Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1880-06-09
Decoration Day Exercises.

eek, by Mrs. G. A. Shannon, and
le grafton, which was delivered by
ev. ]. w. Campbell, but we give
Iem to our readers this week.
The poem was written one year
70, by Rev. j. B. Atchison, now
.stor of the NJ. E. Church at East
awas, for Decoration Day exer-
ses at Birmingham, and which
as so fitting to the occasion that
RS. Shannon sent for and obtained
copy, which is as follows:
The wheels Of time roll on,
The years pass swiftly by,
But never will our loyal hearts,
Though decades pas; us fly,
Forset the boys who left their homes,
On battle fields TO die.
So bring your flowers of brightest bloom,
In memory of our dead,
And scatter garlands DER each N ound,
Above each slumbering head;
It's thus we Il honor heroes brave,
Who for our country bed.
They conquered, though they died,
And freedoms cause was won;
The "stars and stripes" still proudly aoat,
Long may they greet the sun,
And show TO nations Of the earth,
How "many may be one"
The years come and so,
We move to and fro;
But cannot forget each brave deed,
So we gather to-day 70 honor our clay,
It's well that this service we heed.
Scatter flowers DER the ground
OF ZACH sacred soldier mound;
Scatter flowers DER the graves
OF our country's noble braves;
Scatter flowers, garlands white,
Emblem Of the truth and right;
Scatter flowers, wreaths of blue,
Words sign of soldier trus;
Scatter flowers, crosses red,
Emblem Of the heart that bled;
Symbol Of the crimson tide,
Which flowed from wounds when heroes died
Scatter flowers of perfume rare,
OF llluE ntIt ANhfN NANS Ahh
Fair and gentle, bold and brave,
Died our eountyy's flag TO save,
Died in freedoms holy cause.
Died defending freedoms laws;
scatter flowers, fresh and bright,
Over loved snes, lost % sight.
Scatter flowers DER the graves,
OF our sons and brothers brave;
Boys who never knew a care,
Boys with spirits light as air;
Boys w1o were their psrents pride,
Boys who fought and nobly died;
Brave young ncn at oannor's mouth,
Died in sunny, erring south;
Died for country and for right,
Died amid the thiekest fight;
Heroes brave where heroes fell,
Who their noble deeds shall tell;
Brave young men, we miss them now,
But in silence sadly bow
Ger their graves, and while We weep,
Scatter flowers where they sleep.
Bring another garland here,
For I le husband lying near,
For the one who left his wife,
Dearer far 10 him than life;
Flowers Of hope in constant bloom,
Filled their lives with sweet perfume;
But, far away in sunny south,
War clouds threw their shadows north;
Love Of home and native land,
Always joining hand in hand;
When the nation calls, ''To war"
Love Of home will not demur;
So the husband leaves his wife,
To protect her with his life,
Sad the parting, dark the aeS
When he bravely marched away;
sadder still when tidings fed,
OF the fight where he had bled;
Home, where she, the lonely wife,
Prayed that in the battles strife,
He, the noblest, bsst NJ men,
Might be spared TO come again.
Did he GOMEZ All ! no, not he,
Only dust, his soul was free;
Nov his body, lfeless lies,
In the grave beneath our eyes;
Where he sleeps well scatter flowers,
Gathered from the fairest bowers
oh, the graves benesth the grass,
How they thicken as years pass;
Graves Of brave boys brought from afar;
Comrades graves from prison pen,
Graves Of heroes who were slain:
Not by sword, OF shot, OF shell,
Not by those who did rebel;
But by fevers, chills and damps,
BY miasmi from the swamps;
Graves Of men who fought and lived,
Who the cruel war survived;
o, the multitude OF graves,
That cont ain our noble braves;
Yet, the graves Of some are missed
Graves Of youths we once carressed,
These whose bodies ne'er were found,
Honored by grassy mound;
Those whose bones in quiet lay,
where the fishes sport and play;
In dark Chick shominy's stream,
Where the sunlight scarce doth CLEAN,
Shot from pontoon, bridge end boat,
shot from mortar, raft and float,
Shot from towering mast and spar,
shot from steamer, man-of-war;
Nov they sleep beneath the waves;
Them we mourn, but miss their graves;
The seas low moan their only dirge,
Their only shroud the oceans surge;
The coral builds above the brave,
The only shaft that marks their grave;
A seaweed garland, vet with bune,
IL scattered there by hand divine;
O, God Of freedom, theirs and onrs,
O, cover them with unseen flowers.
One other class Of heroes
Wen not forget to-day
Let mem,ry weave garland
For them, though far away,
Along the muddy rivers
An marshes Of the south,
They isll - heat Of battle