Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-05-28
DECORATION DAY.
The Graves of tho Confederate Dead
az ElmwOOd Cemetery Adorned
with Flowers on Yesterday An
Immense Crowd OF Citizens In Az
tendance.

federate dead who sleep at Elmwood
Cemetery. The Confederate Relief As
ISOLATION, at a meeting held a few weeks
ago, resolved and recommended hat nc
formal display should be made, no street
parade, no GRAFTON, no religious service
no music, but that the friends of the loved
aud lost heroes Of the South should visit
the city Of the dead aud contribute floral
honors to the cruubliDg remains Of the
soldiers, who after LIES itful fever, sleep
WELL"
The Relief Association was not unmind-
full Of or insensible to the fact that there
are very many Of our most estimable
people who preferred that the decoration
should take place on some other day
than the Sabbath; but the association
was also aware OF the fact that there are
a great many whose friends lie sleeping
in our cemeteries who are so situated
that they cannot, without great incoD.
venience and the neglect Of their bust,
ness, participate in a decoration on auy
other day except the Sabbath. Every.
body appreciates the -sacreduess of the
Sabbath, but a testimonial such as this
should not be regarded by any one as a
dissertation of the day. 1t was a floral
Offering, presented without ostentation
and in q spirit OF love and religion.
Eraly yesterday meruing ladies and
getlemen could be seen vending their
way out to the cemetery, carrying with
them dowers for the decoration of the
graves, The flowers were scattered
around, and then the ladies aud gentle.
men returned home.
A delegation Of the ex-members of the
Bluff City Grays &c. S. A. was, in at,
tendance early in the morning, and
flowers were spread on the graves Of the
members OF the company who fought
and fell in the war between the States.
The boys also repaired to the Calvary
Cemetery and spread a)wers on the
grave Of John Stokes, who, in life, was a
gallant member of the noted company.
During the forenoon and afternoon the
friends and relatives of the dead visited
the graves and spread flowers every.
where. No attempt at display was man.
Tested, but people repaired quietly to
the cemetery and performed the sad YET
pleasing duty, showing that the memory
Of the dead was yet green in their hearts
The bitterness or luminosity, which
naturally resulted at the close of the wal
between the people of the North and the
South, is rapidly fading away, and 6
more generous and msgnanimous feeling
is surely and rapidly taking the place Of
all that. In order to celebrate this
better feeling and hail the approach OF
an era OF peace the poet has sung:
"Ours the fate Of the vanquished.
Whose heart-aches never cease;
Ours the tears,
Regrets and fears
Theirs the eternal peace.
Anger they dropped forever
With the passing burden Of breath;
The Blue and the Gray
Are alike to-day
In the ~oolOrless land Of Death.
And tho living who wore the Blue
May bring TO the sleepers flowers
For the Blue and tho Gray are friends to-day
In a happier land than ours"
By three o'clock in the afternoon the
cemetery vas filled with people, wko
numbered many thousands. The Charles
ton railroad trains, the street cars, omni.
buses, private ~eonveyaness, public
hacks, etc were brought into requisi
ton, while hundreds OF people walked
out to the grounds. People from the
country came in on excursion trains,
and Joined in offering tribute to the
dead. The gates of the cemetery were
thrown open during the day, no passes
being required. AT the north aud south
gates committees were present and each
person entering the grounds was invited
to contribute what he or she pleased TO
the monumental fund. The invitation
was literally responded to, but few re.
fusing to give a little in aid Of the good
cause. The intense heat of the day and
the disagreeable dust kept numbers OF
people from attending the decorations,
but even many OF these sent out their
contributions of flowers.
The celebration, quiet aud unostenta-
tious as it was, was most successful. The
green graves will await a return Of the
anniversary. This year no doubt the
monument will be erected. What the
design will be we know not, but it should
be appropriate in every respect. A figure
of a Confederate soldier in gray granite
woull not be out of place. 1t would not
be costly, but it would convey the idea
that the dead, who rest so quietly beneath
those green hilooks, once we're imbued
with life, and amid the smoke Of battle
and while the missiles of death fell thick
as hail, they many a time and oft
went charging to the cheering cry
Of Dixie, and of victory"
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