Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1913-07-17

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There has'been nothing but friend.
lineas sbstwesn. the southsrus and the
northern men, and each has strivsn,
to show the other that he regarded
him % true American, equally 10.
terestsd in the past. present and fu.
ture Of the Nation and equally loyal
to it. Had the "old boys" been en-.
gagged together in \ foreign war,
instead Of having fought one anoth.
er for four years. they could not
have more thoroughly fraternizsd
at a reunion. And there was no
"gush' and "make-believs" about
it. The true soldier respects the
man who met him fairly on the field
o. battle, and especially does he re-
spect him when that opponent is bis
own countryman, whose forefathers
stood side by side with his own In
rs. in 1872 and in '46. There are
very few old soldiers who have not
reached the point where they are
proud Of the bravery Of the men OF
the Civil War. regardless Of the side
on which they served. And, il the
northman's son and the Southron's
son could fifteen years ago march
under the old flag against q common
enemy IN Cuba and the Philippines,
perhaps terminates or members Of
the same company, surely their dad
dies cannot help but feel that they
themselves should recognize that
the war is over"
There were no discussions be.
tween the Blue and the Gray az to
the abstract questions Of who was
right and who was wrong during
the war. Men who are willing to
die for their principles are not
wrong from their own viewpoint.
The Confederates under Pickett, who
charged the Union lines at Gettys.
burg and the Federals who stormed
the sleeps Of Marye's Heights a few
months earlier went to almost cure
death for what they believed to be
right. And who shall say at this
late day. when calm, cool considera-
ton of war questions has succeeded
the bitterness of the period immedi-
ately after the conflict, that either
side could be far in the wrong? As
the men Of the opposing hosts grow
old the conviction comes to them
that they were but the instrument
Of Providence for the settlement of
q question that could not be settled
by tire statesmen and the politicians,
and that had to be settled sooner or
later.
Many warm personal friendships
between Johnnie and Yank we're
formed at the reunion. 1t was q COM
mon sight on the streets and on the
battlefield to see one or more Of each
posing for q picture to one Of the
many outdoor photographers. On
the first day the writer met at the
Elks' club Comrade James Small. an
intelligent, well-preserved Confeder-
ate from HarDsr's Ferry. and we
were companions most of the time
during the reunion. Comrade Small
had peculiar experience at-or,
rather. after-the Gettysburg fight
He was in the Pickett chars e and es-
capped without scratch, getting
safely across the Potomac with GEN.
eral Lees army on the retreat.
Then. being exceedingly hungry. he
and small squad of his comrades
strayed off to pick bIackberries.
While filling their empty insides with
berries troop Of Federal Calvary
came along and butted in. As q re-
suit, Comrade Small. who up to that
time had been. az a member of the
Stonewall Brigade, an active factor
in the war. was, with his compan-
ions. Robbled up. and. like the
gent in the Society of the Stanis-
alua." the subsequent proceedings
interested him no more; '''for the re-
manning two years Of the war were
put in by Jimmy" at Elmira and
other government hotels where no
charge was made for board and the
guests were 80 we'll liked that the
host would not hear Of their leaving.
One Of the astonishing things of
the reunion was the low dealt. rate.
OF the $1,000 old men present, only
nine died. One of the Red Cross
officers told me that this is less than
the usual death-rate as when shown
by the pension lists-in fact, lower
than it would have been had they re-
m q In o1 az horoo