USA > Illinois > Complete history of the 46th regiment, Illinois volunteer infantry, a full and authentic account of the participation of the regiment in the battles, sieges, skirmishes and expeditions in which it was engaged > Part 37
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"It is not possible for me to meet with you this time, but I shall think of you just the same and wish you well. It will not be very many years until the last old soldier will have passed away and join those who have gone before into the beyond from which none ever return, but be the time long or short that we stay on this earth, the cause for which we were banded together and for which we fought, many giving up their lives, will never perish. The cause of liberty will never die.
"There are not many old comrades in this part of the country. I at- tended a Decoration Day service at Filbur, fourteen miles east of here, last spring, and I think that there were sixteen old soldiers present, but although we were few in number, we attended to the decorating of the graves of those of our comrades who have gone on before, and we were treated splendidly by the citizens of the town and the county.
"The people of this country have great respect for the old soldiers, and seem to appreciate what we did for the country in the days of the civil war. We gave them a country to be proud of, in fact, the best the sun has ever shown on, and I believe that the time will come when the whole world will be converted into one great world of liberty and union, and Old Glory will float in triumph over every land and sea, and gen- erations yet unborn will read our record in history and bless the memory of the brave and valiant soldiers who, when our dear country was in danger, answered to the call and rallied around our country's banner by the thousands, and bore that banner in triumph over many a bloody battle- field until after four years of hardship and faithful service we returned in peace and triumph with the star-spangled banner proudly floating over every State in our glorious union.
"I tell you, my comrades, we have reason to be proud of our record, and let us thank God that we have lived to make such a record. and may the remainder of our lives be such as will entitle each one of us to a home in heaven, where there will be no war nor hardship, but will be one eter- nal grand reunion with our Heavenly Father and all the dear old comrades who have gone on before.
"Now, dear comrades, please excuse me if I have caused a wave of sadness to pass over your hearts, and let us return to the enjoyment of the hour. Let us hear a song from someone. If you could hear me, I would sing one for you. Let us all join heartily in singing, 'My Country, 'Tis of Thee, Sweet Land of Liberty.' And if old 'Shady' is present, let him come to the front and sing, 'Old Shady.'
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"Well, dear comrades, I guess you are tired of this foolishness, so I will bring my remarks to a close by wishing you a happy, happy, thrice happy reunion. I would just say in regard to this part of the State of Washington that I like it very much, and expect to spend my life here un- less unknown circumstances cause me to change my mind, and if any of you old comrades ever take a notion to come to this side of the Rocky Mountains, come. to see me, and I will give you a hearty welcome and treat you the best I can. I am 100 miles west of Spokane on the Wash- ington Central road, a branch of the Northern Pacific road. I should like very much to hear from any of you again, comrades of the Forty-sixth Illinois Regiment. Again I will say, God bless and keep you all. Good bye, with love and best wishes."
TENTH REUNION OF THE 46TH ENDS.
(From Freeport "Standard," Oct. 8, 1906.)
The banquet which marked the end of the eleventh biennial reunion of the Forty-sixth Regiment was a very successful affair, carried off in a successful manner and enjoyed by every one present. It was held in the beautiful and spacious dining hall at Masonic temple, and the large, gaily decorated room was filled.
At the conclusion of the elaborate spread, after every comrade had feasted to his heart's content, Captain W. W. Krape, master of ceremonies for the occasion, with a well selected little talk introduced the first speaker. Dr. Krape is a man of exceptional ability as a public speaker and his words of welcome and introduction were delivered to enthusiastic hearers. In introducing the first speaker he said : You have had a grand dinner and you will have a grand time this afternoon before you leave here. We have with us among the comrades of the Forty-sixth a high private who rose from our ranks to be a Colonel in the Spanish American war. I take great pleasure in introducing to you Col. Samuel P. Shadel, of Monroe, Wis.
"Comrades, we Meet Again." "You have given me a good subject," said Col. Shadel, "We all enjoy the meeting again. With soldierly ten- derness we grasp each other's hands and live over again the days of the war. Let us recall some of our various meetings. First we called at the recruiting offices. We occasionally met "Jolinny Reb" too. Then there was generally a jar and a rumble. The Forty-sixth met the difficulty al- ways. Then, after we could get through, the boys would meet at the camp- fire, and as we looked into the tents before going to bed we found some of our boys missing, but we rather expected to. After the several years of war we had the coming home meeting, and since several meetings have oc-
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curred at our reunions which have been very pleasant. We have enjoyed this hour's meeting, perhaps more than any previous reunion gathering.
Our days are coming to a close, but we feel no fear of death at any time. May we so live and act that we may all meet our lost friends at another greater reunion beyond the river when we all gather in our Father's house.
General Smith D. Atkins was next introduced by Toastmaster Krape. The general's toast was "The Boys in Blue," and, as always, the eloquent general did full justice to his subject. He stated that he was glad his toast included not only the Forty-sixth boys, but everyone who wore the blue, referring to them as those who kept the jewel of liberty safe in the growing nation. You are the boys, who came from everywhere to your country's call. Some of you were educated and some couldn't read your own names, but you were true, loyal soldiers and all were men who could fight. I am glad so many are left and I myself will continue hurrahing for our glorious American flag with the last man of you as long as I am permitted to.
Comrade Reverend VanHorne, department chaplain and a former Methodist presiding elder in this district, was next called upon. In part he spoke as follows: I am glad that the republic, in time of extremity, had had plenty of volunteers to help her out, and that there were plenty of Dutchmen among them. But now, when we are all soldiers together here today, I want to tell you that I love our Grand Army fraternity with its loyalty and charity. There is no other such fraternity as ours, which was born in suffering and born to die. Its ranks can never be replaced-its members were all made during those four years of sorrowing and suffer- ing. The ranks are being depleted by death. I do want to say, however, since comrade Krape has assigned to me the subject "Good Soldiers and Good Citizens," that good soldiers always make good citizens and good citizens always make good soldiers. The poor soldiers and poor citizens who were in our ranks have gone and only the cream remains, excepting, of course, those boys who died in glory on the battle field.
This G. A. R. lives for a purpose, and its impression upon the minds of the young is becoming more important. Think-no such army, as met the president's call for troops for the Spanish American war would have resulted had not our youth had the example of the boys here assembled as well as others not present before them.
Let us be true. I see just before me the mysterious river crossed by the bridge of Atonement which our immortal comrades now passed away have already crossed. Let us all cross this bridge and as we pass to the last great roll call, we will hear the voices of our old comrades bidding us "welcome."
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Dr. Byers, of Monroe, who is a great favorite with all who know him, was given the toast "The Ladies," and he did full justice to it. Dr. Byers started by saying, "I have always been partial to the opposite sex, ever since I became acquainted with my mother. There were four boys in our family, everyone of whom our mother sent to the war, and I don't believe she ever closed her eyes a single time without a prayer for those boys, and I imagine that everyone of the rest of you good boys had wives, ladies or sweethearts who did the same for you. He concluded with the statement that he believed the ladies were always happier because they were always making other people happy and because they are way ahead of the rest of us in charity, for among all the good people in the world, the ladies are the best. Dr. Byers concluded amid the rousing cheers of his audience, and as an encore he was called upon to sing his version of Illinois, which provoked another storm of applause and laughter.
The next speaker was Captain Marsh of Co. E, who prefaced his re- marks with a few good stories and interesting anecdotes, after which he referred to the passing away of the old boys and when he saw the vacant chair, he always thought of the beautiful song "We Shall Meet With the Angels" and almost instantaneously the vast gathering fell in with Cap- tain Marsh in singing the pathetic song, aided by the orchestra. The scene was a pathetic one and tears glistened in the eyes of many of the men and women gathered together. After the song Captain Marsh con- cluded his talk with the injunction, "Let us so live the remainder of our lives that at the next reunion beyond, we will meet all our departed broth- ers and remain with them to eternity."
But two more toasts were given, one by Comrade Wilson and one by Comrade Snyder of Cedar Falls. Both were excellent and won great ap- plause. These ended the delightful program of toasts which had been pre- pared, and after a vote of thanks to the people of Freeport by the assem- bled gathering, Comrade Krape dismissed the boys of the Forty-sixth with a hearty "God Bless You All," and the Eleventh Biennial Reunion of the Forty-sixth Regiment of Illinois Infantry came to a close.
WIRZ MONUMENT DENOUNCED.
During the reunion the matter of the proposed monument for Wirz the keeper of Andersonville prison during the civil war, which is to be erected by the Daughters of the South, came up and the secretary was in- structed to draw up resolutions protesting against the movement and en- dorsing the resolutions passed at the recent national encampment. Wirz has been characterized as the meanest man in the war on the southern side
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BEAUTIFUL TRIBUTE TO AMERICAN FLAG
By Comrade Jones, who is writing History of 46th Regiment, I. V. I.
The last toast on the splendid program which was given at the Elev- enth reunion banquet of the Forty-sixth Illinois regiment Saturday af- ternoon was by Lieut. Thomas B. Jones, who responded to the great subject, "The American Flag." Mr. Jones' speech was full of patriotism and showed by its eloquent delivery that the speaker was inspired by his subject. He first spoke of the fact that every nation in the world has a flag, an emblem by which it is known, and that the glorious flag of our own country stood in the first rank. He told of the making of the first flag, and how it had grown as the American nation grew to its present standing of world power. The speaker then referred to the flag which went through the war with his own regiment, and told of his possession of a piece of it which had been shot out by a shell.
In closing his excellent address, after telling in an entertaining man- ner, a number of interesting incidents and anecdotes, Mr. Jones paid a beautiful tribute to the patriotic ladies who have seen "Old Glory" through thick and thin and told of the time when, in the south, a band had played a selection, the name of which referred to the flag as "the old rag," a band of school teachers went before the mayor and had the musicians repri- manded and the practice was stopped. Comrade Lieut. Jones closed his speech amid thunderous applause from the assembled gathering.
Mr. Jones is getting up a history of the Forty-sixth regiment and he states that already enough copies have been pledged to assure the book's publication. The exact date of its issue has not been set, but it will prob- ably be about January 1, 1907.
TRIBUTE TO THE NOBLE WOMEN OF AMERICA.
Among the noted women of the nation during the war period we may mention, Harriet Beecher Stowe, who, with verse and prose, stirred the minds of the American nation with pen descriptions of the evils of slavery in the book, "Uncle Tom's Cabin." She is yet living in Brooklyn at the advanced age of 88 years. 2d, There is Mrs. John A. Logan, wife of Gen. Logan, a conspicuous figure in the minds of all lovers of the G. A. R. and W. R. C .. Loved and honored for her noble character, yet living. devoting much time to the surviving soldiers. 3d-Clara Barton's influ- ence and work in the Red Cross System has not only been felt in our own land, but in all the nations, excepting China. Noble women sent to the battle fields giving comfort to suffering humanity. 4th-Julia Ward
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Howe will always be famous as the author of the "Battle Hymn of the Republic." It was during the Civil war that she heard some soldiers singing "John Brown's Body" and wished that such beautiful melody had different and better words, and one night the words of the Battle Hymn came to her. She dared not wait until morning lest she forget them, and, fearing to waken her sleeping baby by lighting a lamp, she rose, found paper and pencil and scribbled the words off in the dark, as best she could. Thus was born the soul-stirring hymn that our nation loves.
5th. Francis Willard, the best loved woman of America. How well she deserves the name. Loving all humanity, she devoted her time and life-work to overthrow the evils of intemperance. As President of the W. C. T. U. she brought to pass temperance legislation, instructions in the schools, progress in social, and purity in the home life.
6th. Susan B. Anthony's name is synonymous with Woman Suffrage. She has been the great advocate of equal rights for men and women of the century.
7th. The fame of Aunt Lizzie Aiken, Mother Bickerdike, Miss Breckenridge and many others will live in the hearts of many hundreds and thousands of our boys in blue. They were volunteer nurses in the Civil War, and day after day they would go through the wards, caring tenderly for the sick soldiers, feeding them, reading to them, comforting them, always tenderly sympathetic. Knew them all and asked "How is my Michigan boy today." or "how are you Illinois," or "how does In- diana feel today?" They had kept track of nearly all, and to many had read passages of the bible. They had prayed and closed the eyes in death of many thousands. After the war, many of these continued in their la- bors of mercy among the poor in the larger cities. Most all have re- ceived recognition at the hands of a grateful people, and large and beau- tiful monuments have been erected to perpetuate their memory. They, like the soldiers whom they cared for and helped, have passed beyond the river. Their influence lives on; the rose may wither, its fragrance pass with the gentle breeze, the monuments, erected to perpetuate the memory and mark the resting place of the dead. may crumble and be scattered to the earth, but a mother's love reaches down to the lowest and most hum- ble of earth, it soars to the throne of Heaven, touching the immortal, its influence impressed on the young, spreads over all, moulding the character and life of millions unborn.
In the early history of our country, we find account of the good mo- thers of this nation taking a conspicious part in the affairs of the country. On every occasion in the battles of the revolution their aid and influ- ence was manifested by word and acts to aid their fathers and sons in the long struggle for independence. It was the good mothers who met at Philadelphia in 1777, on a June day and designed and made the first flag,
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the Stars and Stripes, representing thirteen states, a star for each, which has been added to as states were admitted into the Union, increasing the number of states to forty-eight and adding a star to the flag corresponding to the number of states. In that early period we find the women devot- ing their time and means in preparing supplies in the way of clothing and food, moulding bullets, preparing hospital supplies, in the way of ban- dages and lint to dress wounds. In active service we have the account of Molly Pitcher, 'wife of a sergeant in the artillery, who, upon the death of her husband at the battle of Monmouth, seized the rammer and ram- med the cartridge home in the cannon, showing to all the world the true and brave patriotism of American women. In State and Nation the no- ble mothers took an active part and with influence and a zeal for national life. During our Civil War many thousand mothers and wives endured sacrifices, hardships, privations at home, loss of their dear ones, in order that liberty should prevail and justice be triumphant.
TRIBUTE TO THE LADIES OF FREEPORT.
In the beautiful city of Freeport, Stephenson county, Illinois, on Doug- las avenue and corner of Mechanic street stands a natural boulder mark- ing the spot, now historic, where Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Doug- las held the second joint debate, at which the writer of this sketch was present. On the tablet are found the following inscriptions :
Within this block was held the second debate in the senatorial contest between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas, Aug. 27, 1858.
" I am not for dissolution of the Union under any circumstances." Douglas.
"This government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free."
Lincoln.
Erected by the Freeport Womens Club, 1902. Dedicated by President Roosevelt, June 3, 1903.
QUOTATIONS FROM REV. VAN HORNE.
Quotations from speech of Rev. R. G. Van Horne, of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Northern Illinois, delivered at the Reunion of the Stephenson County Soldiers and Sailors, held at Orangeville, Ill., Aug. 15th, 1889.
MY COMRADES AND FRIENDS: When invited by your committee to ad- dress you on this occasion, I cast about in my thought for a subject which
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would be adapted to the purpose of this reunion. I dared not choose politics, for this is not a political meeting. It would not be in good taste to choose religion, for this is not a campmeeting. Nor would it be advis- able to speak on agriculture, for this is not a county fair nor a driving park. "Woman Suffrage" would not seem appropriate, for this is not a woman's convention. I finally thought of a command given by a colonel in the southern army to a battery of artillery. The colonel was badly scared by the rumor that the Yankees were approaching. The pickets had been driven in, and there was some little prospect of a skirmish drill at least. He ordered his regiment into line of battle, and then riding down to the left of the line where Captain Duncan had his battery ready for action, the Colonel cried out, "Capt. Duncan, fire; the crisis has come !" But the enemy had not put in an appearance, and it was somewhat difficult for the captain to know just at what point to train his guns. But not wishing to appear derelict to the orders of his superior, he commanded his gunners to fire. An Irish sergeant asked, "Captain, at what shall we fire?" The cap- replied. "Fire? why, fire at the crisis; didn't you hear the Colonel say the crisis has come?" To me the crisis has come, and being an old artillery- man, I will fire at the crisis.
The Republic of the United States, and the relation of the volunteer soldier and sailor to this Republic, past, present, and future, is a subject in which we as parties of the second part are deeply interested. The work done by these men on sea and land to preserve the Union, and to liberate the bondsmen, and maintain the authority of the Stars and Stripes over every foot of our national territory, and make that flag honorable in the eyes of all foreign nations and governments, and preserve this country as the "Beulah Land" for the down trodden and oppressed of all peoples, is a theme that the future historian is yet to delineate in colors brighter, and words warmer, than in any colors that have yet been painted, or words that have been written
My friends, our Republic is no longer an experiment. We have been before the world for over a century, and have proved by the most rigid and incontestable proois that our people can be trusted with self-govern- ment. "That a government of the people, by the people, and for the peo- ple," need not perish from the face of the earth. That life, liberty, and property are safe; and social, intellectual, and religious improvement can be secured and perpetuated under the laws made by those who are to obey them. We are proud of the record that we are organized on the principle of the political equality of all the citizens.
The United States is the only Republic out of the sixteen of any special importance now in existence, that has endured the test for one hun- dred years, without changing its form of government either from choice, from revolution or from foreign invasion and compulsion.
And this fact appears all the more wonderful when we realize the truth that our territory is over one and a half million square miles larger than any other Republic on the globe. And it will appear to you at once that the difficulty of administering a Republican form of government in- creases in proportion to the extent of territory to be governed.
And then. we are composed of nearly every nationality under heaven. We appear in the eyes of the world as a heterogeneous conglomeration. And yet our political economy is so flexible and assimilating, that it is able out of this continued diversity to bring perpetual harmony. And out of this apparent babble and confusion to develop law, order, and good govern- ment.
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The masses are leavened into peace and harmony with the government from a force within itself, and not kept into a state of quietness and order from a force external to itself. And if we exclude France-whose Repub- lican form of government is far from being established-the United States has a greater population than all the other Republics of the world com- bined. And yet with a territory two-thirds as large as them all, and a pop- ulation exceeding them all, in peace, prosperity and enterprise, we lead them all.
Our form of government has not only proved adequate for resisting the unrighteous demands of foreign powers, but has demonstrated in the most unequivocal trial its ability to maintain its equilibrium, and assert its supremacy over the rankest treason, and most bitter and gigantic of all earthly rebellions.
The Union Soldier, and the Union Sailor, were once regarded by the loyal men and women of this country as the brave defenders and gallant savers of our honored Republic. Those men volunteered to stand as a bul- wark of safety between our constitutional liberties and the armed legions of uprising organized treason. They permitted their mortal bodies like fleshy earthworks to receive the deadly shot and shell which were aimed by bold and defiant traitors at the heart of the nation. And be it remembered, that this shot and shell forced into our ranks, was intended by those who fired them, to cut a perpetual chasin between the North and the South. And every shot as it left the muzzle of musket, cannon or mortar was labeled with malice a forethought, "Death to the Union." 1
Tens of thousands of our Union Soldiers, with their bleeding and dying bodies, blocked up the highways, and by-ways which lead to the capitol at Washington, and held the enemy in abeyance until he was driven back from whence he came. And our comrades with their crimson patriot blood, helped put out the pernicious fires of secession, and enrich the soil on which in the future patriotic Union citizens will live and remain loyal.
It is true that many of our comrades escaped the deadly shot. Thank God this is so! or today our reunion might have been held on the "Sea of Glass;" or under the "Tree of Life" in the Paradise of God, rather than in Orangeville, in Stephenson county. But the target was there. If the minie ball fell short, or shot too high, it was the fault of the enemy, and not of the target.
The soldier and sailor of the Union forces are still among the pa- triotic and loyal supporters of our Union. We are largely in the minority as to numbers. An entire generation of voters have grown up since we unbuckled our swords and stacked our arms, and with a "right about, face," came marching home. exchanging the notes of martial music for the voice of mother, wife and children. But go anywhere you please, when you meet a Union soldier or a sailor his heart still keeps step to the music by which he marched as he followed the flag, led by such commanders as Grant, Sherman. Sheridan or Logan, McClellan, Meade or Hooker, Du- pont, Foote, Dahlgren or Farragut. We may differ as to methods of ad- ministration ; but the Republic is ours, the government is ours. the flag is ours, and we love them with a soldier's love. Our people are indebted to the Union army and navy for the development and substantiating of our national standing in the great family of nations. We are now regarded as a Nation with a big "N." Our identity has been established, and our right to exist is no longer questioned. No national problem settled by the valor of medieval knights was better settled than this one in the four years it took to accomplish it by conquest on sea and land.
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