Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-06-21
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FRIDAY MORNING. JUNE 81, 1878.
Local
FLOWERS ON THE GRAVES.

DECORATION DAY IN STAUNTON-FLOW-
ERS ON THE GRAVES AND BANNERS
IN THE sTREETS-THE MILITARY PA
RADE,
&C., &C., &C.
AS the sky was getting gray with the
dawn of Friday morning, the last strokes
of the workman's hammers on the Main st.
arches of evergreens were heard, and creep
ing back into the stores were to be seen
the tired clerks who had just put the fin
ishing touches to the fronts of their estab-
lishments. AS the sun came up, the town
looked like it had underground transforma-
ton by the fairies. Main street is not
stretched tight, and the slack lies in a hol-
low. which holds the chief business part
of the town. Standing under an ever
green arch spanning the street in front of
the residence of Mayor Balthis, by whom
it was erected, and looking East to Gospel
hill, where the slack ends, the bright sun
showed a wonderful picture. Below, and
two blocks off, an arch at the Lutheran
church corner, gay with miniature flags
and banners looked like the entrance to
flower garden. Beyond it the buildings
on either side of the street were alive with
gay banners, Virginia and American flags,
streamers, penants and parti-colored
bunting in all shapes pendent from porch
es, windows and caves. In this first par
terre were some emblems of mourning in
the shape of festoons Of black and white en-
twined, and in some cases falling over life
size portraits of Lee surrounded by ever
green wreaths, pinned at the bottom with
Gala lilies Another arch at the end Of
the block formed the enclosure of this scene
and the entrance to another. This block
was even brighter with color and thicker
with decorations than the first. State and
National flags were 80 thickly stretched
across the street that the view was inn
peded. Among these also were stretch
ed emblems of mourning. AS the arch
just named had portraits of Lee and jack
son draped in black upon it, so the first
under which the spectator stands bears a
! draped likeness of Stonewall. At the
end Of this block came superb square of
evergreens, presenting an arch and fes
| ICONS on all four sides, and on each side
bearing a medallion bearing words of hon.
| or to the dead, or welcome to the visitors
who were expected. Still beyond this the
wilderness of flags and banners continued.
Coming down from the height and passing
along the cross streets the same profusion
of decoration save the arches prevailed.
The rays of the rising sun glittered on the
bayonets of troops moving about and the
rolling of the drums filled the morning air
THE VISITORS.
The Eastern train brought the Lynch
burg Light Artillery Blues under Capt. F.
Lee, IS strong, and the Danville Grays un-
der Capt. Albert Gerst, IS strong and de-
tachment Of company 'sB" of Richmond,
numbering 10 men. The Grays were ac-
companied by some lady friends land
brought with them bouquet presented by
little daughter Of their former conan an
| der, Capt. Coleman, to be laid on a t
! federate grave at Staunton. The visitbM
were taken to the Staunton Artillery head
quarters, Grange Hall, where, after being
refreshed they were conducted to their
quarters, the Grays at the American and
the others at the Virginia Hotel. The
Staunton Artillery under Capt. A. H.
Fultz and the West Augusta Guard under
Capt. w. L. Bumgardner, who had re-
ceived the visitors then rested until
O'Clock when they marched to the Valley
depot to receive the companies coming
| from our section-the Harrisonburg Guard
list 1t. John Donovant in command, An
derson Guard of Woodstock, Capt. Magru-
,ler IN command and Winchester Light
Infantry, Capt. J. Z. Burgess in command
With these came the Charlestown. Stras.
burg, Woodstock and Harrisonburg bands.
THE PARADE.
The military parade which moved at 10
O'Clock was the largest and most imposing
ever in Staunton. The procession was in
charge of Capt. James Bumgardner, Jr.,
Chief Marshal. assisted by Colonies John
D. Lilley and Hayes ). Williams, Captains
J. N. Opie, Lewis Hartman, F. B. Berkeley
and Benton Kolner, and 1t. James N.
Mcfarland. The military were under
acting Colonel w. L. Bumgardner of the
West Augusta Guard, the artillery bat
talon being commanded by acting Major
A. II. Fultz of the Staunton Artillery and
the infantry by acting Major James P.
Burgess of the Winchester Light Infantry.
The fire companies we're in command of
Chief Engineer James II. Waters. Prof
\ A. J. Turner of the Stonewall Brigade
Band was Director in Chief of the Bands.
and his own band and the Charlestown
band headed the column. The procession
moved in the following order-the infan-
try FIRST, the detail from company B of
Richmond forming into line with West Au-
:gusta Guard, the artillery companies, car
riages containing Hon. VIM. L. Balthis,
mayor Of the City, Col. James H. Skinner,
President Of the Memorial Association,
Capt. Henry L. Hoover, orator of the day.
Rev. DR.. Charles Manly and Rev. James
E. Booker, Mr.. John Merritt, an old citi-
zen and soldier of 1872, Gen. John Echols.
Judge VIM. Mclaughlin, Col. Portlock of
Lynchburg, and others, the Augusta Fire
Company under Capt, Michael Cox, with
their hose carriages beautifully deco
rated, the Hook & Ladder Company under
Capt. John M. Hardy, with their truck
handsomely decorated, the Captain being
seated on 1t with a little girl dressed in
white, on either side, and finally the D.,
D. Il B. Institution Fire company bearing
wreaths Along the procession were dis
tributed the bands we have named and the