Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-06-08

abilities beyond what We supposed
possible, OF our capcity to wage war
to contract and liquidate public debt
to build railroads, to carry out vast
plans; in short, he argued genera
enlargement of ideas and capabilities
as directly traceable to the great wal
| and its severe lessons.
After singing America" the exer.
cises were adjourned to the Cemetery
a mile distant, and procession of
some three hundred persons was
formed, headed by the military
Capt. Baxter marched his company
to each grave of old comrades, whore
they placed their sweet bouquets oil
liiacs, tulips, bleeding hearts and
wild flowers. The names thus hon.
ored were those of ]. w. Roberts,
Lieut.. j. Showalter, Frank A. Reed
Capt. Ed. d. Lowry, Milo Dexter,
Andrew Chandler, Lieut.. Col. David
Mckee, Henry A Hyde, Lit. Geo. Il.
Hyde and Walter Hyde Around the
last three graves the crowd gathered
for the closing acts A touching
song, "The Volunteers Grave" was
beautifully sung by Mrs. Farrar with
chorus by the choir. Rev. Mr.. Sims
offered prayer, and Col. Clark, as
substitute for other speakers who
failed TO attend, addressed those
present. He closed nearly as fol-
lows:
"Deem me not sacrilegious when |
say that [ sometimes wish Divine
Providence had permitted these
friends to sleep with others on the
Ield of battle; end that yonder
Monument had not been erected.
The sight of it and these graves
brings to mind daily and hourly the
memory of comrades of other days,
and with that memory, sadness and
mourning. The soldiers and the
relatives of the fallen need no such
reminders; the mother can never
forget her darling boy; the memory
of hardships endured and of friends
dead and dying upon the .battie~
ground can never grow dim. The
horrid tracks made by the chariots
of war. the emaciaIed victims of Lib>
by and Andersonvile and the thous>
and prison pens and Black Holes of
the South, the soldier will see az
clearly years hence as when he trod
the bloody plain or suffered in tho
dungeon.
Fellow citizens do we properly
appreciate the priceless boon we en-
JOY ? Do we realize the magnitude
OF the debt OF gratitude we owe :?
DO we realize the fact that there are
the graves Of hall o million martyrs
III the land That the loyal dead OF
this warif drawn upin single file asyou
see these comrades would form line
extending from this place to Chicago :?
That were their spirits to file past us
at the rate of fifty per minute, it
would take one week for that mighty
army of the dead, marching day and
night, to pass in review
And follow citizens, do we realize
the fact that there are now scattered
over the land, afflicted by wounds
and disease, the victims Of this war.
mighty host twice as large? Are
we sufficiently grateful, and do we
perform our full duty to the livingg"
The closing piece, "Tis Finished, /"
was sung, the company fred three
volleys over the graves, and the pro
cesson returned to town.
The services throughout were SOL
emn and affecting. There was no
empty show of feignedrespect, no vain
pageantry OF holiday display. 1t was
a genuine tribute of simple regard
and affection, to the honor of all those
who for our sake had breasted the
tide Of battle till they sunk beneath
its waves. Among the listeners were
many adults whose full hearts and
overlooking eyes attested their sin
cere feeling. And many children
were present with serious, attentive
faces, beaming as life lesson by..this
beautiful ceremony, that heroic devo-
ton and self~denying love of country
will ever be honored by grateful
republic.
The G. A. r. have planted a fine
evergreen tree beside each soldiers
grave, and taken personal supervision
of the condition of some graves that
were heretofore unmarked and ncg>
lected.