Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-06-02
II seemed as though from all the bOw'rs
And iairost fields Of all the year,


]
II seemed as though from all the b0w'rs
] And fairost fields Of all the year,
The mingled spoil were scattered hcro.n
/ The cleaning headstones, stretched in interim
Unable lines, until the eye took notice of them
only in the mass, were hung with garlands until
the immense cemetery
Ike garden, brenthes
! with the rich buds that DER 1t lic,-
A. u a shower Of miry wreathes
Had fallen upon IL from the sky"
| Tho day and night before had been cold, dark
and rainy but, as though Providence smiled
upon the occasion, the clouds separated and rolled
away early in the morning. and the sun came out,
making the day sweet as a morn in paradise"
AT an early hour, continuous line Of carriages,
composed unfortunately Of splendid private car
riages, with driver and footInan in livery of dash
ing turnouts, hired for the occasion at ten dollars
an hour, of numbering Omnibuses and two-wheeed
| carts went pouring over the different bridges
across the Potomac, and conyerging toward Ar
| lington An unbrOken river of people on foot
flowed in the same direction. By one O'Clock
the hour for the ceremonies 10 commence, it was
estimated that from twenty-five to thirty thou
sand people were on the grounds The grounds
surrounding the Arlington House are covered with
q magnificent grove Of oak which, from their mag
nltude and venerable Appearance, may have been
monarchs of the forest before the discovery of the
continent. Under their cool shade the stand had
/ been erected and seats provided thereon for FIVE
y
ticed the President Mrs Grant, General Sher-
man, Secretaries Rswlins, Fish, B0rie Boutwell,
Cox, P0stmaster-Gencral Creswell Sir Edward
Thornton, the British Minister, Senator Nye, and
host of other officials and distinguished persons
At one O'Clock precisely the guns of Dupont 3
Battery, stationed at little distance, Numbered
out national salute. The assembly was then
called to order by General Samuel A Duncan,
the Grand Commander Of the Department of the
Potomac, ai.er which the full Marine Band Of
thrty-eight pieces executed in mastery man
ner that sweetest and saddest of all musical COM
positions, the Mserere of II lroyatore which stole
into the hearts OF the vast crowd and hushed
them TO breathess silence This was followed by
an earnest and eloquent appeal 10 the Throne Of
Trace, by the Rev. j. p. Newman, the popular
pastor Of the New Metropolitan Church An Ode
to the Dead, composed for the occasion. was then
sung by the Washington Spngerbund, a German
club OF sixty voices. The other exercises upon
the stand consisted OF music at intervals by the
different Bands, and Requiems and patriotic
songs by the Beethoven and Arion clubs and the
Sieengerbund, the poem, and the Grafton
The Grafton, by Hon. ). s. Fisher, Commissioner
OF Patents, was an earnest, eloquent and patriotic
tribute to the memory Of the dead, and an appeal
10 the patriotism Of the living.
The Poem, composed for the OCCASION hy Fran
els De liaes Janyier the author of "The Sleeping
Sentinel, " The widow Son, " and other patri-
otic poems, Is 80 brief, but withal 50 beautiful and
appropriate, that ! am constrained to copy il
Bring the fairest flowers that bloom,
Full OF beauty and perfume
Lay "A garland ON each tomb
Every sepulchre you SEQ
Is shrine, henoeforth to be
Consccrated to Liberty
Here, beneath the earth's green breast
Loved, lamonted, honored blest-
Twice ten thousand Martyrs rest
Twice ten thousand Martyrs,-slain,
Truth and Justice to maintain
Theirs the loss but ours the gain!
When Rebellions fiery aood
swept the land these heroes stood
Met and quenched It with their blood
Can such service he repa.dl
Can the record they have made
Can their gory,-eye fddel
Bring the ARREST flower, that bloom.
Full Of beauty and periume;-
Lay garland on each tomb.
pausing, on your silent way,
While affections VOWS you pay
Bathe with tears each budding spray.
Grateful tears with blessings fraurbt,
For the deeds these heroes wrought
FOR the lesson they have taught.
Be your blooming garlands strown.
Doubly, on the altar stone
Reared to those who rest" USKSowSln
Here, unroeognizcd thoy lie.--
But, above tho starry sky,
Martyrs' names ean never die
Kneelng, on this sacred sod.
swear TO follow Freedoms God
IN the path these Patriots trodl
Swear -thelr little ones to bless,-
Cherish -shied them from distress.
unprotected-htherlcss.
Swear that this fair land shall be.
Eyermore, legncy,-
Preeous,-undlvided,- ifeei
After the exercises at tho stand, a procession
was formed, with the orphans of the soldiers and
sailors at the head, followed by the President Of
the United States, and members of his cabinet
officers of the army and navy, and the public
generally, who marched TO the tomb of the un-
known The tomb Is a plain granite structure.
surmounted by four riaed cannon and niles of
cannon balls, and bearing upon its face the fol- |
lowing inscription
" Beneath this stone repose the bones of two
thousand one hundred and eleven unknown sol |
dlers, gathered after the war from the fields of
Bull Run and the route TO the Rappahanpock
their remains could not be identified but their
ames and deeds are recorded in the archives Of
their country, and its grateful citizens honor
them as OF their noble army of martyrs MAY |
they rest in peace
Over the tomb was erected an immense tenn.
pie, composed of eyergreens, flowers and national
lags, while the tomb itself was beautifully dec
rated with wreaths Of eyergreens and garlands of
flowers, The black muzzles of the guns from
which death-dealing missiles were wont 10 issue
were now doing unusual service Us bouquet-hold,
FRS. "''N
hhh" tieulu American Brass hand were pef-
forming Beethoyens Dead March, the pe5nie
gathered in dense mass around the tomb. Wilt
The orphans from the Soldiers and Sailors Or
phans Home ranged themselves close around the
base Alter prayer by the Rev. DR.. Butler
md requiem, sung by the Beethoven Club. Inc
orphans standing around the bones of the IN
go soldiers, sung with beautiful and touching
Shall We know each other herep,
No part of all the solemn and impressive eer,-
monies was more suggestive Of serious reflection
nan TINS inquiry, thus pathetically made bv
hese childish voices, in the presence of the un.
NOM dead ard nothing could exceed the effect
ipon tho vast conc0urse Of reyerent listeners as
ne sweet singers gave the answer contained In
he last verse - ~
"0h ye weary, sad and tossed ones
Droob not, faiAt not By the way
fe shall join the loved aud lust ones
II IN NC land Of perfect dayl
Harpstrlngs touched by angel fingers
Murmuredin my raptnrod earl
Etermore their sweet song lngors
We shall know each other there
AT the conclusion of the ceremony at the tomb
ne procession was reformed, and marching 10 the
cemetery, they deployed at the various lines of
raves, and the next half hour was spent in be-
treWing the graves with flowers
minute gun from Duponts battery announe.
= tne completion Of the services, and the living
lde swept back TO the city, leaving the grand old
woods and the flower-decked plain 10 he ouiet
Of the sleepers beneath. t
Notwithstanding the immense extent of this
ometery, and the others in the vicinity of The
Ivy, they were all in the most beautiful and ney-
,ct order,--the grass upon the graves being
losely shorn, and the walks all cieanly sweni
etter order. ~ A'p' III
Great credit IS due for this 10 Mr.. John p
own, General Superintendent, who has charge
an tne cemeteries from Point Lookout, Nd. L
uralt0n, west Va. Mr.. Town xns EnrmerIn