The daily gazette., 1879-05-31
GRAVES AND GARLANDs.

Decorating the TOsmbo Of the Dol.
disr bead with spring.time Flow
I'm Wilmington.
The beautiful custom of recent years,
of decorating the graves of the dead SOL
diers who fought and died in the late
civil war, was again appropriately OBJ
served In this city yesterday, the day
set apart by common custom throughout
the land for such ceremonies. There is
something about it that seems to make
the memory IT the dead heroes much
nearer to us, and the earnes.ness with
which the celebration OF the day was en-
tered into by many Of Cur citizens is very
gratifying.
The flowers, used for the occasion,
we're brought to the City Hall on Thurs
day night Or Friday morning, and the
donors were numerous and their favOrs
liberal. There was quite a beautiful
display Of bouquets and wreaths and gar
lands to be seen arranged upon the ia
bles before the decorating committee
started out.
Acco. ding 10 the arrangements made
on Thursday night, the committee of
decoration, consisting of Messrs. Peter
b. Ayers and Johu J. Gallagher, started
about 10 O'Clock and placed flowers upon
the graves of the dead soldiers In River
view, Asbury and Old Swedes cemeter-
les and in the coloIed grave yard at
Ninth and French streets.
During the day the only suspension of
business was that there was no delivery
ofthe mail throughout the city after that
Ut the early forenoon. There was no
display of bunting to speak Of from pri-
vate residences or places of business,
although flags were flying from all the
government buildings and the public Of
fees. A flag pole about 90 feet in height
was erected beside the soldiers monu-
Inent and the stars and stripes hoisted TO
the iopmost point, to he great delight Of
the old patriot Eli Crozier.
About 2 o'clock a procession was form
ed in front of the { lily Hall, which shortly
afterward proceeded up Market street
under direction Of Chief Marshal, Major
W. Y. Swigget, assisted by Col. Peter
Mccullough, Adjutant General Postles
and d. f. stewart. 1t was headed by
nine policemen under command of Ser
geait Jones, after which came the City
Corne. band. The American Rifles, Is
in number, came next, under command
Of Major Sam'l A. Macallister and Capt.
Wood aud Immediately behind them
came thirty of Company e Dupont
Qua DIS, commanded by Captain Curtis.
Behind these were A members of the
Veteran Volunteers Association Of Della
ware, headed by Mr.. Peter b. Ayers.
The rear was brought up by the wagon
L.. laI 1, A,.r .iann
aiming Elk Mayor Valentine and Mr..
John J. Gallagher.
The route up Delaware Avenue to the
soldiers monument aud countermarch to
the Wilmington and Brandywine GENE
terry has already been given. The "boys
| in blue" looked well and marched with
much precision aud nnision. On reach
ing the cemetery gate, where vas,
crowd was congregated, platoon OF Co
| g under command of Lieutenant Rice,
and several Of the veterans, was sent i'll
| TO the Catholic Cemetery near by and
| tired salutes over the graves of the sol
| Tiers buried there. The main body ell
tered the grave yard with reversed arms
and the band playing the dead march
Inside, the militia again separated, the
remainder OF Co. g going TO Genera
thomas A. Smyth's grave, under com
mand of Captain Curtis, when three vol
eys were fired, and the American Rifle
marching To the south west corner undel
leadership of Capt. Wood, were SINH
lar salute was fired over the dead heroes
buried there. The graves were tIen dec
Grated by the militia aud veteran vol
| unteers.
After this Co. g again went and mar
ching to the tomb of their late beloved
comrade, Corporal e. G. Hesser, fired {
special salute to his memory. The mill
Tia then formed and marched to their re
spective quarters and the ceremonies o
the day were over.