Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-05-29

Editor Courier:
People who never read history Of the
| soldiers Of our country. are filled up
with wild beliefs that make all old
soldiers ashamed. They proclaim that
war with Japan Is near and that they
can land an army on our west coast
and take possession and soon conquer
us and make us come to their terms
for peace Such people are unpatriotic.
| The children are better informed and
are growing up to be patriotic citizens
and will If needed, be ready to take the
! place Of the old soldiers. We commence
at the war Of the revolution where his
tory shows that trained English SOL
diers under the best generals the world
| had at that time, met our riflemen in
| battles and were soon put to rout, or
captured. Our soldiers were gathered
from the farms and villages and with
out training formed in line and were
victorious. The war with Mexico proved
again that armies, ever SO large were
no match for our soldiers. The war Of
| the rebellion proved again that even the
confederate soldiers without training
| were invincible. It was the overcoming
| powers Of the federal armies that made
victory ours. know from personal ex-
periences that regiments that had no
training met the enemy and charged UP
to and over the breastworks and cap
L
regiments of the Iowa veterans that
had no training at all and which in two
months time after enlistment won great
battles. Take the 10Th Iowa that en-
Listed in August and marched over
south Missouri and northern Arka nsas
and swept everything before them.
December 18th after a forced march OF
100 miles in three days they met -FOUR
times their number on the Prairie
Grove battle grounds. charged up hill
against four times their numbers and
defeated the rebels, who during the
night fled leaving over 500 dead for US
to bury. 1t was one Of the greatest
marches and victories ever recorded,
and so named by the Count Of Paris In
his histories Of the war OF the rebellion
Then the 22d, Iowa at Vicksburg in it's
charge on the works proved again that
our unframed soldiers could win VIC
tories. The 18th Iowa was another and
many others Of our state made as good
records.
This was also proven by all the nor
thern soldiers in many battles. Grant
at Belmont where the 7th Iowa won
praise and at Belmont where the End
Iowa won again and hundreds Of other
battles in which victory was ours.
Grant and Logan proved that their
armies we're invincible in hundreds of
battles. Grant never surrendered even
if defeat looked him in the face, as he
never lost battle. because he knew
his men would never run, but be in on
the charge when he said so. The con-
federate soldiers who had no training
did wonders, but our army had the adj
vantage Of being better supplied and
with better generals. They were our
equals In a battle and we knew that
we had Americans to fight.
Look at the history Of the war with
Spain, where our soldiers met thel
Spaniards and swept them from the |
field every time. The southern men Wed !
with the northern men in enlistment |
and proved as loyal as the northerners.
When Spanish papers advocated the
landing Of an army on our southern |
coast, the southern papers said Come
on, and we will sweep you into tho
Gulf" Now when we read the history
of Japan we fnd they were Of the best
and bravest Of soldiers in the war with
Russia and are always ready to die for
their country, 1t makes these howlers in
our country cry out and say that Japan
will land an army and take our country
from us.
Well, Japan is what she is now, from
taking pattern from us and she knows
it and knows we are her friend in every
way when she is in the right. She is un-
der obligations to us for her present |
conditions and there is no fear Of her
declaring war against US. Her popula-
ton is so small that she could not mus
ter an army that would make a break
fast for us. If she could land an army
Of 100000 on our coast, we could in
thirty days have an army Of 1000, 900
against 1t and sweep them into the
Pacific ocean.
.. J. E. Houghland,
Color Guard 10Th Iowa.