A few days ago I sent to the list...a list of the ages of the men and boys in the civil war. I have been asked by a few people to post the complete letter from my great grandfather... here it is..too bad we don't have this same feelings for the men and boys that have served us during any war & respected them for their sacrifice..how would we feel if we had lost those wars... This was a speech given in 1910 to school children, by my great grandfather George Franklin PECKHAM .. He was born 11 Apr 1843 at Birdsell, NY, he moved with his parents when very young to Aztalan, Jefferson, Wisconsin where his father William Augustus Franklin PECKHAM died at age 39 in 1849. His mother was Lydia M. CHAPIN..George had a sister Cornelia Jane PECKHAM who md Franklin WILLARD in Aztalan, Jefferson, Wisconsin...George was mustered into the Wisconsin State Service 26 Sep 1861, on the 27th of Sep 1861 he was mustered into the U.S. Service to serve 3 years or more, or during the war. He entered at Madison Wisconsin in Company "C" 11th Wisconsin infantry, second brigade, first division 13 Corps. He served as a Wagoner. Engaged in battle at Peach Orchard, Cash Creek, Arkansas, Vicksburg, Jackson and Mobile. He was discharged 2 Sep 1865 at Mobile, Alabama. Settled in O'Brian county, October 1879 at Sanborn, Iowa. He was a member of Farragut Post No. 25 G.A.R. Department of Nebraska. Died 30 June 1914 at Lincoln Nebraska. He married Emily Rosella LYONS a childhood school mate on 7 Feb 1866 at Aztalan, Jefferson, Wisconsin. His uncle Rev. Nelson Elijah CHAPIN preformed the ceromony. This speech was given at Lincoln, Nebraska, I don't know the name of the school or the age of the children this speech was given to or for. ~~~~~~ "My Friends and Pupils, It has been the custom of the Grand Old Army of the Republic for several years to, on, or about Memorial Day to have some veteran of the Civil War talk to the pupils fo the public schools about that war. While it is an event long passed it's termination is what made our country what it is to-day. Not only the greatest but the best governed country in the world. It is for that reason that the G.A.R. seek each year to place before the youth of the country something of the cost of the blessings which we all enjoy, hoping thereby to keep the spirit of patristism alive in each and every heart. I shall try and say something about our army during the Civil War and about the Grand Old Army of the Republic since then. I always love to took into the bright and happy faces of the young, I shall try and picture to you something of the costs fo the present blessings which are ours. On the 12th day of April 1861, the first shot of the rebellion echoed over the city of Charleston, South Carolina. The command of General Beauggard fired on Fort Sumpter. That shot marked the date of the greatest acent in history of our time. For by that shot eleven of the stares of our Union containing one third of our entire population said, "we have deliberately decided that the principals of this goverment are wrong and must be broken." On the 14th day of April 1861, Major Anderson hauled down the American flag, (Old Glory, we call it) and marched out with flying colors. It was not until the 14th day of April 1865 that Old Glory was again raised over the ruins of old Fort Sumpter. That war lasted four years, or 1,460 days. The history of those four years is the history of the greatest conflict ever waged int he history of the world in defence of the eternal principals of right. I wish I had the power to protray to you the hundredth part of the sacrifice and suffering of our army during those 1,460 dreary bloody days. It has never been told, it can never be told. During that awful strugle the loyal states and territories furnished 2,778,304 men of whom more than 2,000,000 were three year men. The loss of life during the Civil War was tremendous and the awful scence of carnage and suffering at Gettysburg and Wilderness. Cold Harbor, Chickamauga, Shilo, Vicksburg and hundreds of others. Desperate battles before which the whole world stood amazed, to say nothing of the horrors of Andersonville, Liberty, and in the fact all other Sourthern Prisons Pens. The record of the war department shows that 400,000 men died during that war. "THE GOOD, THE BRAVE, THE TRUE IN TANLED WOOD, IN MOUNTAIN GLEN ON BATTLE PLAIN, IN PRISON PEN LAY DEAD FOR ME AND YOU...." Then if we add to this 400,000 the missing we shall swell the number to 550,000 men and it takes little calculation to show us that in these 1,460 days the average would be about 400 men each day who gave up their lives in the awful contest of brother against brother. The records of the war department disclose a scene of carnage and destruction of property never before equaled. We find from actual report of the muster rolls that in one action alone, one regiment lost 82% of their number, three regiments lost 70% and 40 regiments lost 55% and that one regiment came out of the fight of the Wildreness with only one non-comissioned officer and ten men! The 6th and 7th corps lost 7,000 men in ten minutes on the morning of the second day. Wilderness there were more than 2,400 battles fought of importance enough to give them a place in history. There is a tract of land in Virginia containing 8,000 acres, (or 12 sections) in this area it has been calculatd that more battles were fought and more men engaged, more blood spilt and more lives lost than on any portion of the world. These facts are almost incomprehasivle, but sadly true. My young friends, these terrible conflicts were not fought by old men, and middle aged men, but by boys. Listen to the figures taken officially from the Adjutant Generals Office: Those enlisted at: 10 years of age & under...................25 11 years of age. ...............................38 12 years of age................................225 13 years of age................................300 14 years of age.............................1,520 15 years of age........................104,987 16 years of age.........................231,051 17 years of age.........................844,891 18 years of age.....................2,151,438 21 years of age.....................2,159,891 22 years & over.......................618,511 25 years & over.........................46,326 45 years & over.........................16,071 Making a total of 2,778,309 and of this number 2,159,789 were under twenty-one years of age. So you see that this terrible fighting was done by boys. All honor to the heroic young fellows who carried the war through to a successful termination. When General Lee surrendered to General Grant on 8 April 1865 our army was disbanded and the veterans returned quietly to their homes and took up their various labors. The G.A.R. is an organization of veterans who served honorabley between April 1st 1861 and August 1865. The G.A.R. was organized in April the 8th 1866. The object to keep alive the memory of patriotic sacrifices, and to aid the widows and orphans of all needy comrads. The members of the G.A.R. are reconized by the little bronze button worn on the left lapel of their coat. This buttonis made out of cannon metal captured by us from our foes. It is unlawful for any one to wear it who has not an honorable discharge. The weares of this button are prouder of it than though it were of the finest gold. You see these buttons on the street and reconize them, and the wearers by the emply sleeves, the crutch, the cane, bent form and slow step. "THESE MEN HAVE MARCHED THROUGH THE JAWS OF DEATH WHERE THE CANNON BELCHED THEIR DEADLY BREATH AND STOOD UNMOVED IN THE SMOKY GLARE WHILE THE FLAMES OF BATTLE WERE RAGING THERE..... WITH THOUGHT OF HOME AND LVOED ONES AFAR WHO'S HEARTS WERE WTH THEM IN THE CIVIL WAR.." The G.A.R. is nobly assisted by two organizations of ladies, known as the W.R.C. and the ladies of the G.A.R. These silver haired women know what the Civil War ment to and for each had a father, husband, son, brother, or sweetheart at the front while they remained at home alone and did much suffering. Often their tender hearts were torn with anguish and suspence. After each battle scanning the papers to see if in the long list of killed or missing, looking for the name of some loved ones was there. Their mission now is to look after our sick and needy comrads and their families, getting to know and help them, careing for them tenderly in sickness and prayerfully going with them down to the dark shadows of death, lovingly closing their eyes, and assisting us in strewing flowers on memorial day. God Bless them they are angels of mercy, all of them. Our mission now is to endeavor to instill patriotism and love of country into the hearts of the young. I have utmost confidence in you all for I know that you are full and running over with that which makes our country what is it.. PATROTISM. I thank you..." I Hope you enjoyed my great grandfathers speech.. Wilma Fleming Haynes gencon@harborside.com