Hide Article Text (OCR)
ByDONBUCHANosIt was In Spencer, 1914 and the • group of blue clad men numbered but thirty. They stood beside the dirt street, talking quietly. They spoke of Grant, Lee, Sheridan, Lookout Moun-tain, Vicksburg, Gettysburg, Shiloh, and The Wilderness.I noted only two were without beards, bleached white by the storms of many years. These two had something else in common. Each had lost a leg and walked painfully with a cane, They w.ere Scott Case and Ira Sargent and we small boys thought he had been a sargent because of his name.They had gathered to honor their 91 comrades,resting in Riverside cemetery just west of Spencer. 'A voice spoke, “Form ranks, boys.” There was some confusion, but no hesitation. The shrill piping of the fife seemed to renew each with energy. Shoulders snapped back and atrophied muscles obeyed the stern will. The drummer beat a cadence familiar as they marched two blocks to the court-., house lawn.Two years previously, Spencer had “Automobile Day and boasted there ’■ - i •..«»were 50 cars in town. Now there were 60 and 20 horse drawn vehicles to carry the old soldiers to the cemetery.Each grave was decorated by Flower Girls, both those of the dead whohad served , in the war between the*states and those who had served in the Spanish-American conflict.'After a brief ceremony, the men in blue were taken to High School where the choir sang, “The Blue and The Grey” and the Rev. J. 0. Thrush gavean invocation. Arnold Starr read the faipiliar “Fourscore and seven years ago...The names of-the deceased coin- rades were read ... “W. H. Roth ... D. T. Jaynes.. ,J. H. Morgan...”It was an emotional scene and was impressed indelibly on my memory.Attorney 0. J. Henderson of Webster City delivered the address and all sang, “Beautiful Flag of Liberty”. Floating Wreaths Then all walked to the Main street bridge where wreaths were floated on the water in memory of those who died at sea.r*By 1925 there were but 22 membersof Annett Post 124, and 138 rested in• ■ *CO *o
Newspaper Details
Albert City Marathon Republic
Albert City, Iowa, US
Thu, May 26, 1977
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Library O.
USA 31 Aug 2020
Other Publications Near Albert City, Iowa
Albert City Appeal and Marathon Republic
Albert City Gazette
Albert City Marathon Republic
Albert City Pioneer
Albert City Republic Appeal
