The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-07-01
LESSON in PATRIOTISM
Where the Cannon Roared Fiji
ty Years Ago and Men Gave
Their Lives In the
Great Struggle.

Il lean vaiOE WHS uOuOT6u ucIS JOudy.
Forty thousand survivors OF the arm
les OF the north and the south paid
tribute to their dead The greatest
reunion In the history Of the nation
since that day when the massed army
OF conuerqors passed in review In the
capital, officially began today, the
now compact fighting force the flow
er of the army OF the northland, that
participated. Today there gathered
here representatives not alone OF the
conquerers but OF the conquered. The
blue and the gray are fraternizing.
All rancor, enmities AMI bitterness
have been buried for years and the
theme OF all of the orators has been
the reunited nation.
The great brown tented city that
occupies a large part of the historic
battlefield was the center Of interest
today Just fifty years ago Heth's
] division, the advance guard Of Hills
corps. hove into sight with the rising
OF the s0n, coming from the direction
OF Cashtown They were located by
the wary scouts OF Buford's cavalry,
tho latter moving out to- meet the
enemy. Just on the stroke Of nine
the first gun boomedthe beginning
of the three days battle which deyel-
oped the high water mark Of the con-
federacy and the beginning of the
end OF the struggle. Buford's men
gave ground slowly before the chal-
lenging advance of the southerners
until Major General Reynolds came
I'D with Wadsworth's division and the
general engagement resulted In
which gallant Reynolds fell as he had
wished, with his face to the enemy
The recollection Of just what this an
niversary meant stirred these veter
ans today as they have never beer
stirred before. Long before the mid
summer sun rose across the camp the
tented city was astir. What mattere6
1t that the prospect we're for nerve
racking torrid day. The heroism o
half century ago was to be honored
Tribute was to be paid to those wht
fought and died and their SURVIVING
comrades, hating on the very thresh
hold of the grave were to give thu
American youth of the present gener
alton lesson in patriotism which
would inspire devotion to right ant
love Of country and flag
The picture was one well calculated
to stir the very depths Of patriotism
Here was broad plain. crossed b.
little ranges of hills covered witt
glorious fresh green vegetation. Littl
groups OF trees stood boldly out II
relief against the horizon Acros
the plain, sharp contrast In brown
were the various highways alon
which fifty years ago the gallan
armies in blue and gray hurried. Tc
day they were peopled by a fightin
force In the same colored uniforms
But instead of death-dealing musket'
carbines and swords, the army Of tt
day carried nothing more deadly tina
crutches and canes. And in mos
cases their movements were pair
fully slow. AS they moved here an
there across the fields, renewing oil
acquaintances and pointing to eac
other Just where they had stood ha
a century ago the veterans shove
the effect OF old age and hard can
paigning They were forced to res
frequently. seeking the shade Of tree
or the great masses of granite, marbl
Or bronze which dot the battlefield
the outward tribute to the dead VIII
gave their lives for the cause the
deemed best. The place where th
first days fighting took place wa
naturally the point Of interest of tn
veterans today They slowly hobble
to the place in little groups, blue an
gray, arm in arm, pointing out wher
they were located and as old wa
riors passed and repassed the place
that means So much to them, occa
ionally there came catch In tn
voice or a tear dimmed eye. Her
was where they had fought Hel
was where they had seen tent mat