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At 10:15 the oolumn of men formed at the opera honse, the rocognized head-quarters, and marched to the grove south-west of town. In this line were 228 tramping veterans, and as the mighty force marched to tho inspiring martial music the lifting of every foot exactly at the same time spoke the words of order, discipline and good generalship. If not this commanding presence of the scarred and bending veterans enough to stir and cause a mighty rush of blood through the young men of to-day, we know of no admiration so grand that can speak to them so approvingly as the swaying oolumn therebefore them.After arriving at the grove the exercises opened by Norman’s Glee Club rendering the worshipful “Columbia,” followed by an earnest prayer by Comrade it. W. baker, of Normal.Then an address of welcome by Kev. K. M. Guinn, of Belma, in which he welcomed those not of the 94th and put forth a pleading spirit for the love of man. Again a song by the glee olub that was “bound to break the backbone of the rebellion.”W. J. Baldridge of White Oak responded to the weloome address and gave a good, hearty avowal of his faith in our government as proteoted by snoli men as before him.Martial mueio now interspered the program, after whioh Gen. John MoNulta was announced for an oration. The crowd gave suoh applause to the mentioning of his name that it sounded like a rushing cyclone tearing through one of God’s charmingly wooded glens, and as the noise subsided the general arose to position and delivered the appended speech:Mr. President, Comrades, Ladies and FriendsThe94th Il iaois Infantry Volunteers took up its line of march to the enemy’s country August 25,1862, and returned home August 9, 1865. These days in every year with 7th day of December, the anniversary of the battle of Prairie Grove, one of the most fiercely contested and destructive battles of the war—in which the regiment wan an important factor—are especially marked on the calendar, observed and remembered by all of the men of this regiment.~The losses of the regiment from all causes were comparatively light. In the division to whioh it was attached the next most fortunate regiment lost two and one-half men to its one, and the regiment that suffered the most lost more than four men to its one. It was on every march and in every engagement from the opening to the close of the fight in which its division was engaged, and I am oonfident inflicted as much punishment on the enemy as any regiment of the division.In one engagement the regiment next togrizzled beards and bald heads everywhere. Old Father Time has got an enfilade on you —yes, and me, too. My black head is now grizzly gray, my teeth are gone, I can’twhistle you up any more.I used to admire you for what you couldand what I believed you would do. Now, bless your old hearts, I love you for what I know you did do. The performance of your duty, on all occasions, is full and rounded measure.I was not appointed over you, you selected me, one of the youngest of your number, I believe the youngest commissioned oflloer of the regiment, to be your lieutenant colonel, next in command to that brave soldier, clear headed ara chivalrous gentleman, Wm. Ward Orme, whose memory we ail revere, whioh position, and the promotion derived from it, gave me the command of the regiment or the brigade or division to whioh it belonged substantially the whole of its three years’ service.You took me, too, when I had a doubtful reputation for discretion. I had been in active service for more than a year as captain of a squadron of cavalry that had done some hard fighting. It was urged as the reason why I should not be selected by you to the place that would soon, and did in a few days, give me oommand of your regiment, that I persistently refused to use firearms, and insisted that spurs and sabers should be the ouly weapons of the cavalrymen of my command. That therefore I was too young, rash and without judgment, and that the result would be the useless waste of your lives in foolhardy movements or hazardous enterprises. You seemed to be willing to besacrificed, as you selected me to command you by an almost unanimous vote, the vote in seven companies being unanimous, there being only one opposing ballot in one company, three in another, and fifteen in the remaining company. I believed then that 1 was right as to the best and most life-economizing method of using cavalry under the then existing conditions. My judgment is still the same.Following the principle, in your first battle with fixed bayonets you moved in double quick on the enemy’s line, and took it. The enemy’s other line, unwilling to meet the shock of your line of bayonets, falling back giving you a position close up where you were protected. Your line was risked but not lost. It was economy of your lives to risk them.The truth should be known and it is but fair that I should tell you in the presence of these assembled friends that in that fight for once and once only during the war you were broken, and in disorder well nigh onto a stampede and route, under fire in the presence of the enemy, and that there for once and once only you refused to obey my orders. Don’t shake your heads now that
Newspaper Details
Bloomington Daily Leader
Bloomington, Illinois, US
Thu, Aug 28, 1890
Page 5
Full Page
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Anonymous
USA 09 Nov 2020
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