The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-05-31
DECORATION DAY.
The Procession, SPeSGnnt
Proceedings at mO
wood Cemetery
c,.,va9tD all the Cemeteries
Sfrewn with Flowers


If a day for the decoration ol w VIZ
n.oroo of onr dead soldiers had Deen
ID to order a pleasauter one than eS''
rrdav could not have been procureu'
barring the mud, and the oppreS'i'0 .
heat at the close of the afternoon
The as,iduO6s labor of the Committee
of Arrangements for the past Two "ooA'
was rewarded by fine demonstration
taking everything into consideration
thew have reason TO be proud of tho re-
sult of their efforts.
! At half-past two o'clock the process
sion formed in front of the Court House
| in the following order: Post IhoDurn
No. a. GA. R.; soldiers and sailors not
members of that organisation; State
and Federal Officers and the Speakers;
Mayor and Common Council; Fire De-
partment, with their engines brightly
FURNISHED and handsomely decorated IN
the following order: Guards Hose,
Vigilant Engine, United Engine and
Atlantic Engine; citizens in carriages
and on horseback. Nearly every man
in the line bore in his hand bouquet,
wreath or some other floral decoration,
and these, with the bright banners and
solemn music, gave the procession a
very peculiar and striking effect.
At the hour appointed the procession
moved on the following line of march
Down Monroe to Market, up Market to
Union, through Union to Main, up Main
to Washington, up Washington to the
National Road, and to the speakers
stand, which had been erected on an
elevation to the right and above the
road, near the Cemetery gates.
Business houses generally were closec
and all along the line of march hags
we're displayed. We noticed one drap-
ped in Grape that had a very appropri'
} ate effect. During the time occupied 10y
the procession in marching to the GENE
terry, inmate guns we're fired by squat
detailed from the Grand Army for ths
purpose.
When the procession had formed
around the stand, Captain Badger an
f nounced that Rev. Mr.. LYDIA would oper
the exercises with prayer. Alter yer!
fervent appeal to the Throne ef Grace
t Captain Cochran, late of the 18th Ohio
Volunteer infantry, was introduced tt
the assembly, and spoke as follows
CAPTAIN CoCHRAN's ADDRESS.
Comrades and C0WntrymeR
1t was noble conception, and 1t Is
altogether fitting that we should thus
. in formal way, pay tribute to the
memory of the departed. These solemn
ceremonies augur that the day is at
hand when it can no longer be said of a
verify that Republics are ungrateful."
Here, indeed, is an ample field for re-
Election aud eRnoblug deduction, and
but for the admOnitions OF time to be
brief. one might be excused for indulg-
Iing in brief retrospect of the past few
years. Within the memory of us all
we and those who lie here-were in the
endowment of most profound peace; a
peace, however, which some of MS sus-
pected and which rapidly succeeding de
velopments have shown us, was sur
charged with the most conflicting, incOn
qruous and destructive elements. Fol
wears these elements had been engaged
.4..,c,1a 1iftla Tod nv tha NM N
serving world, yet unceasing as that o
! the human soulwherein battle conscience
] and the disCordant passions of man. Sud
, denly, like terrible thunderbolt from ;
5 MONDAY sky, the realities AND terrOr
I of war came upon us and mOmentarllN
palsied the nations sOul-the people
Then il was that these, our comrades
leaped to the full estate of moral man
hood. Recognizing il as contest be
tween right and wrong-between abject
slavery on the one hand and civil and re
ligiOus liberty on the other, they bade
adieu to the comforts of home, the So
ciety and Caresses of dear ones, and
commencing themselves and theirs to
the God ef nations, they went forth to
battle for the right.
Then was displayed moral grandear
and deV otion to conscientious duty not
less heroic than that witnessed at
{ Worms not more than three hundred
years ago, when the grand and God,
like Luther, amid assembled Kings and
= Princes demanding him TO recant, stood
mp, and for conscience sake declared tC
, astonish millions living and to live
Good be my help-Here take my stand. >
This moral sense of duty and the dar
, ing TO perform il was the finger Of Goo
. pointing the enemies of mankind to the
hand writing on our darkened political
horizon: Meme, meme, tckcl uDharsiu. >
: Truly and beautifully has it been said
10 God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders 10 perform,
a He plants his footsteps in the sea,
Aud rides upon the storm,
, Few, if any, comprehended the magni
. tude ofthe struggle and results which VI
= have witnessed.
. Fewer still can comprehend thos
which are yet to come. For aught W
know our recent struggle may b
= fraught with as grand and lasting re
= suits to the moral world, as were tbos
l. memorable words to the physical worl,
y when God said Let there be light, ant
!, there was light" But these, our com
g rades, now peacefully repose in the las
l. maternal embrace. Their happy spirit
It are beyond the River, having been wei
" coined by that seraphic greeting-"W
q done, good and faithful, enter thou int
the JOY of thy Lord Our memoryyc
II them and what they did is as green an
70 refreshing as the grassy sod which thi
N day kindly clothes their resting plac,
:. Eushrined in the affections of million,
: like the immortal tree of Paradise, tha
. memory will bud and blossom an
. bloom forever.
To maintain and perpetuate the priv
{ ileges we now enjoy, and to hasten th
: peace which now illUmes the SKY
l. ''they gave the last full measure of the
q devotion" and as we to-day fraternall
: and tenderly decorate their graves, le
:. us remember and cherish the beautifr
, thought of him who was the centrI
4 figure amid the storm, and who is amon
!. the most lamsnted of the departed: "Th
world will little note nor long Temeu
n Der what we say here, but it Will nevt
o forget what they did. Let US here ded
- L., 90