New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-05-31

1
Yesterday, set apart as a day when the
various national cemeteries should be
decorated, and the graves of the dead sol
diers remembered bV the living, was OBJ.
! served in this city with the usual eeTemO-
MES attendant upon occasions of the kind.
| We are informed that, owing to the want
! of the necessary appropriation by Congress,
/ the work and renovation which should
! have gone forward TO completion in the
| Chalmette Cemetery had not been done.
Hence the grounds where it was contem-
plated to hold the annual ceremony of the
American Union Club and the German Vet
| eran Union were not in a fit condition for
the work Of ornamenting the graves. Even
| those services already performed were
DONE so to speak, gratuitOusly, the long
| lOoked-fOr money from Washington not
| having arrived in time. The ceremonies of
| the day consisted in the annual pilgrimage
| of the American Union Club and the Ger
man Veteran Union to the Chalmette Gene
| teFy, and the account Of this pilgrimage, as
well as the celebrations on the grounds, is
| appended.
THE TRIP on THE BIG HORN.
About MONDAY a happy party, the guests
| of the American Union Club, assembled on
the decks of the steamer Big Horn to pay
their respects to the cemetery.
The boat swung off while Bells Qate
Kelley'sl band discOursed music from the
hurricane roof and amid the longing looks of
crowds upon the wharf who did not happen
| TO be of the number who were to go off.
| Within the cabin was placed the roll Of the
| dead of the club, among whom were found
| the names of very many men who, in their
lives since the war, played conspicuous
part in the history Of the State and city.
81
of the boat, the big river rolling a muddy
tide toward the sea, the pleasant looking
orange.wOOded banks of the stream, the
pretty farm houses with cool jalOusie
blinds, shutting out the garish sun and the
general air of Incidence and repOse, which
seemed to have affected everything that
breathed, all contributed to present pic
ture framed in an Italian sky, such as
makes every week day appear like Sunday.
The army and the navy, the bench and the
bar, the customs and the revenue, the mill
tia, the civil and municipal service were all
represented on board, and the following are
a portion of those present, both ladies and
gentlemen, the guests being in charge of
Captain George p. Fernald, Colonel E. E.
Adams and Major g. A. Woodward, COM
mittee of the club James Y. jackson, Wal
ter f. Abel, d. L. Mcfarland, c. j. Fo.
gerty, j. H. Baker, O. A. Rice, II. H. Marks,
w. z. Moak, John r. Beals Master Edwin
ID. Beals, p. r. Kendall, Nat. L. Ken
dali, J. G.. Badenhausen, Frederick w.
Eieholz, Or. Smith, G. B. White,
J. DaunOy, H. NJ. Dibble, Rev. j. e. Hart
zell, J. H. LawIor, William Wright, H.
Street, Charles Moore, j. ID. Rouse, Henry
g. HUFF, H. A. Morse, principal Chalmette
School, Major Robert Strong, Colonel Will
liam Murphy, Miss c. O'ROurke, Miss Sallie
Harris, Miss E. NJ. Webb, Miss M. A.
Stewart, Mrs. A. E. Riddell, Miss S. A.
Riddell, Miss Mary 0. Bryan, Miss Sallie
Luding, Mrs. Y. A. Woodward, Mr. G. L.
Blanchard, William Roy, W. HI. Finegan,
L. Faust, w. NJ. Bachelor, A. Dejoil, j.
Lane, Henry Baker, Mr.. Poe, Mrs. G. Mas
sena, of the Mdg7bOtiG, James Davis, treas
ury agent, John 5. Nissen, Miss E. B. Van
Trees, w. NJ. Aikman.
The short trip to the grounds was inter
spersed with many agreeable incidents, and
also many "reminiscences of the old days of
"Reb" and ''Yank" bubbled up in CONVEX
satiOn among the guests. The boat was one
Of the old school, cranky and palsied. and
with a brOken-winded engine, but disap-
pointed everybody in the way in which she
"walked off" The guests poured out Of the
steamer over the gangway plank and soon
found themselves on the grounds. A very
large attendance was present, the Second
Louisiana regiment, Captain Rey, being on
the grounds and presenting a martial APP
pearance, while about 500 guests distributed
themselves over the cemetery, which is
little too rectilinear if one might say a
word, in it's arrangements.
The grounds were well prepared, the
clover fields blooming around the scene
adding to the beauty of the surroundings.
The graves are placed in regimental rows,
plain headstOnes with simple number on
each, being the only mark showing where
rest sixteen thousand soldiers who lost
their lives in the service. On the site of the
old BATTLEFIELD where the hosts of Britain and
America cOntended in the historical battle of
New Orleans; the cemetery, following the
undulatiOns of the ground, extends from
the riverside backward for a mile, the SIM
pie headbOards appealing mutely tothe sur
YiVOrs of battle and the sympathizers with
their struggles, and demanding vOiceless
recognition of their services to the cOuntry's
cause.
The cemetery is supervised by Captain |
Charles Bernard, in charge of the cemeterial |
operations in Louisiana and Texas, and is
so arranged that on an occasional disDlace-
ment of a headstone so as to obscure the |
of a grave, the names, COM
mand and other facts can easily be ascer- |
tanned from the books.
The accommodations on the stand within |
were filed with ladies and children with |
heaps of flowers in their hands, while a |
tributed by MI. G. w. BOOthby and were |
placed at the disposal of guests. A splendid |
wreath hung over the doorway.
THE PROCESSION.
A procession formed and marched in
melancholy step down the graveled walk /
Id the following order:
General A. s. Badger.
Music-BeIPs Band.
. Captain Kruse
Battalion Nineteenth Infantry.
veterans Of 1915.
captain Charles A. Meyers
German Veteran Union.
Orano Army of the Republic,
American Union Club.
Citizens.
During the procession flowers were strewn
over the graves, and the soldiers stacked
arms while the citizens gathered around the
central stand.
OPENING CEREMONIES.
When the last sounds of drum and fife
had died away there was momentarv busb
within the stand covered with 4IaSs and
streamers. Governor Warmoth arrived and
took seat within, and everything was in
for the exercises.
Colonel John b. Howard, president of
the American Union Club-As our first dntv
is to God, both on the part of the IivinS
and of the dead, the proceedings will he
opened with prayer.
Rev. Mr.. HartzeIl - We thank Thee
0 Lord, that the nation is preserved, and
that we are free, united, happy and pros
perOus-nOt from the power Of our armies,
but because Thou hast led us to victory.
May our devotion to the memories of this
day be the better from the recollection of
the services of the brave. May Thy bless
States, upon the Governor of this State, and
all in authority As we are here in the