Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-05-08
UNION AND AMERICAN.
DECORATTON SERVICES.
Are &c % EEave q nIemorlal nar

TO the Editors of the Union and American:
In the Banner of April %, is the following
correspondence advocating pOstp0nement
Of Memorial Day: 81 see that Memorial
Day is to be the 10th of May. Why moi
designate the Sunday following, when al
can join in the ceremonies. If the noble
men whoee memories we honor fought
their greatest battles for their country on
the Sabbath, should ace feel Il to be wrong
to place flowers and shedf tears over their
graves on that day? Why deprive their
comrades Of the opportunity Of being pre-
sent on such an occasion? All can attend,
If Sunday be set apart for the purpose. I"
Judged from business point Of view, I
should agree with the Banners contributor,
but is this matter of business; and is it
not a poor tribute to ssthe noble men whose
memories we honor" that we should con-
tribute one day in a year, or portion Of a
d2y at the least, to coincidence and sym
pathy? Those noble men who sleep in
yonder silent city had no matter of choice
in fighting their greatest battles on the holy
Sabbath-military necessity, or the ap-
proach Of the enemy, or the orders OF
their commanders left them no alter
native. But, perhaps, the Banners
tians who have no religion only for the
Sabbath. II this De the case, Decoration
Day becomes an idle farce, a mockery of
the purest emotions that should actuate the
bOsoms of grateful and sorroWing people,
Hollow, hollowest mockeryl but seven
years dead, and their memories must give
way TO matters Of trade-a Moloch Plutus
that is to garner wealth from fields fertil-
tod hvrf he h1,~1 - \
was under the impression that the 10th of
Msy-anniyersary of the day that witnessed
the departure OF the immortal Jackson's
spirit-has been decided upon as the fittest
occasion. Why need we change it now?
VIII the flowers be any sweeter, viii our
tears flow freer, will our sympathy be more
acceptable on that day?
l, for one, am for letting the s'dcad past
bury its dead"-that is, the issues that grew
out Of the unfortunate conflict. The sword
decided their fates. Should we not sorrow
the more that they fell in useless cause =
useless, mean, because it did not succeed?
Appropriate to the occasion, enclose the
following poem which, if worthy, you will
do me the favor Of publishing:
There ere many fields the sweet South Ger,
Where the Verdant turf has been dyed with gore,
Where serried ranks in hostile array
With their battles smoke Obscured the day;
Where death was stamped on each pallid face
As foe met foe in the dread embrace;
Where the shrieks Of the hapless above the fight
arose,
And the hearts of their comrades with horror
froze,
For the wide eKpanse OF vermiIl Toned plain
Was thickly strewn with unnum bered slain.
OH the hercest combat and the deadliest strife
Was that saddest war for the Southland's life.
There were heroes that warred on those glorious
plains
With swords unmarked with disbonor's stains
They went not unnerved, these truest ones,
The prayers of our women were with our sons;
and with the bugle's sound and the war steed's
neigh,
They mixed their shouts I'm the widest fray.
They few to the front, they charged the foe,
And the sword Of the conquerer glesmd In their
gore.
There were heroes there in that conflict dire,
With arms all nerve, and with hearts all fire.
What though they feT2 Are these our braves,
To sleep unnohced in their silent grave?
Did they come with musie and funeral plumes
From the fields Of their fame, to sculptured
tombs?
Are thy brightest deeds to be forgot,
And thy ungathered limbs to lie and rot?
For in the midst of carnage and battle sound,
And deaths pale victims that strewed the
ground,
Your souls departed, where no a0opan's ear
The grosns Of their pride and boast could hear /;
And you struggled and writhed in deaths con-
troll,
TIL the hand Of God released the soul.
All! hapless ones, tho YOU met your doom,
Have you sunk unwept to neglected tOmbs?
For thy valOr's worth may no voices plead?
Has glory no trophies, and the South no need?
Yes, yes, for our angel women are lowering near,
They have prayed and wept the cOnfiict-here,
And they'll scatter flowers on your god-like clay
That biyOWacs unknown till the last array,
And the sacred soil of your soldier bier
Is doubly hallowed now by woman's tear.
GER.