Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1869-06-04

a
- ting and pathetic custom. Call over the list o
y illustrious names. CAPTAINS Hall and Bowdish
n Leuts Blodgett and Smith; and Duncan and
y Stouehton, and Boyd who died at AndersOnvill'
# Prison; Bunker, Pope, Read, Spaulding, Edwin
. and BENJAMIN and Henry Roe-three brothers
&c all Of whom fell, and one Of whom lies in an un
known'grave; Brinsrnaid and Lord, and a long
Y catalogue of names equally worthy Of mention
n who fell. Long in each genial spring time may
the graves Of all our valiant sons and broth
Il ers who fell martyrs in our cause be decked
u with choicest flowers, whose yernal bloom shall
= brighten our recollection Of their manly virtues
! and heroic deeds Wives and mothers, gray
haired fathers, and orphan children Of soldiers
e should unite with the comrades Of the departed,
$ in this beautiful ceremony Alas my friends,
p the flower of the land is under the sod; but we
hope that a glorious r, surrection awaits many Of
tfem-an immortal reblossoming IN the garden
= of God.
4 And let US never forget the many
graves Of the brave and the beloved,
that can never be deckel by pious and patriotic
hands. On many a lonely plain, in many a
mountain gorge and dark tangled wood they lie,
and never tear falls on the turf above them
never even a tiny " Forget-me-not - Is planted
there in sign Of human remembrance. s. sleeps
in distant and unknown graves many Of our gal
liant sons. But nature takes more faithful heed
, Of these unvisited.. unmarked graves, and gives
back IN richer bloom and 'erIure the life blood
shed il these lonely retreats The Wild flowers
Of the prairies are streaked with shat precious
dye. The wild rose glcws with the lost life Of the
forgotten brave, aud exhaies their dying signs,
and nature is no partisan The creeping vine
stretches from the grave OF the Northern soldier
to that OF his Southern foe, and kindly clasps the
mound; aud daisy mods 10 daisy over the wind
swept battle plain, and gives 10 hint Of the fierce
passions Of hate and contention THAI once ragged IN
the breasts below. Let Us learn of nature, so
beuignaut and iorgiying, the gracious lesson Of
reconciliation, and seek to forgive and forget the
errors, the rlucors, the deadly ,trites Of the
past, and to live at pe4ce with all men.
My friends, We cannot forget the promises we
made to these-our desi-when they enlisted in
;heir counuy's service. We told them that If
they FELL, We would watch over aud provide for
their widows aud orphans. Have we kept the
pledges we then made Does our patriotism
consist IN merely building the sepuichres and
decorating the graves Of these fallen soldiers
+ is there lot some more substantial Offering
called ior to-day t4au floral gifts, touching and
beautiful though they are should We not
make suitable provision for these destitute
families, uow that their husbands aal fathers
are sleeping under the sol Have We religion.
have we patriotism enough 90 meet this demand
Let Us remember that he stone, ont Of which .
-. .i.t ,',i i o'.'.' III i'lu'eI
e1''-' '''- '.'' u '''r f'H "', seen In 4
!'.' 1''''l'V'' 'vN''' -'','S ""i'e 40. F.
STUNT N'' e''u " rough ,,'-il mara theif I
1,S.'N5 -i''7 '''l.Ds % huntington ought .
We H'. '' s.e '"ll s.-l proper testimonial pe .
l'e''tl al '.e luON' spouse on winch shall be .
Ieo'i''' anu pItsei' en- 'ie names, uo- only D.
those VIA, are 'lrIiei here nut also Of those
"u9 sleep ln distant ami unAnown graves, with
nothing t. marx their pie; Sleeping places, let
Us attend to every duty 20 which God 10 lis
providence calls Us, with i-e lrlse and fidelity
81 'hristan men.
che foremost ..t the very front 5,,r-r.- -I. NM
let her now maintain her good character by
.... ID, ~ '05 .''iis maze 81. .-i once a'''=