The Van Buren press., 1875-06-01

and then fell pouring out his life blood. on
the rugged hill sides of Pea Ridge. He was
| the pet OF hi- commanding officer, the bclov-
ed and lamented PRICE, who now also sleeps
beneath the sod of his own beloved Missouri.
Among those unknown graves are many who
received their death wounds at the bloody
/ battle of Praric Grove. Would to God that
we knew their names and graves that We
might pronounce proper eulogium on each ;
| but suffice 1t To say that we sincerely cherish
the memory of each and all. There are 9TH
ert of our boys, who, though they did not
| lose their lives in the army. have since died
! from diseases contracted in it Among such
is the brave and noble Wallace. who sleeps
near by Niece, who sleeps on yondcr hill (;
| Ogden. who sleeps under the same grove OF
ccdars a. Capt Clark, and Brodie. who, but
| few days since, we consigned to hi. last rest
ing place, near by, with Others. all of whose
graves have been properly decorated to-day
| There are also here the graves of nany who
| languished in the horrors of military hos
| pitals. and who had not the privilege desired
| by every true soldier who was to lose his
| life in the defence of his country-that of
| falling on the field of battle. To their mem
ories we owe the greater sympathy. For tIere
| is faith held by many soldiers that every
true soldier who falls on the field of battle, in
! the discharge OF his duty, is sure OF life eter
| nal Ladies'. there are many mothers, widows,
sisters and orphans, of Louisiana Texas,
Missouri and our own State, who, ifthey knew
the good act you have been performing to-
day, would shower down their blessings and
offer up their prayers for you. And while
you thus strew the flowers upon these sacred
mounds. It will be "A source Of pleasure, to us
all to remember that the graves of many OF
our friends, whose bodies mingle with the soil
of distant battle fields or ,lumber beneath the
sod ofc"nfederate cemeteries.are being strew n
with flowers by fair hands as unknown to them
as are or were TO you those whose blest tOmbs
you have but now bespread with the fowery
emblems of your affection. The ladies OF Vir-
ginia, and other southern States, have. during
this month, strewn with rGses, and bathed
with their tears the graves of Milo Greenwood
and a thousand of other noble sons of Arkan-
sas, who laved the soil of those States with
their precious blood. Yes ladies. the grave
of ssme noble boy. the staff upon which some
widowed mother leaned, the graves of fond
and tender husbands, ofinduigent ana doting
fathers of aifectionate brothers, and of dar-
ling lovers, whose dear ones know not where
they lie. or. il they do. cannot reach them,
have been bespread with flowers, and bedew
ed with pearly tears, by those whose hearts
throb re.ponsively to our own. Oh, happy
thought how your hearts are made to beat
with rapture wild" by this blessed labor of
love. May the Great Father of the widow and
the orphan bl, IS you for it.
We cannot join with those who stood OPP
posed to us In that bloody struggle, which
so thickly peoplcd that house OF the dead. in
the decoration Of the graves of their depart
ed friends, as we gladly would do. Their bo-
dies have been removed from this to the Unit
cd StatT National cemeteries. and are cared
for by the general government. But here.
to day, on the graves of our common dead,
lay, to mouldsr midst the earth, every vestige
of our past differences. lt would have hasten
ed the spirit OF good feeling. which WAS even
tually to take the Place of snmity and ill-wil,
and to restore the government To its ante BEL
lum state of peace, had the graves of all been
cared for alike. Yeti was not done, and it is
not now proper time, nor our province to
complain. Yet we believe the time is not far
distant when those who are disposed to make
so wide Il distinction between honest brothers,
will feel the painful burnlngs Of remorse fer
that act.
When that Great Day, for which all others
were made, shall roll around, when. instead
of the keen notes OF the cavalry bugle. or the
stirring roll of the infantry drum, we shall
hear the thundcrings of that last great trum-
pet, the resoundings Of which shall sound
adown the thorough fares Of the universe.
rendng asunder the bosom of mother earth,
and restoring to life her entombed millions
and old ocean, FROM its billowy deep. shall
deliver up the dead that long had slept be-
meath its angry waves, to ansv er to the last
great roll-call. there " i'll be no inquiry made
as to whether they slept in national cen
ries, where their graves were marked by mar
bic slabs, or whether they were inferred in
costly caskets. or, like the majority OF our
country's patriots. wrapped In soldiers
blanket and consigned to the Geld embrace OF
mother earth. unhonorcd and unknown All
things else being equal. one will be equal
with the other before the bar of the Great
Judge of the living and the dead. But let
the past be forgotten, nor let il serve save as
guide to the future, Bur LET THE MEMORY
OF OUR DEPARTED HEROES BE CHERISHED FOR
EVER.
We hope, at no distant day. to be able to en-
close and properly beautify these grounds.
and to here erect 4 monument to the memory
of those unknown ones. whose lot 1t was to
sleep their long, last repoSe in our midst.
And here let me take occasion to say that ey-
cry one who contributes one farthing towards
this good work. will feel the throbbin. of an
approving heart tor the act.
As before said the federal dead having been
removed, we cannot unite with their friends
in the decoration of their graves. As we gladly
would do, yet we are pleased to have so many
of their comrades here to-day, to participate
and Join with us in bridging that bloody
chasm. We have friends who ill both feder-
al and confederate graves. Wehave relatives
who sleep in United states National Ccmete-
rcs, but We have many more who enrich with
their blessed dust the soil of distant battle
fields, or in confederate burying grounds,
find resting places to us unknown. But we
console ourselves with the solacing reflection
that the Great Father. without whose notice
not even sparrow falls to the ground, is well
aware Of their Whereabouts. and at the last
roll-call all will answer, and not one will be
marked absent.
The great sin of that cruel and unholy war
will not, we imagine, rest on the soldiery in
general, for it was not they who brought 1t
on. The blame rests in higher places. The
Great Omnistient Father will place 1t where
it belongs. 1t is sufficient evidence tina. the
soldiers of each side believed in the justice of
their cause, when they imperilcd all and hun
dreds of thousands sacrificed their lives for
the cause which each espoused. Let us. then.
concede honesty OF purpose to ALL The fact
that we of the south were unsuccessful. has
never convinced us that We we We're wholly in
the wrong. But that Is a settled question. let
It be forever buried. | am glad, yes | am
proud that this broad land of ours furnishes
flowers enough, and sufficient number OF
true and magnanimous hearts to strew them
over the graves afall alike. And now, having
di-ehargcd the duty of redceming these
graves from oblivion,and having strcwn them
with the floral tokens of our remembrance.
and having pledged ourselves to keep alive
the good work, we can only pray, as we
lay up in our hearts their memor cs May the
soft music of the birds, as they carol sweetly
amid the foliage Of this beautiful green grove
forever tell OF the reposing ashes meath the
mounds below; may the gentle zephyrs that
fam with perfumed breath. the sacred hillocks
'hovc their martyr breasts. be like the grateful
breathings Of our every heart; NAV the fra
nnwprs with which 20 haya ~