The Portland daily press., 1879-05-31
MEMORIAL DAY.
How it was Celebrated in Portland
and Elsewhere.
Grafton by Hon. G. w. Goddard.


pleasanter afternoon, but a very high wind
arose which was anything but agreeable later
in the day. The citizens generally observed
thu. occasion, and in the afternoon almost all
| the stores were closed. Flags were generally
| displayed at half-mast. The streets through
which the procession passed were crowded with
spectators, but the attendance at Evergreen
Cemetery was somewhat less, caused no doubt
| by the fact that the Grafton is now delivered in
the evening at City Hall, and the high wind
which raised great dust.
| MORNING.
In the morning the squads carried their
| floral decorations to the various cemeteries and
placed them on the graves Of the dead heroes
Eastern Cemetery is looking particularly well,
| for great attention has been paid to the turf
the walks have been newly rolled and the
trees trimmed and fixed up most attractively.
| Junior Vice Commander Mitchell commanded
the squad at this cemetery, and that which
also attended Lincoln Tree, and Rev. Mr.. Ladd
| offered prayer.
| Calvary squad was escorted by Chambers
Band, % pieces, the Montgomery Guards, 36
men, and Temperance Cadets, 10 men. The
squad was commanded by Officer of the Day
Henry S. Thrasher. High Mass was celebrated
by Father Doherty, and Father McKenna de-
| liyered brief and patriotic address.
At Western Cemetery the squad was COM
manded by Senior Vice Commander Fitzger-
aid. Rev. Mr.. Southworth prayed that pa
| triotism and love of liberty might never again
be tried in this land.
| Officer of the Guard S. B. Day commanded
the squad at Forest City Cemetery. Rev. Mr..
Murphy officiated, and Gen. I. w. Starbird de-
! livered admirable address, of which the
| following is a brief abstract:
| The General commenced by referring to the
| fact that the onward march of time had once
| more brought around the day on which we all
| show our appreciation of the worth Of those
who died for their country. He referred to
| the written and unwritten history of the
| causes which led to the war, showed how there
had never been conflict which so fixed the
| attention of the whole civilized world, because
| throw of the Republican form of government.
| No other republic had ever been able to make
| its government firm and self-protecting, and
| the hope of monarchical Europe was that this
| would prove the death struggle of our own.
| Our strength lay in the fact that its fundamen-
tai principles and true spirit were engrafted in
1 the hearts of its people; its own life blood
coursing in the veins OF its individual citizens.
| Our power lay in deeply rooted patriotism,
| in the belief of the justice of our cause. He
| then enumerated many of the battles in which
| the soldiers courage and valor were displayed,
| and said they could never be forgotten. None
| fought more bravely than those from Maine.
| The dangers then revealed only made the
soldiers warmer friends. The horrors of An
Jacksonville gave to many lingering death.
| Comrades, continued the speaker, however
| willingly we may accord to these fends all the
rights and privileges due them in their semi
repentant citizenship, can we, ought we, to
| blot out from our memories the great, the I'M
| pardonable cruelties, nay, the more than he'll
| fish wrongs, which our poor fellows endured at
the hands of their captors? We would be
| more than human if now we would take them
| to our bosomS, forgetting that our brave men,
| whose only crime was devotion to their
| country's flag, were treated worse than felons,
| scoffed at, trodden upon, starved, abused in
| every form that fiends could devise, and COM
| PEELED to live life which was worse, far
worse than thousand deaths. No, comrades,
| let them ask of us anything else, but to hold in
| equal regard those who fought to save and
| those who fought to destroy our country
| o! We people, he continued if any there be,
| who would wish to bury in oblivion the deeds
| of those gallant heroes, if you would forget the
| suffering, the death, the more than human sac
rifices of our brave fallen ones, stop, oh, stop,
for you are dishonoring the dead, and offering
| to the living poor recompense for all that las
| been achieved. Rather let us cherish their
memories and endeavor to emulate their vir-
| tues. Let us ever feel that it is duty we owe
to them and the stricken ones they have left
| behind.
AFTERNOON.
| AT 1:20 the military procession formed in
| Market Square and marched to Grand Army
| Hall, where it received Bosworth Post. G. A.
r. and the officers of the Army and Navy IN
ion and marched over the published route to
| the Portland & Rochester station in the follow
| ing order:
Platoon of Police
| F. L. Merrill, Commandant.
Drum Major, G. w. Bean.
Chambers Band 20 pieces.
| Chief Marshal.
| Department Commander, w. B. Smith.
| Aids.
| A M. Sawyer, Geo. H. Abbott.
Capt j. j. Lynch, p. M. g., Lieut.. G. A. Weston,
Portland Montgomery Guards, Lieuts. Hartnett and
| Lappin 40 men.
Mechanic Blues Capt. c. w. Davis, Lieuts. Coles
| worthy and SWEET, 81 men.
Portland Cadets, Capt H. G, Eaton, Lieuts. Mosely
Portland Temperance Cadets, Capt. E. Murphy 10
men.
WHITMAN PG SAVER Ns 2 adaah f E.
Quartermaster, A. II. burlington; Sergeant
Major, W. H. Rowe. Company A, Capt,
s.y l. C., = Fitzg SsaldoI Lieut. &c O. of
Army and Navy Union officers President, W. E.
SIMMONS nm Vice .l Presidents R. B Swift Wo
| bish; Quartermaster, Capt. j. j. Perry;
Past President, Capt. G. E. Brown.
| Portland City Government: Mayor Walker, Alder
men Waite and Andrews; Councilmen Gately,
Tukesbury,- Carney, Gibson, Pickett, Fiske
and Chaplin; Auditor Novel;, and with
them G. W. True, Surveyor of Port
Bosworth Post, Company B, Capt. j. v Mitchell;
Lieut., 0. of g., S. B. Day, AZ men.
The military marched splendidly. Mr.. G. w.
Bean, Drum-Major, made a very fine appear
ance in his uniform, and added no little to the
general effect of the band. AT the Rochester
station thirteen cars-four less than last year
were quickly loaded with the procession and
the public and proceeded to Deering.
AT the cemetery about $500 people had as
sembled. After graves had been decorated
and many of the speci al designs were very
beautiful-the soldiers assembled on Memorial
Lot and decorated the monument. Rev. Mr..
Hutchins offered an admirable prayer Chand-
ler's band played dirge, and the procession
reformed and returned to Portland. The band
decorated the grave of Mr.. Young, an old
| member.
EVENING.
AS early as $50 p. m. the crowd began to
pour into City Hall, and by 7.30 o'clock the
hall was filled to repletion. The stage, at the
latter hour, was occupied by Department Com
mander Winsor B. Smith and staff, the Choir
us Choir under the leadership of Mr.. Fitch,
Comrade Nickerson chairman of the commit
tee from Bosworth Post, the orator of the day
Judge G. w. Goddard, Mrs. T. P. Beals, DR..
Carruthers and Chandler's Band.
The exercises opened with brief concert by
the band, which played selections from Mer-
eadante's ''La Vestali,'' and Sullivan's 'Pina-
afore," to the evident delight of all present.
Chairman Nickerson then introduced DIR
Carruthers who delivered an impressive
prayer. The Chorus Choir sang hymn with
great effect, after which Mrs. T. P. Beals re-
cited Barbara Fretchie'' with true dramatic
fire. Judge Goddard then delivered an able
and ornate Grafton, of which the following is
an abstract:
JUDGE GoDDARD's GRAFTON.
The orator commenced by referring in the
words of Pericles to the commentators which
had been bestowed on the author of that law
instituting an Grafton to those who sacrificed
their lives for their country. For my part said
Perices, II think it sufficient for men who
have proved their virtue in action, by action to
| be lOnOred for if and that the virtues of the