Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-08-13

You are called to serve as a soldie
in the National Army, because that i
one Of your obligations as a citizen o
the United States The citizens of
republic must always he ready in tn
| hour of need to leave their own home,
and take up arms in defense Of thri
rights and principles. Otherwise thr
republic could not long continue T.
exist. The men who now enter mill
tary service deserve the sradlud,
and respect Of their fellow citizens.
. You are doubtless making a heavA
sacrifice in order to perform this duty
70 your country. hundreds of thod
sands of other young men and thei
families are face 10 face with similar
sacrifices. All our citizens will soon
er or later be called upon each tC
bear his or her share of the burden
Men and women, rich and poor. al
alike must do whatever is necessary
For no personal interests or feelings
can be permitted to stand in the way
at time when the safety ana honor
of the country are at stake
As citizen soldier you are chosen
for post Of special distinction Amer
lea is justly proud Of the soldiers 81
the past who have won for ms the
rights today denied and put in serious
danger Of the high.handed attacks
of the German government America
will be no less proud of you. as you
fight to uphold those rights
Your personal responsibility is great
AS warfare is today conducted. the
individual soldier counts for more than
ever before Your own skill and bray
cry, no matter how humble YOU rank.
may easily be important factors in
deciding whether an engagement is
to be won or lost. You can not de.
/ pend upon anyone else to carry this
personal responsibility for you: you
must depend upon yourself
Some American Soldiers.
Americans are well-fitted to meet
this test. During the Civil War at
the battle Of Antetam. the 7th Maine
Infantry lay, hugging the ground. un.
der furious storm Of shot and shell
Private Knox, who was a wonderful
shot' asked leave to move nearer the
enemy For an hour afterwards his
companions heard his rifle crack
every few minutes. His commanding
otlcer finally from curiosity, "crepi
forward to see what he was doing, and
found that he had driven every man
away from one section of a COnfede.
rate battery, tumbling over gunner
after gunner as they came forward to
/ fire. AT the end of an hour
or so. piece of shell took off the
breech of his pet rifle. and he return
ed disconsolate; but after a few min
utes he gathered three rifles that
were left by wounded men and went
back again"
IN the Confederate armies indiyi-
dual soldiers were no less skillful
cool and brave On both sides they
were Americans.
Here are a few cases quoted from
official records. You must read be.
tween the lines to get the fun bene.
lit Of the stories they tell of resource.
tulness and courage.
On June 9, 1862, Private John GRAY,
7th ohio Infantry mounted ON an
artillery horse Of the enemy and can
tured brass Gpound piece, in the
Iace Of the enemy's fire, and brought
it to the rear.
On October 10, 1863, Private Mic.
hazel Dougherty, 18Th Pennsylvania
cavalry, "at the head of a detachment
.oi his company, dashed across an
open field, exposed to deadly fire
from tHe enemy, and succeeded in dis
lodging them from an unoccupied
mousse which he and his comrades de-
Tended for several hours against re.
peated attacks, thus preventing the
enemy from thanking the position of
the Union forces"
From May 8 to II, 1854 Private
John T. Lynch, Sd Indiana Cavalry
carried important dispatches from the
PRESIDENT to General Grant, passing
through the enemys country. escap.
ing capture, delivering his messages
ana returned to Washington with re
plies thereto
On April 81 1899, Private Edward
White, 10th Kansas Infantry, during
a fight with insurgents in the Philip.
pine Islands, swan the Rio Grande
de Panpanga in face OF the enemy's