Omaha daily bee., 1915-04-11
APPOMATTOX DAY
LOOMS In HISTORY
Veterans Petition Congress to Issue
Fitting Medal Commsmorating
Reunion of the Nation.
EVENTS OF BATTLE RECALLED

Some Of the lead from confederate
muskets is still carried in the bodies
of Grand Army men of Omaha. This
was proven at the celebration OF the
fiftieth anniversary Of the surrender
of Lee, In court room No. OF the
Douglas county court house last
night. When one OF the speakers
asked all those wounded during the
war to rise. thirty-nine flowing gray
boards rose modestly a little above
the heads of the crowd, and thirty
nine aged veterans tottered for q
moment on their feet and then sat
as modestly down.
Appomattox day was a great
day for the veterans, and the even
ing's celebration was the greatest
part OF the day, when nearly 500 old
veterans, and their families and
friends crowded into the room at the
court house.
Eight at the Surrender.
Only eight of the gray Veterans IN all
pomattox the day of the surrender OF
Lee. These got TO their feet during the
evening and let the crowd cheer them a
moment Six others were at the battle
of shiloh. Twenty-three, VINO faced fire
on the frightful field OF vlclSsburg were
called to their feet by Judge Jacob
Fawcett OF the supreme court OF Ne
braska, who presided at the meeting.
-tssk4
and speaking. the Grand Army men
adopted a resolution looking toward
COMMUNICATING this annaversary by the
striking and distribution OF q medal APP
propriate to the event.
Following is the resolution. which had
been suggested to the committee by
Victor Rosewater, editor OF The Bee, and
which was presented by him:
Looking back over the half century
that has elapsed since Appomattox. that
crucial event marking the re-establish-
ment of peace for a reunited nation looms
now in the historio perspective larger and
more momentous than even the mostfar-
seeing actors In IL realized. In no similar
period OF time and in no Other country
on earth, do tho achievements OF the
American people, made possible by the
preservation OF tho union. find a counter
part The blessings Of peace as con-
trasted with the horrors OF war are so
peculiarly signalized in the celebration Of
this unique anniversary that we believe
It should be fitting1y COMMUNICATED by
the striking of an appropriate medal.
We therefore, memorialize congress to
make provision for carrying out this sug-
gestion and for the proper distribution of
the medals to all VINO should be entitled
to receive them"
Veterans Called to Floor.
1t was Judge Fawcett. presiding over
the meeting who called to their feet the
veterans of certain battles and drew
rounds of applause from the crowd. After
giving the crowd q moment to view the
old veterans who participated in a given
!. battle the judge described the battle
briefly. He himself was wounded at
Shiloh. and having been carried to the
rear and to a height in the hills was able
TO overlook much of the battle during
the rest of the day. He spoke of Grants
generalship in this battle and OF the
criticism that wss afterward directed
against the general for not having pro-
vided boats enough in advance to take
his men over the Tennessee river IN case
he had been defeated. He quoted Grant
as having replied to this criticism. There
would have been boats enough to carry
all that would have been left II we had
been defeated"
victory Reunited Nation.
He spoke Of Appomattox as a great
victory. not only for the union. but for
the confederacy alike, as It resulted In
the reuniting Of the torn republic.
Judge A. L. sutton spoke OF the civil
war as a war between the commercial
civilization and the Christian civilization
OF nation with the Christian civilization
trilmphing. He eontrRsted the civil war
with the war in Europe. declaring that
in Europe no great principle Is involved
as was the case In the American civil
war. He spoke against large standing
armies and nayies. but declared ne
stands for an army and navy large enough
TO command the respect of the world
abroad.
Rev. Ulysses G. Brown. made a pa
triotic' address in which he declared the
schools should first teach the children
all the virtues Of the country before they
undertake to point out its faults, 90 that
the young people might learn that In spite
OF some faults the country has so many
advantages and so many virtues that
the few faults can readily be forgiven.
He praised General Grant for the great
magnanimity he had shown In dealing
leniently with the conquered Lee and his
army He declared this policy had much
to do with bringing about the speedy re-
construction Of the union IN that II left
the south with as little prejudice as pos
sible.