The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-05-31

tho annual decoration Of the graves of their
lallcn comrades. Twelve o'clock was the
hour appointed for the exercises to COM
mcnce. Before that hour large numbers of
persons (whtc and colored) of all ages and
both sexes were seen vending their way to
the cemetery grounds. The day was sultry
and the dust was sitting, but scores of per-
SONS braycd it all and went out to the ccme-
terry, situated some few miles below the city
on the Williamsburg turnpike. Among
those present we noticed Judge Advocate
Burnham, Colonel Garrick Mallory, Colonel
L. II. Stanton, Colonel John Moore, Colo
mel J. &. Chandler, Major Thompson, most
OF the members of the City Council, and
many others.
MILITARY ON THE GROUND.
At few minutes past II the Seventeenth
infantry, Brevet Colonel II. L. A. Crofton
commanding, fully ofhccrcd, and headed by
the post band, filed into the grounds and
took their position in front of the pavilion
erected for the speakers of the day.
THE MEMORIAL EXERCISES
were opened with prayer by Rev. Mr.. Hem
mcnway after which, "a Hymn to Our
Patriot Dead" was sung.
Captain 3. G. Cook, commander of Post
No. ], Grand Army Of the Republic, then
introduced Rev. L. Nj. Manly, who, he said,
would deliver the annual address prepared
by Captain d. w. Bohannan, the chosen
orator of the day, who was prevented by
severe indisposition from delivering it.
CAPTAIN BoHANNoN's ADDRESS
commences with the remark which has been
made of the music of Ossian, the blind bard
of Scotland that "his music, though plea
SAINT, is mournful to the SOUL" With this
illustration of the work which they had met
to perform, the speaker proceeded to give
the nature of the duty which they had to
perform and the feelings which prompted
it. He said that it was an inherent element
OF our nature, common to entire humanity
The untutored savage and the Roman alike
vencrated their dead. He spoke Of the
beautiful and touching incident of Old
Mortality, who travelled from place to place
in Scotland, deciphcring the inscriptions
and repairing the tombstones of those who
had fallen in her wars. The Government
that our soldiers died to defend has well
and wisely collected their remains and in
tered them i'll tlstcfully GENE.
tcrics."
TIE DUTY OF THE LIVING.
He then spoke of the duty of the living
their duty to the memory of the dead, and
those whom they had left behind. In nj.
luding to the future of the country, he
quoted those well-known lines Of Bishop
Bcrkely,
"Wcstwarl the star of empire takes 1t way &c
THE BANDS or PEACE.
In alluding to war, he remarked:
There is an expressive idea have met
with, "rlat the bands Of peace are welded
beneath the blows of war" Let us hope
that in this instance they have been sc
A.. ,.s,
that their strength may never be impaired
while human governments shall exist OF
earth. With individuals it seems to be !;
peculiar but incXorablc law Of Prov
dcncc that they shall be made "pcriccl
through suiioring,' and may not this b,
true in Il national us well ;tS an individual
sense? War, the highest umpire of al
earthly tribunals, has decided that we shal
be one people. Let us cndcavor to make il
one in spirit rs well us i'll letter, and forget
ting :lS much Us possible the feelings cn%cn.
dcrcd in the past, strive to excel each Other
III cultivating the arts of peace.
TIE CONFEDERATE DEAD.
Not far from this consccratcd place, il
clear view from this elevated position, there
rests another branch or corps of the Grand
army OF the dead. They, too, have fought
their last fight, and gone to that quiet realm
where war is unknown and blessed peace
forever rCignS. | refer to those who wcr(
our enemies in war, and fell fighting under
Il different banner from ours, and while We
dcprecate the cause in Which they were
engaged yet we know that they were brave
men and good soldiers; and rs those trait,
of character appeal to and are appreciated
by brave men, | am sure you will award
them full credit for those exalted qualities
True bravery and nobility arc inSCparablc
The idea of the one necessarily involves tho
other. That our gallant soldiers were brave,
it is not necessary for ME to state; that oul
enemies were, admits of no doubt; and now
that war is over and victory our portion, lei
us not forget the magnanimity which be-
longs to 4 chiyalrous people, and exercise
it so as to demonstrate to the world that we
merit the name, and that we appreciate Il
brave but fallen foe-though foe no longer.
CLOSING THOUGHTS.
In conclusion, it was remarked that
the decoration of our comrades graves OF
this the second anniversary Is oil more per
manent and impressive character than here
toforc. The magnoliaS which have beer
planted to-day on this sacred spot Will nou
rrish and blossom after some of Us who have
nlantcd them have Joined the band whose
ashes here rcpose. Evergreens VIII be typi
cal of the laurcls with which Sratclll
country has, from early ages, crowned th'
browS of its heroes, ind the white flowers
that here bud and blossom will be cmblc
NAUTICAL of the purity and singleness OF pur
pose which, animating al our actions, VII
be, as incense, pleasing to the All-Wlse DIS
poser of events, the Great Captain ol SALIVA
ton, the Prince of Peace.
Comrades, it is more than probable that
ere the wheels of time shall have rcfolfco
again, and another anniversary OF these me
mortal exercises recur, some that nave
aided in the preparation for and Partlci
pated in these solemn ceremonies Will have
conc the way of all the earth and as ycal
1aftcr wear shall pass, our band here vii
become numerically smaller, and i'll le"
wears VIC will all be inhabitants OF another
sphere.
Yet, while we do live, let me again repeat
NAV we never forget our dead comrades.
ANYTHING must he forgotten, any duty neg
lcctcd, let this duty remain to be handed
down from sire to son TO point those Wh'
are to come after us to the place we vene
rate, and even hold sacred; and when th'
last of us shall have gone to JOIN the host
of the mighty dead, may coming genera
tions catch the inspiration OF our example
and may the hand OF affection. guided Dl
the mind of grateful recollectioIs, continue
to place flowers by the side OF these graves
and may the memory Of those here buric,t
he kindly cherished by Il grateful people
until the trump of the arch-angcl snail sum
mon both the living and the dead to th'
final gathering of the entire creation before
the Great Disposer of human events; .,l'
Alpha and Omega, the beginning anu th'
cnd-thc Almighty. ah 3.. ...a ...0e..
sTREwING THE GRAVES. .,..
After the delivery of the address anothc
hvmn was sung, and then it was gwen otl
| that the graves would be decorated with In In
floral offerings which had been taken to tht
nround. The whole company thercupol
=. S.N''....l nnd nnrfnrmnd this sad but plea