USA > Illinois > Address to the 73rd Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry > Part 2
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different conclusion. The war, as most wars do, de- veloped much bright and useful talent, and brought to the front and to prominence, some of the greatest cap- tains to be found in the records of warfare. But no one of these, however honored and renowned, excelled all others in every form of true greatness. Therefore, as between the armies of the two sections North and South the question of Generalship may remain an open and undecided one for all time to come. Nevertheless facts will remain, and will tell a very truthful, and convincing story to the impartial student of history. Among the problems that will come up, and demand solution will be one, not yet much discussed in military or other circles, viz: Under the theory of superior Generalship, in chief and subordinates; how did it come to pass, that in all the first-class battles fought during the war-and there were many such-the Southern army, with all its boasted generalship, never gained one decided victory and in case of advantage gained -and there are many such on record-why was it that never in a single instance did it follow up the advan- tage to any decisive result ? Advantages rendered more than useless, and wholly thrown away by not being followed up at the opportune moment; superior general- ship should, occasionally at least, have produced a different result. Mention may be made of one such instance, while many are omitted.
The first day's work at Pittsburg Landing, Tenn., when everyone was fresh, and full of vigorous courage, told fearfully upon our lines, and resulted so in favor of the enemy, that at the going down of the sun, he claimed not only an advantage gained, but a decided victory as well. I was on the ground, and believed
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then, and still believe, that if the enemy had pressed his advantage for one hour more, the result must have been the utter rout and ruin of our army, in that part of the theatre of the war. But as occurred in many similar cases he failed to follow up his advantage- dearly bought-and lost all he had gained, simply by, and through this neglect or bad generalship, for by the rising of the sun next morning our lines were reformed and reinforced, and the enemy at once driven from the field. How shall we account for these strange facts, except on the ground of want of good generalship .?
General Braddoch, in contempt of the advice given him by young Washington, said, "High times, high times, when a young Buckskin must teach a British officer how to fight " and said when mortally wounded, "We will do better next time." But alas! the next time never came to him; for though he lived to see his mistake, he did not live to correct it, or to do better. The records of our terrible war when fully written, will disclose errors, blunders, and mistakes enough on both sides: however as to that matter we all of the present day have made mistakes enough to teach those who shall come after us, to do much better than we have done. Therefore we will not severely, or unkindly criti- cise our Southern friends in their management and con- duct of the war, and for one consideration if for no other, viz: They that live in, or have inhabited glass houses must not be the first-if at all-to throw ugly stones.
For two things we are thankful to the Confederate soldier, and for which we praise him; overlooking-for the time being, many, and most aggravating acts of pure inwardness of which he was guilty toward us and
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ours, viz: First, in that he helped us to make the American Citizan Soldier, an honor in all lands; and Second, after meeting us with manly firmness and heroic courage on many hard fought fields, at the last he surrendered to us, and not we to him. We are en- titled to some praise however, in that we did not bear hard on a beaten foe. Henceforth we are at peace one. with another, and ask God to judge between us for all time to come: no more war for us.
It is proper and this is a fit occasion, and it may prove. instructive even at this late date, for us to make inquiry as to the result of the war; its success or failure, as others have done, are still doing, and will continue to do, till the end shall come. But to place the question in the form ef a problem for solution or demonstration:
Has The War Paid ?
We might with equal propriety ask: Did the war of Independence pay? The one was to establish self- government, and the other to perpetuate the same blessings among the people. Considered in the light simply of bloodshed and treasure expended, without reference to other important results, we cannot say that the war has or ever will pay; and in contemplating the simple incidents, and eventualities of the war, we are quite ready to ask: Why might not an alwise and merciful Providence have spared us this terrible shedding of blood, and this enormous destruction of property? We may sometimes err, even sin, and give publicity to our own failures in matters of conscience, by calling in question, or misconstruing the ways and dealings of Providence with individuals, and with Nations. Cromwell's trust in Providence with plenty of dry powder in the magazine; Napoleon's theory of
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Providence acting with the heaviest battalions; Croc- kett's hard-fisted rule of "Be sure you are right, then go ahead," and Lincoln's pious and safe logic of our ranging ourselves with complete certainty on the Lord's side, in the beginning of an action, and not waiting for the Lord to come over on our side, something the Lord may not do. These ideas enter into the construction of a formula that works well in war, and equally so in peace.
We must have known, in the North and in the South, and therefore did not act in ignorance of fact, what civil war meant in one of the most powerful and deter- mined nations of the world : with American blood up, and all else at white heat, there could have been no mistake. We were admonished by the blessings of a long and prosperous peace, by the deep toned thunders of the mighty past, and by unfailing and portentous prophesy, extending far into the future. We heeded not the admonition, passed on and were well punished. It looks, to an impartial observer, like a clear case of sowing the wind and harvesting the whirlwind.
There are many questions, and deep-seated misunder- standings, in Church, and State, which diplomacy, however well or wisely directed, cannot settle. Our war in its incipiency and subsequent prosecution it would seem, involved more than one question of this class. But when Fort Sumpter was assailed, the first shot fired there aroused the whole country, diplomacy ceased its efforts, cannon, double shotted, and the tramp of armies of resolute and brave men became the vocal arguments and loud voiced umpires of all differences in existence, North and South of Mason and Dixon's Line. Soon our Council Chambers and Halls
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of Legislation were transformed into arsenals where the god of war forged and stored his thunder bolts, and sent them forth on their errands of death.
Very few now as formerly, will claim that the war is- a failure, as many did without waiting for the crushing logic of facts and events to shed light upon, and settle the question. After, often differs much from during,. or before the event: much hasty prediction before, silence after --- one not inspired should wait till he knows. before prohesying.
The war is an event, or incident in the life of the nation, which must be viewed, studied and understood, not in its antecedants alone, nor yet in the horror of its execution; destroyed towns and cities; fields laid waste; graves of slain heroes where once stood splendid mansions, parks, and pleasure grounds. These are some of the horrors attending upon a struggle which cannot be hidden from sight, or blotted from memory. Our thoughts need to be withdrawn from the past, and directed to what is around us, and in advance of us, to properly estimate what has been done: Chicago, as wood was devoured by fire, but reappeared, built of marble and granite, and thus built may stand for ages.
The pioneer, who, at the cost of immense labour and toil, has carved out of the primeval forest a farm. and built a house for himself and his, or accomplished the same success, in spite of the rough and deep-seated diffi- culties of the Grand Prairie, if he shall estimate the value of his labour by the proceeds of his first crop, in ready money, will find himself deeply discouraged. and will conclude he has laboured in vain and to no good purpose; and only recover from his surprise and disap- pointment when he realises the fact, that he has built.
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from a small beginning, for himself, a home which no earthly power dare invade, or molest.
It becomes us, Comrades, here and elsewhere, to turn away from, as far possible, the horrors attending the execution of the duties of our high trust-committed to us as soldiers in the field, and rest with the pleasure and gratitude which it is calculated to inspire in all our hearts-while we take a brief view of some of the good that has come to us from the war; now, as for- merly, sung and named "cruel war," and-
First: the war has given us a more Perfect Union, which result-situated as we are-cannot be over-esti- mated. It is not sufficient that we should have a Union, but we must have an indissoluble one, or our fathers, and we after them, have laboured in vain.
The Greeks at one time, united, might have ruled the world, but failing to agree among themselves, they lost, the grand opportunity of ruling the world and of governing themselves at the same time.
Formerly our own Statesmen were not agreed as to the character and nature of the Union existing among the American States. Whether a mere league or alliance, compact or contract for certain purposes: at best considered a Union held together by very feeble lines-light to be borne, and easy to be thrown off on occasion. True, others gave the Union a character of strength and solidity, much beyond all this speculation. But it required the war to knead, press, and pound the Union into solidity, where it could stand alone, without tinkering, or falling to pieces. The result was as cer- tain as Logarithms, and could have but one issue under the Laws governing the Universe.
The war gave us-not only a more perfect Union,
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but at the same time swept away much that might pro- duce trouble in future.
We need not pause to particularize or to specify. Under the new state of things we have no North, no South, except geographical or, as astronomical terms, telling us where we are, or where we may breath heaven's free air on our own free soil, or where the sun is in his journeyings between the tropics, or where he rides the Ecliptic. Mason and Dixon's Line is for ever wiped out, and has lost all political significance. We may still hear of a solid South, or of a solid North, but both you shall find are solid for the Union of these States, and will remain so.
The East and the West never had a Mason and Dixon's Line, and never will have-politically or other- wise. True, the West-covetous and greedy child of a fond mother-has always made heavy demands upon the East, but the East, with prompt liberality, has al- ways responded to these calls, and sent out this way, multitudes of her best men and women, and very many of her most promising and enterprising young people.
The South has always responded with equal prompt- ness, and helped on with the great work of peopling the West.
The Union of the States, by the decrees of Almighty Providence, and the Eternal Laws of Nature, must be for ever. A nation-an united nation-a grand sister- hood of nations-a model for all governments, and a government for all nations to respect.
This is what the fathers meant when they were laying the foundations, deep and broad, of a more Perfect Union-one that should give stability to the govern- ment, and prosperity to the people.
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A Second result of the war may be named in passing, and is seen in the lessons of instruction it has given to the world, which lessons have already produced results good and true. When we take into consideration the magnitude of the war-a line of battle two thousand miles long in the direction the sun runs, and a thousand miles deep between the Poles-it ceases to be matter of astonishment, that we saw the great eye of the world intently fixed upon us. The world was not asleep while we were engaged in the fearful conflict. The world does not sleep at such times, but is more than ever awake, looking out for opportunity. Our battles were not fought in a corner, nor behind closed doors, but out in open space, with the steadfast sun looking down upon us.
This business is full of instruction to statesmen and military gentlemen studious to learn, and will furnish the best examples and models the world has yet had for instruction in military tatics. There are important lessons to all mankind in what we attempted and failed to do, as in what we did. Sometimes failure is a better teacher than success.
We had at the head of the nation, as President from beginning to end of the struggle, a man-God sent- with the heart of the lamb and the lion joined in one in him ; strong of nerve and true of heart, well fortified with clear knowledge, and firm belief in the cause in hand; never wasting vital force in noise or show; of laconic but almost pious exactitude in all things; most highly respected by all-reverenced by some, well, but not too well served and obeyed ; always in perfect command of himself.
To have had a man of unflinching integrity at the
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head of affairs, surrounded by men of integrity, while the country was passing such dangerous and fearful crises, is matter of lasting gratitude to the American people. Want of integrity, wherever it may exist, in public or private life, is always an expensive and dan- gerous luxury, and is costing us to-day, more than all simple luxuries and all evils the age is heir to, com- bined. When was there before, or when will there be- again, such a work wrought as that done by our own good Abraham Lincoln .?
Still, about him and his councillors in the conduct of the war, and the management of public business, fell fierce criticisms and angry reproaches, like a shower of burning, blazing rockets from the blue vault of heaven.
So it has been, and so it will continue to be, that- the best of people, in some period, if not all along in life, are the best abused people in the world.
The effect this lesson of the war has had upon the world is apparent in the opinion held of us and our form of Government now and formerly.
The American Flag, since it was first given to the air of freedom in 1776, has always commanded respect: but since our war it is saluted with the highest honors, and looked upon with admiration by all nations, when seen on land, or ocean, or high-seas. To have rallied round that flag, carried it, fought under it, and defended it, is looked upon by all intelligent Europeans-and should be so esteemed by ourselves, as the highest honor possible to man. That Flag is ours, and we give it a place in our fondest affections, only a little below the Cross-and at least a part of the honor of defending it is ours in the past, and shall be our duty in the future, in all the ways and by all the means possible to us.
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To-day no foreign potentate, however powerful in his dominions, or covetous of the territory of another, would dare plant himself, as did Napoleon Third, con- venient to our South-western border, with a view to some rich slices, cuttings or parings, from our inviting territory, when the time of division and partitioning should come : which time by himself, and a few others like himself, might have been thought drawing near. Time does work changes among men and things, in many ways and in many places on the earth's surface. The case is different now with all our neighbours, and all are anxious to be on good terms with us, which is quite as well for them, and ourselves as well. With our neighbours on either side of the ocean, we have no quarrel-no malice, envy, or jealousy, on any account. We are a people eminently capable of attending to our own business, and allowing other people and nationali- ties to do the same. We are where the Almighty planted us-between the seas-for a wise purpose, and He will make a great nation and a wise and good people of us, if we do not defeat the ends of Divine Wisdom concerning us. Yes! we are where God planted us, and are among the nations, like Mount Zion, above the mountains round about Jeruselam, crowned with the Temple of the Living God.
Third, besides important and instructive lessons to our near and distant neighbours, of all nationalities, the war has given us a more perfect knowledge of our- selves; of the resources of the country, and of the temper and disposition of our people.
The world has made favorable note, and honorable. mention of our courage and skill upon the battle-field, and speaks well of our soldiering generally. But
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soldiers and statesmen, and philanthropists, and all good people acquainted with the facts, have expressed unbounded admiration for our moderation and humanity as conquerers. Our people detested war with a fervent hatred, and love peace as an heritage from the Lord; but loved justice also, and when they had saved the country from its life and death peril, hailed peace with joy, and heralded its return with bonfires and illumina- tions.
Philosophers and christian scientists have been loud in their call, and fervent in their aspirations and specu- lations for the advent of the coming race, as when the world waited for the fulness of time that should bring the promised Messiah. But the great coming race, so long and so clearly foreshadowed in the dreams of philosophers, is already come; is actually here, and built of the best bone and muscle, and nerve, and brain; the highest perfectibility the human race has been able to produce. The best material, gathered from all cli- mates and soils, and races of men, and here assimilated -North, South, East and West, and adapted to envi- ronment-is here to stay, and to flourish while time lasts. There is an honor which comes of having an- cestors alone, short-lived, and of questionable quality while it lasts. We are not the last of our race, nor are we the beginning. We stand good distance from the shore, with an open sea and fair sailing before us ; and to change the figure a little, as is permissible to us-as our national emblem has taught us-so may we, Eagle- like, soar aloft and fly straight for the sun: for the grand prize and achievement of the race and age is yet before, above and beyond us.
It was my good fortune to come early in life into the
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proud State of Illinois-the State not yet having passed its log-cabin period. Travelled before there were rail- roads from the extreme South, quite to the Northern limits of the State-at that time a horse that was a good swimmer was considered a safe conveyance-was most favorably impressed with its great physical outline, and its magnificent distances, its grand prairies, its Mississippi river, and its untold and unequalled fertility of soil, elegant climate, and other sources of wealth and true greatness, felt that I was in a new world and believed that I was in a coming world at the same time. Spent within the limits of the State much of my youth and mature manhood, and visited nearly every County in the State, mingled with, and studied its interesting, intelligent, and rapidly increasing populations, and thought that I understood them well after an intimate acquaintance of an average lifetime, or one whole gen- eration, in which I was not an idle spectator, but an active co-laborer with, and among the people.
Still it is true that when President Lincoln and Governor Yates, called me from an occupation in which I was considered something of a success, and thrust me out to raise a Regiment, when recruiting for the army service was considered difficult, and then sent me into a service in which there was reasonable probability of my proving a failure: while I believed that there were unlimited possibilities in men, and all that was required was to make these possibilities real, and give them opportunity. Still I did not know that One Thousand such men as entered into the organization of the 73rd Illinois Volunteers, could be found within the limits of the State, and then I did not know them fully as sol- diers till I saw them tested under fire: and I soon found
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what was a most gratifying fact to me, viz: that I was the poorest stick of the lot out of which to make a soldier. I do not claim for the 73rd superiority over all others, but if there were any better soldiers in the service, it was not my good fortune to meet up with them ; and I have thought, and am not yet quite con- vinced in reviewing the history of the war, that the thought is wholly wrong. That the State of Illinois marshalled, and equipped to its full capacity of men and means, with some Son of Lightening to lead us, could not have put down the rebellion in half of the time the work was accomplished as it was done.
It is among the possibilities of earnest warfare, to make one army equal to three in the field, by celerity of movement, stragetic ability, and military judgment. The correct method of dealing with the enemy, and crushing the rebellion, was not adopted till near the end of the war; moving in solid columns into the heart of the enemy's country, making highways, penetrating forests, bridging rivers, constructing railroads, and lay- ing telegraph wires as the army advances.
No disparagement to our brave armies, or to our un- equalled Captains, and Fieldmarshals-none whatever, far otherwise. Our soldiers were brave as the bravest, and our Generals worthy the high trust reposed in them : well up in the arts of war, skilled in strategy, and in the art of leading armies and directing campaigns, quick to discover an opportunity and to take advantage of it-not apt to make mistakes, or lose their heads.
But if there were serious delays and golden oppor- tunities allowed to slip by, many councils of war that never fought, and much loud and long talk that never amounted to anything; the same was true of the other
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side, and among our enemies. So upon the whole the one offset the other, and we got on quite comfortably, and in the end we came out ahead and on the winning side. The right and the might were ours.
It is contended by some, that the war ended too soon -that when Jeff Davis, on a certain important occa- sion, demanded Independence or annihilation for the States in rebellion, that we should have given him an- nihilation, as he could not, in the nature of things, have Independence.
But if the American War, after dragging its bloody form along for near five years, closed too soon, then it is the first war in heaven or on carth that closed too soon. It might have closed carlier, and at least saved many valuable lives. But who knows?
A Fourth result of the war, has been increased pros- perity to all parts of the Country. Peace established, confidence restored, production, domestic trade and foreign commerce revived, and all has gone forward on the highway of success.
This result might have been anticipated, at least in part, from the removal of certain obstructions to do- mestic and foreign trade, inconsistent with the freedom of intercourse that should exist among the several States of the American Union.
But beside all this, war is a marvellously strange phenomenon, always considered and dreaded as a scourge from the Almighty, wherever it may fall, on barren or fruitful Countries, on savage or civilised peoples. We may never cease to look upon our late war as a calamity, and a calamity of such magnitude that the generation which endured it can never forget.
Still the worst of wars may be so overruled by
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Providence as to be blessings in diguise. War cannot destroy soil and sunshine, the earth beneath and the heavens above remain as before. It may be the means of bringing into habits of industry, labor, and economy persons and communities, and whole populations, for their own and for their country's good; and that re- quired some such experiences to wake things up a bit, and to give life and tone to public business, and pri- vate enterprise.
War may throw its dark shadows across the steadfast stars, but cannot shake them from their orbits; may obscure the sun for a time but cannot stop or change his course in the heavens ; may shake, but cannot inter- rupt the revolutions of the earth on its axes; may lay waste the most fertile and fruitful countries, but an enterprising people will soon mend the breaches war has made.
France, after being the battlefield of one of the most destructive, and desolating wars Europe has ever known, and paying heavy war expenses of her own contracting, and an indemnity to her conqueror, at which all Europe looked amazed and stood aghast; in the sequal, is said to be in much better condition to- day, in her finances and in her domestic industry, than Germany. But France has, as we have, a wholesome legacy of debt.
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