The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-06-01
Memorial Day at Hollywood.

MeuiOfiai Lay at HOLLYWOOD.
FIFTH ANNUAL DECORATION OF
THE SOLDIERS GRAVES.
GENERAL OBSERVANCE OF THE DAY.
Inc now time-honored custom of anntl-
any decorating the graves of the patriot
ueaa was observed in Richmond Yesterday
unuer The auspices of the HOLLYWOOD Metfio-
rlai Association. Business was very urne.
lany suspended on the principal streets
alter II o'clock, and before that hour the
roaas ieadlnS to Hollywood and the nyr.
persons bearing flowers to be placed on the
soldiers graves. ~ '"o
frequent repetition has perhaps made
tne sight too familiar to be impressive to
many Oh us. but there are some whose
nearts can never fail to be touched by the
spectacle OF whole people turning aside
from the pressing employments of eyery-
day LIE to spend quiet day in the "city
OF the dead" And it is the more impress
slVe when the day is not observed by any.
noisy demonstration or pompous ceremo-
MES, such as men are wont to use in making
known their respect for the heroic dead,
but when woman s warm heart imDels the
observance, and the tribute paid to depart
ed yalor is only the placing of Springs
brightest flowers upon the graves in which
the soldiers bones rcpose.
The Demonstration Yesterday.
Such was the demonstration of yesterday.
1t was spontaneous, unObtrusive, and tn-
marked by striking incidents. The crowd
in the cemetery could have been numbered
by thousands, and more orderly assem-
| blage is seldom seen. Nearly everybody
| was quietly occupied In strewing the flowers
tipon the graves of soldiers, or visiting
The last resting-places of the beloved ones
| who fell not in battle, but whose claims to
| share in the tribute of affection could not
be forgotteTi.
=. The most attractive spot in the cemetery,
if we may judge by the crowd'by which it
was constantly surrounded, was the lot in
which are inferred the remains of Colonel
| James r. Branch, who lost his life by the
Vauxhall Bridge disaster, July 4th, 1860, al
most upon the eve of the great COnserya-
| tive victory, for which he had worked and
praved. The lot was most handsomely and
| tastefully decorated, and from the protllsion
of flowers upon the grave and about it there
arose fragrance Which greeted the visitor,
even before Il glimpse was caught of the
place where affection had lavi>hed its
choicest floral tavors.
The Soldiers Graves.
General Stuart's grave is only short dis
Etance from that of Colonel Branch, and,
| like his, still lacks the monument to
which he is SO cminently entitled. Hero
there was not the same display of taste,
tbut the green turf was completely hidden
bcncath the burden of wrcaths and bou.
qucts of flowers and cYcrgrcens placed
;upon it by the admirers of the Rupert Of
the South.
| The last resting place of that brave and
gallant fellow Captain 0. Jennings Wise. is
still unmarked by stone, but the eye of af-
fection sought it out, and at an early hour
of the morning it was covered with flowers.
| The graves Of lieutenant Pcyton john
ston, General W. Ii: Stevens, Captain Fred.
Carter, Major Wheat, General a. Z. Hill,
Lieutenant Oscar and Rocker Lane, and OF
many other officers, also received special
Eattention; but we torbear to name them
further, as the list would be extended more
than the time and space at our command
will permit.
| We must mention particularly, however,
the tasteful decoration of the graves of the
Pegram brothers, which, side by side, and
each laden with flowers, were united by an
arch of evergreen, on which were inscribed
the words "Dulce est pro pdtr9d n7oTt.,.'
The graves Of 4. II. Smith, Third Howit-
Zcrs; Allan Morton, Arthur G. Dabney,
Alphonzo Figner, and David $. Donnan,
DR., deserve also to be named in this con-
nection. 80. .
| The NameIcss Graves.
] As usual, the large space occupied by
! the unknown dead was much frequcnted
throughout the day. Everybody seemed to
wish to place flower upon these leveiled
graves,
"Whose sumbcring tenants dead, without a
| name,
The eternal record shall ut length proclaim
Pure as the holiest in the long array o
| OF hooded, mitrcd, or tiata'd clay.'
None of these were neglected, owing
partly to the disposition to honor the un-
known dead and partly to the watchful care
of the ladies appointed to superintend the
various sections. In the centre of section
G stood tripod stand of stacked muskets,
from which depended a banner with the
Inscription, "Arms at Rest"; reverse,
"Slcep in Peace.
The Monumental Pile.
| In the same quarter of the cemetery stands
the now completed memorial pile, erected
| by the ladies, and which to future genera
tions
/ - w ltn LOnSuele65 eloquf nee snail tell .,.t
/ ht Ofthose who for their country fell" r :
During the afternoon DR.. J. G. Lumpkin,
being in the vicinity of the pile, was ap-
preached by two youths, John B. Ladd and
William II. Cowardin, of this city, who
asked that he procure them wreath with
which they might crown the monument.
Their request being complied with, the
young men began the perilous ascent of the
rugged pile Of granite, and in about ten
minutes reached the summit and placed the
wreath of roses and everTeens upon its
very apex. This feat was witnessed with
[admiration and applause, not unmixed, by a
large crowd, and all breathed freer when
1.-the descent was fairly accomplished. e
other Notes.
| It was observed that the decoration OF the
graves was not confined to those of the
Confederate soldiers. There were other de.
parted ones whom, in their days Of life on
earth, Richmond delighted TO- honor, and
|who in death were not forgotten. 1t was
with pleasure that we saw the allectionate
attention paid to the remains of Bishop
Meade, Judge Lyons, DR.. Bolton, Dr..
Warning, John NJ. Daniel, Patrick Henry
|Aylett, Captain w. A. Charters, Of our hate
cherished associate DIR. j. B. Brock, and of
others whose memory is still fresh in our
hearts,