The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1915-09-23
COL. SWALM'S LETTER
Greetings to His Army Comrades
in Reunion at Pella.

Col. A. w. Swain, formerly editor
of the Herald, and now U. S. Consul
at Southampton, England, was I'M
able to be present, but he sent the
following letter of greeting to his
army comrades in reunion at Pella:
1T is a very great regret that
cannot be with you in the joys and
pleasures of the fifteenth Tunion of
our gallant command, but owing to
the call of the great war now deyas-
tating so much of the earth, it is
not possible to be absent from my
post, for any time, for obvious reas-
Ons. | have been looking forward
to this meeting with deep and sin
cere pleasure, to meet and take by
the hand those spared by the ravages
of time, and once more to renew and
refresh body and mind by the COM
munion of personal greeting. In the
past year ! have seen much of wars
marching and preparation, great in
every way, in numbers vast, in mate
rial splendid, in Quitting unsur-
passed, and it has awakened in me
keener than ever the remembrance of
those days more than a half century
ago, when our people were DOMINIC
the blue and going out to do the best
they could for flag and country in the
challenge OF battle.
Whether a mans accomplishment
was much or little, the fact that he
subscribed his life on enlistment put
it beyond the sordid valuation of dol.
lars and cents, and placed the act on
the highest lines of patriotic devo-
ton. Than that, there could be moth
ing greater in life, yours and mine,
If it be not wrong to say so, and an
act forever rich in the remembrance
of doing duty as 1t presented itself
in those dark days. And the days
were dark the trials heavy, how very
heavy On those left at home in the
bitter struggle of life we all know the
story that came to us. What a mag
nitiCent line of women those were!
bow my head in humble veneration to
them, living and dead, and | beg to
include in this the women of the
South as well! Under the blessing
of Almighty God the nation has great
ly developed and greatly prospered
and if we but care for the future as
we should, the legacy passing on will
be the richest ever fallen to any poe
pie in earth's long history. That we
can do so by doing right; by standing
by all our rights as a nation in every
crowding emergency, and making
such preparation therefor as wisdom,
prudence, and God-fearing patriotism
shall dictate, free from clamor, but
everIastingly welded to a deep and
abiding love of land, and liberty and
all its institutions making for the
happiness of our people and the
world. -
Il salute all the comrades who have
passed over since our last reunion
Their wasted bodies are mingled with
the dust of the earth, but their souls
are with us and about us, in sym.
patty and fellowship, now as in life!
Hail to them all! The great host that
once rallied around the flag has melt
ed away as the snowdrift under a
May sun. gone over the shadowy lines
of the Beyond, and Time calls for us
who are left with greater demand
Our roll of the dead that will be call
ed In your sessions. how many will II
number OF those who were with us
when Pella opened her hospitable
doors TO as before? How greatly
will he missed the comrades who
stood for great things in life, and Il
b x Il .