see. The effect of the
military strains from the band could
be readily seen even IN the bent and
aged veteran who had to be aided In
his movements. They lived over again
the days Of the strife that cost sc
much in life's best treasure, and lived
only in the glory Of the days and the
object for which the sacrifices were
so unselfshly offered when the coun
try asked their aid. Few were there
compared to former years, and the
ranks were somewhat thinner. The
ravages of passing years was made
more evident in the expressions and
step of the veterans who each year
have assembled at these memorial
gatherings. There were present those
who had to be wheeled to the hall In q
chair some who are bent with age
and infirmity, but all seemed young
once more as the days Of the civil war
we're recalled by the speakers.
One of the speakers was Major
Hamilton and his recollections of the
dark days Of the civil war recalled
many scenes of the horrors endured
by the veterans during the years OF
the struggle. The education under a
slavery system formed the chief theme
of the majors talk who told of the adj
vantages enjoyed by the people of the
north and of the present day who
were educated under different sys.
tenn. The service was opened by
Commander J. Trisler who introduced
Rev. S. l. Elder, pastor Of the Davis
Street Christian church. A short
prayer by Mr.. s. l. Elder preceded
the address of Major Hamilton. At the
close Of the address by the well known
veteran whose mere than four
score years does net seem to impair
his vitality, a delegation of Cloutman
post with the Fifty-fourth regiment
band arrived. Just previous to the ar
rival Of the north side post, the speak
er of the dav Hon. Ellsworth Rom
niger began his address which met
with a hearty response by the veter-
ans and others present.
Cost Of War Was Great.
The speaker carried his hearers
back to the days of the civil war and
related incidents with which many
we're familiar, some of which had local
application The terrible cost of the
war was dwelt upon as was the deple-
ton today of the ranks of the men
who purchased union for the nation.
The nobility of their sacrifices and
the great cost in money and lives was
treated by the speaker. who told of
making addresses at different times in
places about the state nearby in which
the ranks from year to year showed
great depletion. He maintained that
while the members Of the Grand Army
Of the Republic pass away and are
buried. they do not and the grand army
will not die, but rather lives on for
ever.
'"It will live and grow greater and
stronger with the oncoming ages said
the speaker, because the principles
that you men fought for and many or
you died for, must live and will be per
petuated as long as the country lives
If you would ask me what this great
war cost, I would ask you to accom-
pany me through the soldiers home OF
this state and look into the faces OF
600 veterans. There your answer would
be plain and you would readily appre-
ciate the great cost the war had been.
1t is said that this strife cost the ma
ton $4OOOOO,0OO and 100000 lives.
more than enough to purchase all OF
the slaves. But that was not the cost,
for it cannot be computed in money
The speaker alluded to the passing
of the feeling of bitterness that fol-
lowed close after the war and related
an incident that occurred in his own
county of Davis when the Grand Army
there met and escorted the remains OF
a dead member of Confederate Marina
dukes command from the train to the
grave and spread the stars and bars OF
the confederacy over the casket only
to be followed by the confederate post
spreading silk emblem of
IAS otdIS dHO oCllpCo ioo'O etAA e'o WIN
body was lowered into the grave.
The American Liberty.
The speaker dwelt on the awfulness
Of the great strife and reviewing the
master minds of Webster, jefferson,
Hamilton and Henry, asked why these
men whose power to move the people
was tremendous could not have stayed
the terrible war that was to prove the
worct of all civil strife ever carried
on. He answered his own query BY
stating that the great problem of that
time could not have heen solved by in
tellect. and that only the ready re-
Spouse of over 100000 young men
who stood up to~take the oath That
they would stand by the flag of
old glory and the fact that they
did stand by 1t and keep their
promise. Sas the solution of that prob
lem He stated that this country was
by Almighty God centuries
ago and that the archangel Of time
placed his foot with Columbus when
the the latter landed on Canary Is
lands. and that this was the concep-
ton of the country. that is today the
envy of Europe and the most ideal
country Of the world, made so by the
war, the veterans of which are today
for the sacrifices will
ingly made that their land might live
and breathe in the spirit of liberty and
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