Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-09-11
A MEDAL Of HONOR
Brief History of A Treasured Relic
Of the Civil War-The Kearney
Cross, How and Why it Was Given
A Memory of Brave and Loyal Men.
Continued from last week.


When Major General Sickles rode
sato the square the whole assemblage
Of soldiers broke out in the widest
Cheering. An attempt was made at
three times three,' but the response
was more like nine times nine. The
General uncovered in acknowledge
naent of the greeting, and when the
cheering would seem to subside at
tempted to resume his hat, which
weu1d be made the signal for a re-
neWed outburst, which was only sill
|enced by the recipient uncovering
until other affairs attracted the at
Etention of the concourse.
Meritorious Soldiers to the Front.
As soon as the party was all pre-
sent, the several brigade commanders
were directed to call the roll of honor
Iof their several commands, and the
Parties designated in the above or
der stepped to the front. They were
quickly formed in three ranks by
brigades, the representatives of each
regiment carrying the regimental
colors, and the brigade colors being
placed in front of each rank.
The Presentation.
At the request of Major General
Birney, Major General Sickles made
the presentation address, he spoke
briefly but happily as follows:
Soldiers Your general of division
has confded to me the most pleasing
Of Sduties-the decoration of brave
men with medals of honor. These
medals are the gift of your fellow
countrymen; they are such tokens
Of appreciation as a martial people
Should bring to the camp of their de-.
tenders. You have earned these
proud emblems of constancy and val
or-more precious than riches, more
honorable than office-they are lega-
eles for your kindred, which neither
time nor change can impair. You are
volunteers, the noblest type of an
army. You have offered your lives
for the preservation of a government
alone among nations--of which it
has been gracefully said, that its
blessings, ike the dew of heaven, des-
cend on all. Your power is IN your
bayonets. Rayonets have dethroned
kings, created nations, opened avenu-
fes to civilization and religion. The
sun which now gilds yours never
llighted holier paths than these you
follow to hattie. The steel which de-
tstroys the enemy of a good cause is
tconsecrated. Tt is this, and because
| you know how to use your arms,
which makes you invincible Like
yourselves my military services be-
gan with the rebellion, and, if, snar-
ed so long, viii end when the rebels
Il. 1o i, 81
lion breathes is dishonor. Never
quests, never since Rienzi, last of the
! trihunes fell with the last framments
tof the Roman republic, not in the
armies of Napoleon, when marshall
rose from the ranks; never in any
army, has promotion so generally
Ial SO surely followed merit as in
4er1rs. The genius which challenges
/ victory, even from adverse fortune
will, sooner or later, find its place at
the head of the column. Let your
motto be Excelsior" the emulation
of the brave for the cemmendation OF
the good. You are the soldiers OF
Kearny, that electric commander
disdaining death, whose sword yield
{. ed at last only to the Supreme Con-
/ querer These medals bear his
Ahonored name. When I add that Bir-
ney is his fit successor, and that you
are worthy of both, I hope that moth.
/ ing is left unsaid which the occasion
demands.
/ The medals will now be delivered
to the commanding officers of regi
ments, who will decorate the men o1
their commands named in the order
The Distribution.
Each of the meritorious men was
thereupon presented with a neal
= package, containing his particular
medal together with manuscript
copy of the order on which the pre-
sentation was made, his own name
only appearing in his copy of the or
der.
Anyone who could have been pre-
sent at that moment, and seen how
the eyes of those brave men spark
ed with delight, and how proudly
they attached the decoration to theil
breasts would be firmly convinced
that such comparatively triffline
|. outlay would be the most valuable
4 the government could make. should
they adopt the suggestion, and aware
a suitable decoration to every non
commissioned officer and private il
the army who might distinguish
himself in battle.
i History of The Division.
| Something more than mere pass
ing notiee on this occasion seems de
manded by the duration and heroic
services of this gallant old division
of it the remark NAV be truely anc
emphatically made. that none have
done nobler service. Among the
first to enter the field, this Old or
ganization has passed throueh every
battlefield of Virginia and Maryland
from the first Bull Run to Chancel
Continued on page Eight)