Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-06-16
MEMORIAL CELEBRATION AT STANTON,

|
efficient President. The weather was suspicious
and great numbers were in attendance, embra.
cling old and young, male and female, Protestant
and Catholic. Before the ceremonies common
ced, the Methodist Church, the most spacious in
Staunton, was found to be unable to contain more
than half the number who were present, and
seeking admittance.
The ceremonies in the church were conducted
under the auspices of Rev. John L. Clarke, Pas
tor in charge of the NJ. Z. Church, South OF
Staunton.
He announced, at the request of the members
of the Ladies' Memorial Association" that the
services would be of strictly religious character
and that it was their earnest wish that no demon.
STATIONS inconsistent Herewith would be made,
and requested the audience to refrain from in
dulging in demonstrations of applause.
The ceremonies were commenced by the sing
ing of the song, REST, soldiers, rest" by the
s'Staunton Musical Association.
An exceedingly appropriate Prayer was then
offered by Rev. G. B. Taylor. pastor of the Bap-
fist Church, of this place.
| Then the audience were again favored with
music by the Musical Association.
Then the orator of the day, Rev. Frank H.
Bowman, Pastor of the Union Church. pres
| byterian) of this county, delivered an address
| which was admirably adapted to the interesting
occasion,
1t was marked by appropriate sentiments, cor
rect IDEAS sound principles, good style and touch
ing pathos, and was very ,oeU delivered. 1t con-
tanned no chaffy fustian, no swelling bombast no
'hlfalutin" tropes, no spread-eagle metaphors,
no tinseled rhetoric, no mock eloquence, no
sound and fury signifying nothing" Without
describing the address more particularly, at
tempting to furnish an abstract of it (for which
we have not the space we would say that, in our
humble judgment, it was such in matter style
and delivery as appropriate to the occasions
and reflected great credit upon the speaker. We
consider that it was worthy of the interesting oc-
casion, and that we deem the highest praise
At the conclusion of the address, the audience
was again favored with excellent music by the
''Staunton Musical Association"
At this time a collection was taken up for the
benefit of the Ladies' Memorial Association"
during which Maj. Horace Lacy availed himself
of the opportunity to deliver brief address, in
which he paid a handsome and eloquent tribute
to the ladies OF Fredericksburg and surrounding
country for the labors they have performed in
honor and in fond commemoration of the fallen
Confederate soldiers, so many Of whom offered
their lives as sacrifices in that portion Of the
State so thickly furrowed with the pough-share
of war.
The collection amounted, are sorry to say,
only to the small sum of $71.75.
The henedicton was then pronounced by Rev.
j. I. Miller, Pastor of the Lutheran Church of
Staunton. After which the large procession
which marched to the cemetery, in which were,
we suppose from 1900 to 1000 persons was form
ed in the following order:
1st, The ''Stonewall Band" which was the
bandof the immortal 'Stonewall brigade" which
accompanied, during the war, the sainted hero,
christian and martyred General-Thos. J. Jack
son-and the band composed Of the pupils OF the
Blind Institution, both under the charge OF
Prof A. j. Turner.
End The Augusta Fire Company and the
Fire Company of the D. D. and Blind Institution
under the charge, in procession, of Col Bolivar
Christian and Capt. Jas Bumgardner.
3rd. The Sunday Schools of the town under
the charge, in like manner, of Gen. Robert d.
Lilley and Col. James II. Skinner.
4th. The various other schools of the place
including the Catholic schools-under charge, in
procession, of Maj. J. w. Newton and Capt.
John Opie.
9th. The Ladies' of the town and country un-
der charge of Col. NJ. G. Hartman and Maj j.
NJ. Hanger
6th The citizens generally under Col. j. d.
Lilley and Col A. ". Hartman.
In this order the long procession, bearing gar
lands and wreaths of flowers and evergreens,
marched with measured steps and slow to the
''bivouac of the dead where so many of our
loved and lamented soldiers are ''encamped,"
sleeping that profound sleep which knows no wa
king, and where they will silently repose till
the ''last trump shall sound the rally to judg-
ment "tor the last trumpet shall sound and the
dead shall be raised"
On arriving at the silent city of the dead, its
narrow streets were thronged with numbers OF
the living, who, with loving hearts and fearful
eyes, decorated the hillock homes of the dear
departed with floral mementos of sincere, heart
felt affection. and evergreen tokens of undying
love- honor and gratitude. The flowers placed
upor the graves of the soldiers will droop, the
evergreens will decay, but the flowers of love
which bloom in the hearts of their living friends
and the amaranthine wreaths of affection which
entwine and decorate them will never know the
1 DllgnIliS IOucH Vi uecay, Uut VIII DiooH PcIei-
naly, imbibing and exhaling grateful fra
GRANGE.
IT'S meet that we should pay such annual trib-
utes to the virtues and memories of our dear SOL
ders who fell in defence Of our rights and liber-
ties though, alas in vain
They have no columns highly wrought, affec-
| TONS tale to tell
| Nor marble slab nor granite shaft, to teach us
how they fell,
| But let this usage be Observed which we have
thus begun,
! And for successive ages hence descend from sire
to son,
| And when shaft and statue fall twill honor do
our braves,
When with flowers with fair young flowers, We
come and strew their graves.
| When the procession was returning to Staun-
ton the head of it was halted at the gate Of the
cemetery, when Col NJ. G. Hartman Esaid that
money should be raised by subscription to put the
cemetery in better condition-t certainly needs
it-and also suggested that fund should be rails
ed to support the widows and orphans of the Au-
gusta soldiers who lost their lives during the
and proposed to head each of these lists with the
sum of $1O0 He then called upon Col. ]. b.
Baldwin. who, as we should have stated before,
was Chief Marshal of the procession Col Bald
win approved the suggestion and stated that all
that was necessary to ensure the object was to
enlist the ladies in the enterprise, and that if
Mrs. Cowan would undertake it. it would sue
>1o.&. l. t,,.~ ..h