Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1879-06-11
Memorial Day at Winchester
IMMENSE TURNoUT-ST WALL
CEMETERY-MILITARY DISPLAY
The PkocEssIoN-UNvEIING OF
THE MONUMENTS.

THE MONUMENTS.
On the fourteenth annual Confederate
memorial day for the lower Valley OF
Virginia vast conc0urse, consisting of
>Confederates, and men, women and
children, gathered in Winchester from
the towns and country around for a
radius Of fifty miles to pay tribute to
the memery of the dead inferred in
Stonewall Cemetery, and witness the
unwilling and dedication services of two
monuments erected to their memory.
Special trains arriving from Baltimore,
Washington, up the Valley and from
below, brought thousands of spectators
many OF whom were invited guests.
The hotels and boarding houses in town
were filed with those interested IN the
exercises, as well as many Of the pri'
vate houses. Before dawn those from
the adjacent country came streaming
into town in every description Of vehicle
afoot and on horseback, until the tOwr
was filed to overlooking, and Tho
authorities had to forbid the entrance O.
vehicles upon the main street. 1t is
estimated that $4,000 persons were
present at the beginning Of the cere
monies.
THE MEMORIAL CEREMONY.
The ceremony of strewing flowers
over the graves ofsoldiers Of the late
war was inausurated here, it is stated
in advance of any similar movemen
North or South, on the 9th of June
1865. at the old Episcopal Cemetery,
where had been buried from the hospital
during the war number Of soldiers
The first soldiers cemetery spoken o
North or South and the first finished
was Stonewall Cemetery, it having beer
completed and dedicated Oct. 10Th
1866. with imposing ceremonies, in the
presence of vast concOurse OF people.
In this cemetery have been placed, IL
separate collins, the $500 dead soldiers
remains. most Of whom fell in battle,
from numerous localities over an area OIL
twenty miles radius from Winchester
The dead from each State were placed
in a separate lot, designated by q
wooden shaft, bearing the names OF the
State. In the centre under one large
mound. were buried 500 dead These
are designatedas the Unknown dead, y
and upon the mound over them has
been placed the larger of the two
monuments, inscribed ITO the I'm
known and UnrecOrded Dead" The
other monument, smallerin size, but
beautiful in design and workmanship
is erected by the ladies of the Virginia
Shaft Association" over the 59S soldier;
inferred in the Virginia lot.
THE MONUMENTS.
The monument erected to the "Un'
known Dead" is a column bearing or
| its top a statue of a private infantry
man at rest OH arms" and on til c
front ofth die an enlarged facsimile o.
the seal of the Confederate States, will
its motto, "Deo Vindice." The monu'
nent is of the composite order o.
architecture, 40 feet high, weighs about
65 tons, resting on foundation below
the surface Of Virginia Valley limestone
IL feet square and narrowing 81 feet
square, The base is Of Richmond
granite, 81 feet square. and the rest OIL
the structure Italian marble. The
design Of the monument is historic
rather than allegoric, the man features
of which are the seal Of the Confederate
States IN the front Of the die, and the
Jacksonian lnfantryman surrounding
all. On the remaining three sides o.
the die are the insignia Of the several
arms of the service; the crossed cannon
representing artillery-the heavy sabres
with helmet cavalry, and stack o.
muskets in front of two vacant tent;
infantry. On the four sides OF cap Of
die arc different emblemauc wreathes
Over Confederate seal, laurel, signify
mo glory: over artillery, oak, strengths
over infantry, ivy, lasting remembrance
over cavalry, olive, peace. On
the front of the base, under the seal. II
large sunken letters IS ITO the I'm
known and Unrecorded Dead" On
the right of the base is inscribed the
words:
/ Erected A. d. 1879, by the people
of the South to the 500 Unknown Con-
federate Dead who lie beneath this
Mound, in grateful remembrance ofthei'
heroic virtues, and that their example
of unstinted devotion to duty and coun-
try may never be forgotten" On the
left OF the base:
"Tho they were none know.
! What they were all know"
| On tho rear Of the base is:
"On Fames eternal camping ground,
! Their silent tents are spread.
While glory guards With solemn roun
This biyouac Of the dead.
One Of the features of the monument,
the Confederate seal, is strikingly wei
executed. The central figure OF thi'
seal. the equestrian statue Of Washing
Ton in the Capitol grounds at Rich
mond. was first suggested by Allen T
Caperto.n then in the Confederate
Congress-. The other feature Of thu
monument is the unique statue of {
private soldier of the infantry OF thu
Confederate army standing as per
lpetual guard of honor over "The I'm
known and Unrecorded Dead" The
statue Is of heroic size, being s feet II
inches high and weighing p tons. Tht
statue is in the garb Of the veteran
citizen soldier of the Confederacy, will
a local type Of face so characterlstlcally
Virginian that those looking at it name
persons it resembles. The statue has {
sad, worn countenance. standing in de
iected attitude, with hanOs folded uror
the reversed rifle.
Capt. luck, Col. Denny and Gen
Williams. who have each given mucl
attention and time to the erection ofthc
Unknown Monument, placed in The
cornerstone. securely sealed in glass
the following articles; Confederate
bonds. Confederate notes, Virgins
treasury notes, corporation Of Winches
ter notes, Bank of Richmond notes
lefty of Richmond notes, county o
Augusta notes, town Of Staunton notes
North Carolina notes, Confederate
postage, Winchester newspapers
Philadelphia Times containing desc,ip-
ltion of monuments, &C., invitation o
Memorial Association, printed list o
dead in State lots, Richmond DispatcI
containing account of dedic alton cere.
monies Of March 5, 1864, blank negotl
able notes of both banks of Winchester
| II