Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-06-15
'mthe Ntahttatht*
FRIDAY MORNING, JUNE IS. 1877.
Local..
THE COUNTRY'S DEAD.

THE C0UNTRY's DEAD.
The graves of those men who died IN the
service of their country, and whose memo
ry, whatever the feeling now away from
their section, will be matter of pride to
the whole American people before gene
ration shall have passed; as will also be the
memories of those other men, who, clad IN
different uniforms lie at the other end OF
the city-were decorated on Saturday last
with flowers by large concourse OF peo-
pie, while around them stood men with
glittering swords and bayonets, many OF
whom had fought on the same field with
the now silent tenants. The day was
beautiful one after some cooling showers
in the morning, and fresh breeze swept
through the city streets. Up to late
hour the night before, patriotic women had
been engaged at Grange Hall in making
the floral decorations, and arranging the
| banners for the procession. Large numbers
of citizens, many of them from the county,
| crowded Main street for three squares
| from the Lutheran church to the Valley
Bank, that being the locality where the
procession was forming,
THE PROCESSION.
| Looking down Main street as the pro-
| cession started about II O'Clock. the sight
was a very handsome one. Above the
marching line hoated the flags and ban
ners. The blue flag of the Artillery. the
| blue flag of the West Augusta Guard,
| the modest faded looking old battle flag of
the 33d infantry now carried by the Har-
risonburg Guard, banner having photo
| graphs of Lee and Jackson wreathed in
| ivy with the inscription "Our Captains
leading on" another banner bearing a gol-
den cross and crown and on it the inscrip-
ton 1.-THE unknown dead" then one hay
ing an anchor in ivy, then another bearing
Stonewall Jackson's photograph, then the
single word 'Rest'' in gold on a white
banner, and again on another banner the
single word "Peace" III gold and on anoth-
er in gold the words ''The dead are
free.'' AS the line came nearer, could be
seen under these bahnerets, the Stone
wall band in their olive green uniforms,
the drum corps with their scarlet coats
the Staunton Artillery with its bril-
liant uniforms, the West Augusta Guard
in the sober dress of the State infantry,
relieved by their white plumes, the Harrl-
sonburg Guard in the same uniform, long
strings of children including scholars of
the Catholic and Protestant Sunday schools
Mai. Newton's Juvenile Good Templars
with their little regalias on, the fire COM
pany Of the D., D: & B. Institution in red
shirts and black pants, the scholars OF the
same institution, and then along the ssde-
walk were strung hundreds Of citizens.
AT THE CEMETERY
over two thousand persons were awaiting
the procession, in which rode in carriage
Col. James II. Skinner. the President of
! the Memorial Association; Rev. DR.. Jno.
S. Martin, of the Methodist Church; Judge
VIM. Mclaughlin and Gen. Jno. Echols.
AS they entered the gates, the military
reversed arms, while the Stonewall
Band played funeral march, and an
artillery detachment stationed near the
soldiers quarter of the cemetery fired
minute guns. At the speakers stand
the choir had been gathered, some twenty
in number-all amateurs of experience
including Mr.. Drake, a fine tenor, fur
nished from the choir of Thinking Spring
church. The chant,s' IT'S in heaven the
spirit dwells,'' was beautifully sung I'M
der the leadership of Dr.. Brown. After a
prayer peculiarly fitted to the occasion, Of
fered by Rev. DR.. Martin, Col. J. Il. Skin
| nor dalivara6 tho fol1oyvipr
I ADDRESS:
Fello,o Citizens and Citizen Soldiers
After an interval Of several years we are to-day
graves Of our confederate Dead.
Seven S AZ sailed meeting s Of on s
your r speaker President Of the Augusta Memorial
Association for the Confederate Dead, and to asSo
Jas @ a M Jas Waers 4
Ope and S. Travers Phillips. The Association thus
a g in ea aere Tgs pace
Of red clay, The barren soil of the Cemetery was
R9 d e WITH f The
funds for the improvements needed These, by slow
degrees we secured through private donations, and
largely indebted to the e1ertions Of our Staunton
ladies, and to the zeal Of number OF Augustas pa
made of the Cemetery, aud to rescue from oblivion
the names Of as many as possible 81 the dead AS
and seventy-seven Of the noble men who gave their
lives for their country. Of several hundred here In
viii ever remain unknown. W next undertook to
ferze and cultivate the SOIL so that the last rest
fresh and inviting verdHre. this after several
failures, have far succeeded as to have the as
make this SPOT more and more araeve last
ly proceeded to mark the durably as iron,
taken nothing until we had in hand the necessary
| means and hence have moved slowly We have
| sum of $3, 4745S, We have expended S2,S2026, and
have this day remaining after all expenses paid
| teen Hundred. We look confidently to you, fair
daughters of Augusta and staqnton to aid us thus
invest permanently this proposed sum, and use its
annual interest in keeping in order and in contnq
cumiacent fields Of green, those wooded hin tops
and Wonder lofty mountains-the most imposing in
Valley which serenely stand sentinel over these
graves of those who have Kept their last watch and
fought their last BATTLE lend all their blended beau
| ties to this sacred spot, where
asleep the brave, who sank to rest
BY all their country's wishes best'
Shall there not through all time, be layished here
| boundess wealth of loving care!
the human heart, is that which leads to beautiy
We're dear to Us in lie We either gladly fancy that
the departed themselves are not unconscious OF, or
lovingly seek for them. the realization Of the poets
sweet fancies, of what he would have as the sur;
rounding sights and sounds OF his own place OF
rest" He thus pictures it;
There through the long, long summer hours,
The golden light should lie,
And thick, young herbs and groups of flowers
Stand in their beauty by.
The oriole should build and tell
His love-tale, close beside my cell:
The idle butterfly
Should rest him there, and there be heard
The housewfe-bee and humming bird.
Iknow know should not see
The seasons glorious show,