The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-06-01

depots. were garlanded with flowers and
moving m the street, The children, hand
in hand, with mingled expression Of awe
and astonishmcnt upon their childish faces.
we're walking along the streets, and the
men and women of Richmond old and
Young, rich and poor,--were all moving
towards the cemetery at Hollywood. In
every hand was bouquet, garland, or
q wreath, and by the middle Of the day,
when all had gone to glance once more at
the last home of the Confederate dead, the
very houses of Richmond seemed asleep,
and the whole beautiful city appeared 10
he as deserted as the fantastic creation OF
a dream.
MORNING AT GRACE CHURCH.
Grace Church, on Main street, was the
place to which all contributions OF ever
green's and flowers intended for the com
memoration we're ordered to be sent, and
during the whole of Wednesday the ladies
of the city were busily engaged in weaving
them into crosses, garlands, and wreaths.
To describe the different combinations
would be impossible for the souls OF the
ladies were in the work, ana" under their
fair hands the scattered flowers and ever
green's grew rapidly into forms of rare and
wondrous beauty. The omnbuSeS and cX-
press wagons placed at the disposal of the
ladies of the Memorial Association were
rapidly carving to the Cemetery the larger
floral ornaments and such OF the ladies as
we're unable to walk to the grounds. Soon
after 9 O'Clock some of the organizations
arrived at the church, where all those
persons who were not already provided
with flowers were furnished with them.
The scene was busy one, and yet no
shout, no noisy laugh, no knocking jest
echoed in the morning air. At about 10
o'clock the Virginia Life Guards and the
Artillery hattalions, commanded 10y Mayor
Brander and Colonel CaSkic. were formed
in line and marched towards the Cemetery
and i'm little while that portion OF the
church which an hour before had been
filed with clustering masses OF flowers and
plants, that street which had been crowded
with those who were awaiting the moment
to proceed together to the spot where lie
so many OF the Confederate dead, was once
more tranquil and at peace.
MORNING AT HOLLYWOOD CEMETERY.
As the procession ncarcd the Cemetery,
and reached the large open field Ill It's
front some faint idea could be formed of
the number of persons who might be cX-
pcctcd to be present. The whole ground
was dotted with groups of men, women,
and children, all moving towards the Gene
terry gates; while here and there, i'll the
distance, was the dark mass Of one Of the
city companies marching in the same dircc-
ton. When the Cemetery was reached,
II I'm ut.L
marched in silence to the soldiers bury
ing aground. Every head was then barred,
and the whole body Of cX-Contcdcratc
soldiers marched in slow time along the
principal walks. After passing through
the graves, the different organizations
marched to pay the last honorS to their
own particular friends and comrades.
Those who saw Hollywood Cemetery
week since, and dcplOrcd the neglected
condition OF the graves OF our soldiers,
while they thought with pain OF the gigan-
tic character of the task Of placing them in
order, saw on yesterday how much had
been accomplished in short time by the
determined labor of the men of Richmond.
Those portions of the ground which week
ago were ovcrrum with weeds and bushes
have been cleared and garniShcd; the
sunkcn graves have been remoundcd and
reformed; the broken hcad-boards have
been temporarily replaced and the walks
have been carefully gravcllcd. Much still
remains to be done, but our young men
have shown that the old spirit is still
alive. and that their love and affection for
their friends and comrades is rs warm and
rs earnest ~ ever.
By the middle Of the day treltyHO,sSatd
persons had assembled in Hollywood Gene
terry, and all were engaged in placing How
ers and wrcathS upon the thousands of Con-
fcdcratc graves. Trety HoHSm,d persons
were gathered together and yet there was
no tumult and no confusion. There was a
trcmUr on every lip and SoltucsS in every
eve: each head WAS bowed in honor OF the
dead. and every voice sank to low and
rcvcrcnt whisper. What anguish must
there have been in many heart at Holly
wood on yesterday! There were hundreds
of gentle women clad in deepest mourning,
their orphaned children tOttcring at their
side there was the mother who had lost
her cherished son the wife who had lost the
husband she loved perhaps too well; the
child who, in one day, had lost an aiiec-
tionatc father and devoted brother; and
the father who had lost i'll the war that boy
who had been the pride Of his life and the
stay of his declining wears. o, how many
PRAYERS were offered to Almighty God as
the sweet-Sccnted flowers were tcndcrly
placed upon the graves, that the lives of
our soldiers may not have been sacrificed
in vain; how many prayers were offered
that the God of Mercy and Love would
comfort and console those in affection and
distress those who had mourncd since
the fatal day which snatched from them all
that they held dearest on earth.
The soldier who came from his far south
crn home to fight on the soil OF the Old
Dominion, and now sleeps in our midst,
was not forgotten. Those graves which
had not even name to mark them were
cared for, and that generous spirit which
ever guides instinctWcly our Virginia
women prompted them III many instances
to place the most elaborate floral ornaments
upon the simplest and least distinguished
graves. Surely the women of the south
will feel now that their expectations have
not been disappointed. They will feel that
Virginia will preserve the remains of every
Confederate soldier who sleeps within her
broad domain, whether he be her own
child, or only adopted when the rude hand
of war sent him TO repose forever under her
battle-scarrcd bosom. The Carolinas and
Alabama, Georgia and Texas, Mississippi
and Florida, all have their representatives.
have been cemcntcd together by blood she'd
in common cause until there Is no
rivalry left except as to which shall show
l. Il ,,l.a