The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-10-24


wall Jackson, fated there to meet un.
der the blow of our own hero his only
defeat. Shields again was wounded;
much of the engagement he directed
from his blood-stained cot in the rear
of his commands: Colonel Kimball,
who led the final charge, reported,
after the victory, that in all details he
carried out the plans and directions of
his leader. Shields division alone had
confronted Jackson's much larger
army, and had won the victory. If lat.
er at Fort Republic, Jackson did not
receive another severe defeat, it was
because orders given by General
Shields to burn the bridge across
Aqua Creek, for some unexplained
reason, had not been obeyed. This the
testimony of General Oates, an officer
under Stonewall Jackson, speaking at
the unwilling of the Shields Statue in
the Capitol at Washington: Had
General Shields orders been obeyed,
there was no escape for Jackson"
General Shields resigned from the
army March 2sth, 1868. l take his act
to have been a mistake. He and the
Secretary Of War, Mr.. Stanton, were
not in accord. Shields should have
borne with patience Mr.. Stanton's dis
pleasure and gone forward in spite of
temporary opposition, gone whittier his
merits babe him go, forward to greater
victories and higher rewards. 1t was
a mistake of his Celtic temperament,
to which we must grant indulgence,
in view of the deeds of glory, Of which
elsewhere it was the generous prompt
er.
General Shields is the soldier of
three wars. He barely missed being
soldier of four wars. While resident
of Minnesota he heard of an Indian
outbreak near the southern border
line of the state. Quickly his appeal
echoed through Faribault and Shields
Vile; a troop of his Irish Colonists
rallied around him, with whatever
arms they could gather together. Soon
General Shields and his braves were
on the field of strife, but, alas, for
his expectation of fourth war, peace
had already been proclaimed.
So, when building a monument to
James Shields, we have built it to the
soldier, General Shields. Have you
done well, Companions of the Loyal
Legion, Comrades of the Grand Army
of the Republic, in setting up before
the eyes of present and future genera
tions, in Minnesota's Hall of Fame, the
man who rushed to war, in defense of
country's rights, and country's honor?
Most decidedly so. Peace is the ideal
condition of human society; all things,
even war itself, must tend to peace.
But God avert from America the ruin
Of it's commonwealth, the plumber Of
it's territory, the dishonor to Its flag
from which war alone could have
wrested it. Rather war, hundred
times, than evils such as those. Never
do we know when menace may be
nigh; never, consequently, must Amer
ica's sons be void of the martial spirit
which bids America ever be free, ever
secure, ever honored and respected.
The names of our military heroes are
safeguards of patriotism; their mem
cries perennial founts of it's life and
vigor.
Another factor in the career of Gen.
eral Shields was America itself. Amer
lea gave to him inspiration and blessed
it's.
General Shields was by birth an
Irishman, by religion a Catholic. By
lifelong and most loyal service, by
the oft-offered sacrifice of his blood
he was the American. Never did the
Star-Spangled Banner look down upon
more sincere and drawer patriotism
than that which ignited the heart and
electrified the sword of General James
Shields. America put faith in the
plighted troth and the deeds of Gen.
eral Shields; and accepted him into
the fullness of sonship, according to
him all opportunities, all rights, all
privileges, within the gift of the Star
Spangled Banner. General Shields
was the citizen Of America; 1t was all
that he should have desired, all that
he could have needed. To himself, to
fall or to stand. Right nobly did he
stand.
Now and then whispers pass through
the air that men like to General
Shields in birthplace and In religious
belief are not the truest of Americans.
Such whispers are the vilest of false
hoods. In contradiction, we evoke In.
to speech the battle-felds Redeemed
by the armies Of America, the lakes
and oceans furrowed by it's navies;
we evoke into speech the monument
erected, this day, within the capitol Of
Minnesota, to the name and the fame
Of General James Shields.
Back again, General Shields, to Min.
nesota, back with the memories of
your services to Minnesota itself, with
the glories in other states of the Union
back with the triumphant flags Of