Democratic Sentinel, Volume 3, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 August 1879 — VETERAN SOLDIERS. [ARTICLE]

VETERAN SOLDIERS.

The Northwestern Veteran Soldiers’ Reunion at Aurora, Ill.—A Big Attendance—A Sham Battle, with All the “ Pomp and Circumstance of Glorious War.” The great volunteer soldiers’ reunion of the Northwest, held at Aurora, IIL, on the 20th, 21st and 22d days of August, was one of the biggest affaire of the kind ever witnessed. There was a good deal said, a good many things done, and a good time generally, and we regret that our limited space will not warrant an extended report of the affair. The first day was devoted to the business of reporting, organizing camp, equipment of companies and assignment of quarters. On the second day there was competitive rifle-shooting by the veterans, company and battalion drills, an address of welcome by Gov. 8. M. Cullom and response by Hon. J. C. Sherwin, an address to the soldiers and sailors by Gen. John A. Logan, skirmish fighting and artillery and battalion drill But the grand feature of the encampment—the sham battle and capture of the Confederate Fort Wade—was reserved for the third and last day. An immense crowd, variously estimated at from 60,000 to 80,000, witnessed the exciting event This fort was named after a Cot Wade, who assisted Gen. Henderson in commanding the rebel fortifications, only a slight stretch of the imagination being required to suggest the name of that well-known Confederate, Wade Hampton. The Rebs had pickets thrown out before the fort, and a line or skirmishers, besides a regiment of cavalry. The guns—four in number, being the Altoona battery, captured at Atlanta, Ga., at the time of the war—were ably manned, and the orders were given by an experienced gunner. They are cast-iron, twelve-pouDders, and, considering their age, material, etc., it was feared that they might be honey-combed and unsafe. No accident happened from this soorce, but one of the pieces refused to do duty. The Union army besieging this fort consisted of three divisions’ reported in all as 75,000 men. The right wing wan composed of the Grand Army of the Republic, and was commanded by Col. E. D. Swain, of Chicago. The right wing commenced the engagement by throwing out a company of skirmishers, who crept in, iu true military fashion, until within rifle-range, when they opened fire upon the Rebel outposts, lying upon their faces in the grass. The firing was returned by the skirmishers (supposed to be dressed in gray), and was kept up for some time, the Federate steadily advancing and making it warm for the Johnnies.

Tho cavalry company, which was made up of men costumed in the genuine butternut garb of Seceehdom, with calico hatbands, huge straw hats, and calico sashes, rode up to the fort and, after obtaining orders, made a gallant charge upon the enemy’s skirmish-line, scattering them iu confusion, and takiug a few prisoners. Then the First Regiment threw out skirmishers. which drove a portion of the Rebel troops into the fort. From this time firing began to get quite general. The “heavy artillery” in the fort opened its iron mouths and belched forth fire and smoke with deadly effect, causing the Federal lines to fall back a trifle. At length a slight breathing spell was taken, in which Maj. Tarble, a member of Gen. Mann’s staff, galloped up to the fort bearing a flag of truce, consisting of a white handkerchief upon the point of his sword, and delivered a message to the effect that Gen. Mann wbuld hke to have an interview with the commauder of Fort Wide, agreeing that there would be no firing by the skirmish-line while the treaty was going on. Gen. Henderson declined the interview iu a peremptory manner, and the firing was resumed with increased vigor. And now one of the grandest sights of the battle-field is presented, that of eight men, stretcher-bearors, with stretchers, wearing white shirts, and having their heads tied up with white handkerchiefs, rushing about the battle-field at full speed, picking up the wounded and dying, and carrying them back into the trenches to a place of safety. But this was burlesqued to a certain degree, for one alleged corpse arose from the ground and started on a dead run when he saw the stretcher-bearers approaching him. Two of the bearers ran him dowD, and endeavored, by main strength, to get him upon the stretcher, sassing at last in tho attempt. The left wing began to advance, drove back the Confederate skirmish-line into the rifle-pits, wero in turn repulsed, rallied and routed the Rebs effectually, carrying off prisoners. In this way the warfare was kept up until at last the engagement became general, the Confederate skirmish lines were driven into the fort, and the Union troops advanced in solid phalanx, the wings simultaneously closing about the fort. The Joliet battery, consisting of a park, or four pieces, of light artillery, commanded by Maj. Young, was now brought into active service by the Federal forces for the first time. The' guns wero trained upon the tart, the heavy timbers of which were supposed to have suffered from the effects of the firing to an alarming extent, and deafening shouts arose from the assembled thousands. The right wing, commanded by Col Swain, which commenced the battle, was also the first division of troops to scale the walls of the fort. A desperate hand-to-tiand encounter took place, the rifle rattling and the cannou roar, coupled with the yelling of the contesting parties, making a bedlam as perfect as one could imagine. Gen. Swain’s troops were speedily reinforced by tbe left wing uudr Gen. Hilliard and Col. Owen Stewart, the latter force scaling the walls on the opposite side and pouring destruction into the ranks of those who were attempting to hold the fort. Directly afterwards the First Regiment, under Col. Knox, closed in upon the only remaining gap, and the combined forces soon caused the surrender of the besieged. Shouts of victory wont up from thousands of throats, and tho day was won by the Union troops—which was a result, of course, in accordance with the programme. And now an incident occurred which struck terror into the hearts of a number of brave men, who were not backward in admitting their supperstition to the extent that they considered it an evil omen. Directly upon scaling the walls by the Federal troops, there was, of course, a grand rush for the flag-staff over which the Confederate flag was still proudly floating, and a score of bands seized the rope and attempted to pull it down. It caught at the pulley and refused to budge an inch. In tho attempts of the men upon it, the rope parted high up in the air, fifteen feet above the reach of the’ tallest. A young nian pulled off coat and boots and essayod to climb tho smooth pole. He ascended only a few feet when his strength gavo way, and he was compelled to give it up. Another tried it and failed ; but, finally, Peto Gardner, a powder-monkey of the Joliet battery, undertook to haul down the Rebel colors. Ho ascended higher than any of his predecessors; he reached the rope amid the encouraging cheers of tho multitude, and pulled with all his strength. The flag still refused to come down, but waved saucily in the breezes, as if taunting the feeble efforts of the young man to destroy its greatness. But still the boy climbs upward. He has gotten within reach of the bunting itself, and grasps it with bis slender hand. A great shout goes up from below as the banner comes tumbling down with a weight that throws young Gardner from his precarious position. He holds on, however, wraps the Confederate colors about him, and slides easily to the ground, where he is caught up and borne off the field upon the shoulders of strong and admiring men. It was agreed that he should keep tho flag as a trophy. The men who had confessed their belief that the obstinacy of the rag in letting go its hold was an evil omen wero ovorjoyed at seeing it laid humbly in the dust, while they shuddered at the prospects of another long, tedious struggle in bringing about the desired end. They were men who had been through the ap'palliDg scenes of a prolonged and cruel war, and they wanted no more of it. After the capture of the fort, Gen. Mann made a thrilling speech, thanking the men for the service they had done their country by their bravo deeds of the last few hours, and the troops were marched off the field to their quarters. The sham battle practically ended the three days’ encampment. Tents were taken down, luggage packed away, and preparations were made for leaviDg. Several of the visiting bands gave samples of their work before Gen. Sherer’s and CoL Swain’s headquarters, and were gratified, in one instance, by a speech from the latter. The thing broke up in some confusion and considerable haste, but without any rows, as might have been expected in a crowd of 60,000 persons.

In 1871 the area in which Irish was spoken in Ireland had decreased from 10,000 square miles in 1851 to 6,000. The number of people speaking it had decreased in the same twenty years from 1,500,000 to 600,000, of whom less than 400,000 spoke Irish only. Throughout Ireland there are now probably not 5,000 persons who can read an Irish book, and not a single Irish paper is published in the country. A Maine political speaker mentioned somebody as a Shylock, and an auditor asked who Shylock was. “If you don’t know,” the orator scornfully replied, “you’d better go home and read your Pible,”