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Show "Their Memory Grows Brighter With the Years" EMORIAL day to day, with 9 its wealth of heroic and ffjj. sacred memories, beare JfC-il deeper significance to every yjfftl true American than at any time since it was first promulgated pro-mulgated in May, 186S, by Gen. John i. Logan, then commander-in-chief Df the Grand Army of the Republic. Today the button inspires more love, veneration, and national pride for the I'nion defender, both living and dead, than it ever did before. Think of what is inscribed within the compass of that little unassuming unassum-ing bronze button so proudly worn r -A i i I - -4 rlr . v - S Grant. by the Union soldier, sol-dier, sailor and marine. What a flood of heroic and self-sacrinc-i n g memories burst upon us as we beheld it upon one of the great and 'mighty survivors sur-vivors of the greatest war that the world has ever fought. That button and who wouldn't give all that he has, is and hopes to be for the proud honor ol being eligible to wear one ol them has inscribed in-scribed upon it in living characters charac-ters the match- less and valorous valor-ous deeds of Grant and Sherman and Lincoln; of Sheridan, Thomas and Logan; Lo-gan; of Custer and Meade and Farra-gut Farra-gut and Porter; the history of the campaigns of the armies of the Potomac, Poto-mac, of the Cumberland "and of the. West; of the march to the sea, of Vicksburg, of Forts Henry and Don-elson; Don-elson; of Atlanta, of the Wilderness, i of Winchester, of Chickamauga, Corinth Cor-inth and Antietam; of sieges and battles bat-tles and skirmish lines; of days oi daring and nights of waking; of wearj marches by day and by night, in cold, and storm, and heat; of parting oi lovers and maidens; of farewells oi husbands and wives; of prayers and blessings from fireside and camp, ascending as-cending on'higll as divine incense; of agony and death, in prison and hospital, hos-pital, of great captains and, heroic soldiers; of valor on sea and land; oi me proclamation proclama-tion of Abraham Lincoln giving freedom to 4,000,-000 4,000,-000 slaves and wipidg forever from the national nation-al escutcheon human hu-man slavery; of Gettysburg and Appomattox; of the downfall of the world's most desperate uprising, upris-ing, of a reunited country and the perpetuity of our glorious Union 111 tih v Sherman. with, its unspeakable blessings tnal are the nation's forever. This record shall never fade away. It shall grow brighter and brighter as the years go by, scattering sparks of inspiration among the generations as they come and go. Lincoln, Grant and the Union forces fought for national supremacy, for a greater and enduring nationality and maintained that our Union of States was indissoluble. Davis, Lee and their followers fought for state sovereignty sov-ereignty and held that the Union of the states was merely a compact that , could be dissolved at will. Lincoln and Grant believed that this country could not long live and flourish by being half free and half slave. Davis, Lee and all others who fought to destroy our flag believed Sheridan. siavury was Kin to a divine right, and that any state should bo permitted to maintain and extend barter in slaves if it so wished to do. These were vital vi-tal Issues in the conflict. These were the issues that divided our j nation so bitterly bitter-ly and woefully. 1 and drew forth more bravery, ' fortitude. hard- ships, privations, blood carnage and suffering on either side of the conflict con-flict than the world had ever seen be-fore, be-fore, and, may we hope, evor will see again. Behold our country today! Behold the realization of the prophecies of Lincoln and his valiant host of seers and undaunted patriots. How greatly great-ly did they prophesy and labor for the land they held so dear. Truly they wrought greater than they then knesv or hoped for. Truly they must have been inspired, guided and pro-j pro-j lected from on high. |