Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1914-06-11

honor those thousands OF men who 81
years ago on this field paid TO their
sense of truth the great and final tribute
of death.
The cost of civil war embraces many
losses, the indirect death of women and
children, non combatants, the loss Of
houses, animals and money, but the most
apparent loss is in the lives OF the fight
ing men.
The chief of the Army War College
furnishes the following statistics OF the
deaths in the Civil War among the SOL
diers OF each side; but those who died
OF wounds and from miscellaneous causes
on the Confederate side are not obtain
able. They are as follows:
Union Army-Killed in action, 4,l62
officers and 62,9l6 privates; total OF o.
O58; died of wounds, 2,S23 officers and
4O,7S9 privates; total, 1902; died OF
disease, 2,795 officer and 22l ,79l pri-
Yates; total, 224,5S6; died from other
causes, suicide, sunstroke, murdered, etc,
24,S72, making total loss of 800, l2S men.
Confederate Army Killed in action,
IA SPA, and died OF wounds, SO, ,297; died
of disease and other causes, 150, 1000, max
ing total OF 2S3,S2l.
The total loss on both sides is given as
643,949.
No audience like this should part with.
out some thought on the success Of evil
which every battlefield represents. No
matter what good many ultimately come,
no matter how we may love and sympa-
thlze with those who here fought and
died, we are TO remember that they were
OF one color, one race. one language, and
that the Civil War could never have taken
place and no civil war can ever take
place, unless the Prince OF Liars triuuphs
for time unless the demoniacal pos
session of falSehood enters in and closes
the eyes and ears and hearts OF men and
women, who in anger then cast out the
Spirit OF Truth and His peace, and yield
themselves to the guidance OF the fighting
lust, which controls all those who are
both furious and blind. Truth, LET us
seek if, and all that leads TO truth, and LET
all true Americans impress upon their
children that the suppression OF public
truth is the beginning Of civil war.
The men who met on this field under
stood that there had been triumph Of
falSehood when they learned from the
contact OF war that their opponents were
men with hearts and loves like theirs.
The pickets OF the armies fraternized
during the war, and the soldiers OF the
really disciplined armies quickly forgave
one another after the war, but the writers,
the editors, the politicians and, horrible
TO state, many OF the preachers, were the
slowest TO seek peace and enSue it. The
Civil War between the States could not
have taken place unless false journalism
and false politics and much bitter preach
ing had first been successful in each sec
tion to drive out all truth about the other
section, and the soldiers in contact under
arms were the first TO find the truth.
While we honor those brave men and
their memories, let us look one another
in the eyes and realize that the flashing
muskets, the dread artillery fire, the groans
and gushing wounds, the sweat and agony
OF this fltal field, were the result offalse-
hoods told and cultivated in both sec
tions for generation, and let us resolve
that our religion, whatever its form, shall
be a religion that bows TO truth, for the
Savior of mankind revealed and left on
earth the Spirit Of Truth TO guide our
spirits to life and love, to find both more
abundantly.