Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-06-12
MEMORIAL DAY AT SrAUNTON

MEMORIAL DAY AT STANTON,
| IMPOSING Observation-Disclosures AND BEAl
TIFUL PROCESSION-ADDRESS BY THE PRES
DENT OF THE AUGUSTA MEMORIAL ASsOCI.
TION-DECoRATIoN OF THE GRAVES, &C.
On Saturday last, the 18th anniversary of Il
battle of Port Republic, under the auspices
the Augusta Memorial Association, the grav
of the soldiers in the Confederate cemetery ne'
StauntOn were decorated with floral offerin,
by the fair hands of lovely ladies, who had pr
pared, for that sacred purpose, beautiful boz
quets, wreaths and garlands
Though the weather in the morning was III
| favorable, and was still threatening rain at til
time for forming the procession, quite a larg
number turned out, and went to the cemeter.
We cannot say how many, but suppose theI
were several thOusand-some estimate tn
number as high as four thousand. The process
sion was the most imposing and beautiful, tina
we have ever had in Staunton. That portio
of the procession occupied by the handsomel
| uniformed company of the Harrisonbur
Guard, with the Harrisenburg band, an,
| the West Augusta Guard and the Stauntol
| Artillery, with the StonewalI Brigade band
and the Fire company of D., d. & B. Institu
ton, with the band of administration, was par
ticularly beautiful, and could not be excelled.
At half past nine o'clock the two military
companies of StauntOn, with the Stonewal
Brigade Band, met the Harrisonburg Guart
and the Harrisonbug band on their arrival al
the depot of the Valley Railroad and escorted
them through the city to the armory of the
West Augusta Guard.
AT half past ten o'clock, the procession was
formed in all its imposing array and marched
to the cemetery in the following order-the sew
eral bands on the way playing excellent music
At the head Of the procession some small
boys carried a banner upon which were like
nesses of Generals R. E. Lee and "Stonewall
Jackson, and bearing the inscription: "Our
Captains leading on.'
The Stonewall Brigade Band in their hand
some uniform.
The Staunton Artillery with their flag.
The Drum Corps of Staunton in uniform.
The West Augusta Guard with their flag.
The Harrisonburg Band.
The Karrisonburg Guard.
Carriage with the President of the Augusta
Memorial Association-Col. James H. Skinner
accompanied by Rev. John S..Martin, D. D..
Judge VIM. Mclaughlin and Gen. John Echols.
Pupils of Catholic Sunday school.
Band of the D., D. & B. Institution.
Fire company, in uniform, of the D., D. & B.
Institution.
Pupils of the D., D. & B. Institution.
Pupils of Sunday schools with banners
Juvenile Templars.
Sons of Jonadab.
Citizens in carriages great number.
Citizens ON foot
AS the head of the procession arrived at the
entrance gate of the cemetery, minute guns
were fired by section of the Staunton Artille-
ry, and dirges were played by the Bands as the
procession marched into the cemetery grounds,
and the respective companies took the positions
assigned them.
The memorial stone which occupies a promi-
nent position in the cemetery was beautifully
decorated with flowers by the hands of ladies
of taste. Itwas arched with garlands and the
top of the stone was surmounted by a beautiful
cross of evergreens and flowers.
At the speakers stand the choir, composed of
some of the best singers, male and female, of
this city, sang with fine effect .''Tis in Heaven
the spirit dwells.
Then an appropriate prayer was offered by
Rev. John S. Martin, D. D., Pastor OF the NJ E.
church South of Staunton.
The choir then sang, to the air of "Old Hun
dred," the following dirge:
Tread softly here, where lie the dead
Check not the tear, bow low the head:
Mourn for the brave who died to save
Our land, and fill an honOred grave.
Here pause in silence where they lie,
They fought and died as heroes die:
No marble tells of greater fame,
Than that wreathed round Soldiers name.
A voice comes from the silent DUST
In God-not man-put all thy trust;
When the last trump shall wake this clay,
Oh may it live in joy for aye!
Then Col. James H. Skinner, the President of
the Augusta Memorial Association, delivered,
in his usual happy manner, the following appro-
pirate and exquisiteiy tasteful address, which
our readers will concur with US in esteeming as
a literary "gem Of purestray serene" That we
might have the space to give our readers the
pleasure of reading full report of this exquis-
tie address, we have been compelled to make
our notice of the memorial celebration as brief
as possible.
COL. JAS. H. sKINNER's ADDRESS.
Fsllo,0 Citizens and Citizen Soldiers:
After an interval of several years, we are, to-
day, again assembled to lay sweet floral offer
ings on the graves of our Confederate Dead.
Seven years ago, called meeting of ex-Con-
federate soldiers held on this spot, was pleased
Memorial Association for the Confederate
Dead" and to associate with him, as an Elk
ecutive Committee, Captains Jas. Bumgardner.
Jr., Jas. III. Waters, Jno. N. Opie and S. Travers
Philips. The Association thus formed had
nothing in it's Treasury. The unmarked graves
OF our lamented dead were unsightly patches of
red clay. The barren soil of the Cemetery was
yielding a prolific growth of brambles and
briers. We forthwith set to work to collect the
necessary funds tor the improvements needed.
These, by SLOW degrees, we secured through
private donations, and from concerts and fairs.
For our success we are largely indebted to the
exertions of our StauntOn ladies, and to the
zeal of a number of Augustus patriotic daugh-
tiers. Our first step was to have plat made of
the Cemetery and to rescue from oblivion the
cNfo yo(NCC nf In Ar
the result, we secured q Register of One Thou
sand and Sevepty-seven of the noble men who
gave their lives for their country. OF several
hundred here inferred, it is sad to relate that
the names are, and will everremain, unknown.
We next undertook to fertiizea and cultivate the
soil, so that the last resting place of our COM
rades might be clad in a mantle of fresh and in
wiling verdure. In this, after several failures,
we have so far succeeded as to have the assur-
make this spot more and more attractive We
lastly proceeded to mark the graves, as durably
as iron, stone and bronze would enable us. We
have undertaken nothing until we had in hand
slowly We have raised in all Gncluding accre-
lions of INTEREST," the sum of s., 474.5S. We have
after all expenses paid S654.32, which we desire
to increase to at least Fifteen Hundred. We
look confidently to you, fair daughters of Au-
gusta and Staunton, to aid us thus to complete
this pious undertaking. Our object is TO Invest
permanently this proposed sum, and use its an
n9a interest IL aeepngs in order and in con-
II
ground. Its surroundings are certainly very
lovely. These circumjacent fields of green
those wooded hill-tOps, ROBBED in the fresh livery
of joyous young Summer, and yonder lofty
mountains-the most imposing in our 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
beauties to this sacred spot, where
'Sleep the brave, who sank to rest,
HF all their oountry's wishes blest.'
Shall there not, through all time, be layished
here a boundless wealth of loving care!
One Of the mOstnatural and tender sentiments
of the human heart, is that which leads us to
beautify the last resting place of those who, on
any account, were dear to us in life, We either
gladly fancy that the departed themselves are
not unconscious of, or different to- such marks
of devotion, or else we lovingly seek for them,
the realization Of the poets sweet fancies, OF
what he would have as the surrounding 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,