Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1913-07-01
MANY VETERANS SLEPT
ON BARE GROUND
Five Thousand More Than Expected
and Tents and Blankets Would
Not Go Round.
[By Associated Press.1

Gettysburg, July 1.-Despite siren
uous effort to provide tents, thousands
of veterans last night slept on the
ground without blankets, 5000 more
than were expected coming to attend
the reunion. This was the first for
NAL day of the semi-centennial cele-
bration, the real battle beginning so
years ago today.
Address Of Secretary Of War.
Gettysburg, Pa, July 1.-Veterans
Of the Civil War, Union and Confed-
crate, gathered together here today to
commemorate the mighty battle
fought on Gettysburg field fifty years
ago, were welcomed by Lindley VI.
Garrison, secretary of war. Mr.. Gar
rison said:
I'm the name of the nation, bid
you welcome. In the name of the
whole people of united country, |
bid YOU twice welcome. In the name
of its peopel who recognize the high
import of this fraternal gathering, you
are thrice welcome.
! Once again is Gettysburg the cen
ter of the worlds attention. Once
again does this field tremble under the
tread of a mighty host-not now in
fear, however, but in joy. The field
of enmity has become the field OF
amity. You have trodden under your
feet the bitter weeds of hate and an
ger; and in tehir places have sprung
up the pure flowers of friendship and
love.
Fifty years ago today there began
here one of those conflicts between
man and man, marked by such exhi-
billions OF valor, courage and almost
superhuman endurance as to engraven
itself upon the tablet of history, there
to remain ever memorable. Equal
met equal; and in the domain OF phys
iical prowess all were worthy of med
ais of honor. The superiority was
/ that of resources, not of individual
strength or courage. Solong as men
love valor and worship heroes, the
name of Gettysburg and of those who
fought there will ever be on their lips,
Four months afterwards, the field of
Gettysburg inspired in the great mind
and heart of Abraham Lincoln the
most wonderful prose poem ever
written Its music literally rang round
the world and sang in the hearts of
men, and will continue to sing in the
blood of the sons of men until time
itself shall be no more.
1T is through pain that we attain
anything of vadue; it was through
pain that this nation found itself, and
upon the great foundation thus Sc
cured and established, proceeded to
advance with giant strides to the front
of the nations of the earth.
Can we not today, penetrated as
we are by the deep spiritual meaning
of this impressive gathering, surely say
that it was worth it all; that those ST.
lent martyrs, lying forever enshrined
upon this field, did not die in vain;
that you who at the front bore the
storm and stress OF that great con-
Ifict, and those who waited in trem-
bling anxiety at home and bore the
woe and agony of suspense and un-
certainty, did not suffer in vain? Can
we not truly say that unil this people
had withstood some such stress as
this, there was no assurance that this
first great experiment Of the ability OF
men to govern themselves was surely
successful? Shrink from the fact as
we may, do they not prove their case?