Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-05
REVIEWS PART OF
ILLINOIS IN STRIFE
Lincoln and Grant, Both of This State
Biggest Factors in Civil War,
Says johnson.
TWO LIVES READ LIKE FICTION
Rock Island County Historical Societ,
Holds Annual Meeting, Reflect.
ing All OF Officers.

In spite of the disagreeable weather
large audience was present at the
Y. M. c. A. last night on the occasion
of the annual meeting of the Rock Is
land County Historical society. ]. H.
Hauberg, secretary, read the minutes
OF the previous meetings. Following
the reading of the minutes, the annual
election of officers was held, resulting
in the reelection of all officers and d.
rectors as follows:
observation-disclosures w. Searle, Rock
Island
Vice President Judson G. Metz
gar, Moline.
| Secretary-John H. Hauberg, Rock
Island.
Treasurer-Mrs. X. T. Anderson,
Rock Island.
Curator-John H. Hauberg.
Directors-William A. Meese, Arson
M. Hubbard and Joseph B. Oakleaf,
Moline, Phil Mitchell, Orrin s. Holt
and E. B. McKown, Rock Island, and
A. A. Buffum, Andalusia.
The chairman then introduced Mrs
E. Taylor of Geneseo, who spoke
briefly on the work the society was &C
comprising. Following her address,
DR.. Charles B. Johnson of Champaign
was introduced as the speaker of the
evening, and held at all times the clos
est attention of his hearers.
Citizens of Illinois may take just
pride in reviewing her history. With.
out Illinois, the history of the
Civil war might have been very diff.
ferent," declared DR.. Johnson. "Illi
nois' contribution in soldiers alone fol
the federal government was $4,000
while her greatest gifts to the natio1
were those three great leaders, Johr
A Logan, U. S. Grant and Abraham
Lincoln"
The lives Of the last two, he de
clared, read more like fiction thai
fact, and he gave an extremely inter
esting brief account of each Of thei
biographies, showing how Lincoln
Overcame almost insurmountable OBJ
stacles to his accession to the presi
dency and how Grant rose from bust
ness failure to the rank of America
greatest military expert. After paying
Ia tribute to Lincoln, declar
ing that only his shoulders could hav'
borne the burden of the republic dur
ing that critical time, he passed on t,
Grant and told of his struggles on hi
way to the lieutenant-g eneralcy.
Leader Unknown.
!, "The Union forces" Mr. johnson
said, had been encountering nothing
but defeat before Grant took the helm
Finally the nation was thrilled wit
the report of sweeping victory 70
the federal army in the west at For
| Donelson. Immediately people begal
! to wonder who the commander of thes
! forces was and found out that it wa
: some almost unknown man by tn
name Of Grant, who had started tn
, war at the desk of Governor Yates
nooga and, finally the Wilderness
Petersburg and Appomattox, whic1
brought peace" All this DR.. johnson
told in a most interesting way and hel
the undisputed attention of his audi
ence.
Following DR.. Johnson's address
William McEniry was introduced an
gave an enthusiastic talk on the valu
of this community Of the planned cen
tennial celebration of Fort Armstrong
The chairman then told many other his
toric events which happened in Roc
Island and vicinity, any one of whic
would be sufficient to make the com
munity worthy of special mention.
: Music was furnished by Mr.. Hau
berg's fife and drum corps and by tn
audience joining in singing America
and illinois"
:. Chairman Searle stated that he be