Twin-City herald., 1938-07-16
Mess Line

The days Immediately preceding the
first of July 1868 are probably still
discussed in Gettysburg.
This sleepy village had suddenly
sprung into the limelight of world
events. All day, all night, it had watch
ed a steady flow of troops through its
streets.
1t must have been a colorful army
that streamed through the town those
many hours Regulars, marching with
the noncha1ance of WEAKNESS, zouaves,
in their yellow breeches and flashy
jackets, singing their sophisticated
songs, yet not forgetting the air OF
breeding which they claimed as theirs
by right of social status. Grenadiers,
equally snooty in their red pantaloons
and blue coats.
Boys recruited from shops and fields,
eager with an ambition that had been
inspired by the oratory of the hour,
that this way of blood and broken
bones, was part of Gods inspired plan
to make America safe from slavery.
Youth seeking glory and adventure,
soon to meet misery and death.
Eighty three thousand marched
through the protesting dust and CRIME,
their rear guard a Quaker Gentleman
in beaver hat, and black frock coat,
whose long barreled squirrel rifle told
mutely of his slow rising wrath at the
violation of the soil of Pennsylvania
Gray as the dusty road, seventy
three thousand butternut uniformed
Confederates followed General Lee, as
he sought to vancouver a threat on
Washington, in the second and last in
vasion of northern soil
This meeting at Gettysburg was not
planned by strategists. The north was
hunting a more suitable place to give
battle. The south would just have
soon as avoided it, to save the strength
of her forces, for a more telling blow.
There were undoubted errors on
both sides in the three day battle, but
there is no mistaking the courage oi
either side, that caused their fifty
thousand odd casualties, and resulted
in General Lee recrossing the Poto-
mac, turning his back on northern
goals forever.
Fifty years later, remnants of those
one time armies sought a reunion or
the same field
Fifty years is long time to allow
wrath to cool, but apparently the spirit
of a soldier never dies. When tht
members of the old armies met in 1913
there were men who had not forgotten
there were wise cracks born in tht
light of camp fires of the early six
ties, there songs that inspired the
courage of the singer, hatred in hearts
of proper hearers; it was not long be
fore fighting broke out among the ol'
warriors. Many nice old deacon in
dulged himself the salty mouthing
learned on the march a half centur.
ago, many decent citizen back hom
= had his last fling in an alley brawl.
True to its wartime tradition, ther
was a government ball up in transpor
tation. Veterans who had taken ad
vantage of special rates from Wash
ington found they had to make the /
mile round trip in two days, or los
their right to the rate. These an
many other embarrassments caused b
the reunion were the reason one wa
not attempted again for twenty fiv
years.
This time, of the 1867 survin
warriors of both sides, some two thol
sand attended. Many in wheel chair
these tottering pillars of heroism san
their songs and yelled old time bait
cries.
Most colorful perhaps were the ole
est, VIM. A. Barnes, 112, colored {
Oakland California, who told all an
sundry, Il brought my gin with me
Yankee Dan Daffron, 81, Fore
Grove, Oregon, who chanted, "P,
sweet sixteen and never been kissed
Most tagged out were the attendan
who complained, "the spirit of tt
soldier never dies"
We wonder how many of US w
make the pilgrimage say in 1898 to Il
Vosges or totter along that memorial
road above Juvigny.