The Lambertville record., 1874-06-03

then sallyfng forth, plant Che stars and stripe
ON the rsmparts Of treason, and shout the vic
tory or, if unsuccessful, reform line and ii.
again. The battle over some in ghastly dealt
lay on the CORY field, claspingiu their stiffen
ed hands n precious photograph on which thei
eyes gaze as they close 10 all mortal scenes
Otiirrsy With painful wounds lie on rud
eouclaess wasting away through weary day
and nights, without a loved one to fan thei
fevered brow or kiss their pallid cheek. No
a few Of the brave aud daring ones are left ii
the hands of an enraged enemy to suffer til,
understandable horrors of AndersonyIle, Lib
bey Prison, and Belle Island. Time fails Vi
to reherse the heroic deeds Of the men VIII,
scaled the works at Donelson, and stood as |
wall Of adamant in the fire Of death At Pitts
burg Landing who fought their way down tht
Mississippi from st. Louis to New Orleans
who, marched from Chattanooga to Soutl
Carolina, thence up tho coast to North Caro-
lima, and shook hands with a conquered foe,
Or of those who after the disasters of Bull
Run and Manassas, returned to redeem the
character of the volunteer soldier in the bril-
liant campaign of Sheridan in the Shenan-
doah who rose from defeat at Fredericks
burg and Charlottesville to tramp the dusty
march, under hot suns by day and chilly dews
by-night, to victory at Antietam and Gettys
burg;fwho crossed the lRapidan, plunged into
the Wilderness and swept by the works oi
Spottsylvania, submitted to the slaughter al
Cold Harbour, invested Petersburg crowded
the enemy into the last ditch, and received
the brightest sword of the rebellion from the
hand of their most skillful Header, under the
apple tree al Appomattox. From thence with
joyous heart and light step, marched home.
ward, disbanded in a day. and returned tc
their accustomed industries.
Such were the men whose lives we recall to-
day--such the grand history they made.
1t is seemly to sele>t. day to visit these
graves and manifest our gratitude bytstrew-
ing beautiful flowers on our country's sepul
chres. The beauty and feetingness of flow.
ers, make them the most fitting symbols of
those delicate sentiments and fine spmpathies
forwhich language itself seems almost toe
gross a medium ebring a floral offering
not for its value, nor for its utility, but be.
cause it expresses an ideai at such time g a
ray of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the
world. Monuments are erected DER the great,
tears fall on the graves of our kindred, but
each succeeding May, without respect to race
or color, flowers" the tears Of the nation y
shall lay softly on the grave of every patri
OF soldier.
" Mark the dear spot where the soldier reposos,
Strew Ger his ashes the laurel and bay,
The freshest of gariapds and sweetest OF roses
To hallow the ground where the patriot shall lay"
There is no reason for these simple ceremo
nies they are the spontaneous outflow of the
feelings of our hearts, not the cool calcula
tions of our heads. Flowers are the types oi
beauty pre-existing in the mind of God, and
out of the overflowing goodness of his ever low
ing, nature he has crowned the hill tops, festoon
ed the mountain side, strewn the valleys, plant
ed the hidden forest depths and covered acres
of the floor OF the ocean with these express
ions of his tenderness and sympathy. Man,
of our comrades sleep in long trenches on TIN
old battle fields, or rest in unknow places
nature decorates their graves with wild flow
ers, TIE wild bird chants their death song, an
the angels of God watch over their dust.
A few sleep in these beautiful cemeteries
and we have come entwining the tube-ros
and the lily with the fragrant geranium, t.
lay our floral gifts upon their tombs.
Bring flowers to crown the cup and lutc,
Brag flowers the bride Is near,
Bring flowers to soothe the captiye's cell
fa Bring flowers to strew the bier"