The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1916-04-13
scattered and .demoralized army on
the other. His inaugural address was

scattered and .demoralized army on
the other. His inaugural address was
a master piece of eloquence, so tenn
pered with kindness and good will to-
wards the erring brethren Of the
South, and yet so firm in patriotic
sentiments that it deserves place
among the great state papers Of all
time. In closing he said, you can
have no oath registered in Heaven
to destroy the government, while I
shall have the most solemn one to pre-
serve, protect and defend it. We are
not enemies but friends. We must not
be enemies. Though passion may have
strained, it must not break our
bonds of affection. The mystic chords
of memory stretching from every bat
tlefeld and patriotic grave to every
living heart and hearthstone all over
the broad land will yet swell, as surely
they will be, by the better angels of
our nature
"But the mad impulse of treason
and rebellion was unrestrained. The
dark and desperate work went on.
Soon all eyes were turned towards Fl.
Sumter in Charlestown harbor where
Maj. Anderson with a small garrison
was threatened. On April 9th,
IS years ago today, he was forbidden
communication with the main land.
On the 18th General Beauregard de-
nlanded the surrender Of the fort to
the Confederate authorities which was
promptly refused. At 20 minutes past
three on the morning of the 18th, Gen.
eral Beauregard notified Maj. Ander-
son that if he would not surrender in
one hour he would open fire upon the
fort. At precisely 20 minutes past 4,
the first gun was fired and the war
Of the rebellion was inaugurated. AZ
ter most heroic defence by the gar
rison of 80 men against 1000 Maj.
Anderson surrendered on the 18th. In
his report to the war department he
said, we marched out of the Fort
with colors flying and drums beating
and saluted my flag with so guns All
hail to the gallant major.
"On the following day, April 18th,
President Lincoln issued a call for
$4,000 volunteers to serve 80 days, to
which prompt and enthusiastic re-
Spouse was given. This was followed
May Sd by call for $4,000 men and
by successive calls until the number
reached 100000 by the end of the
war. Deducting the killed in battle,
those who died of wounds and dis
ease, and others, it is estimated that
there were about 100000 on rolls
when Lee surrendered, scattered all
over the United States.
During the struggle it was the
fond hope of the crowned heads of the
world that the South would succeed
and thus perish from the earth gov
eminent for the people, of the people
and by the the people, AS the close
approached and the success of the
Northern arms became assured, they
claimed the greatest danger to the
free institutions was to come. There
were nearly 100000 men who
over three years had been removed
from home influences and exposed to
the demoralizing atmosphere of army
life. Immoral habits had been formed
in them; the savagery incident to
war had made them vicious; absence
from restraining influences of moth
er, wife and sister had destroyed their
finer feelings. Wait till this body of
men are turned loose upon the coun-
try, and such state of immortality,
and lawlessness will take
place as will result in anarchy and
ruin. But those dire predictions did
not materialize. The army melted
like snow and were soon absorbed in
the good the true and the noble, in the
dear ones who so fondly greeted them