Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-06-02

BEAUFORT, s. c., May 31.-Yesterday was
gala day in Beaufort for ''the truly IoiI" The
occasion was Decoration day of the graves of
Federal soldiers in the National Cemetery,
founded at this place. There are nine thou
sand two hundred and forty-one graves of
known and unknown Federal soldiers, whose
bones have been gathered up from the several
battlehelds and burying grounds along the
coast. from Olustee to Charleston. The ceme-
terry covers an area Of thirteen acres, and is
surrounded by neat and substantial brick
wall with which is a handsome brick house
erected for the keeper. The grounds are kept
in neat and comely trim The principal avenues
are planted in trees and the grounds otherwise
embellished with flowers and evergreens. In
the middle of this was a stand erected for the
speakers and the participants of the ceremo-
nies which took place yesterday, and has been
preceded each year heretofore by similar
demonstrations and upon the same scale, the
advantage being, perhaps, in these that have
preceded.
For several weeks past preparations have
been making by the Northern citizens, and
particularly by the colored people, who take
an inordnate Interest in keeping up the flag
ging zeal that each succeeding year appears to
mark the recurrence of this national holiday
among those who instituted it.
HandbillS had been printed and industriously
circulated bidding all who felt an interest to
come. Invitations had been extended to the
colored citizen Soldiery of Savannah, Augusta
and Charll ston to participate in making the
day full of imposing pageantry. Arrangements
for excursion rates had been granted by the
several railroads tributary to Beaufort, and
immense crowds were expected and arranged
for On Sunday evening special excursion
train on the Port Royal Railroad arrived with
Col. G.. @. II. Claussen and staff, of the First
Regiment. National Guards of South Carolina
together with the Lincoln Republican Guards,
the Douglass Light Infantry, the Garrison
Light Infantry, the Lincoln Liz ht Infantry, the
South Carolina Rifles, the Attucks Light Infan-
try and detachment of the U. s. Grant Cav
airy from Charleston. On the following day,
just in time to take part in the procession,
which proceeded forthwith to the cemetery
they were Joined by the Georei Light Artillery
and detachment of the Forest City Guards,
who arrived by the steamer H. B. Plant
from Savannah. A large concSurse of col
ored persons from the adjoining islands
aud from the surrounding country were
in town. and the streets became packed with
dense mass of colored humanity. These con.
Quoted themselves with quietness and propri-
ETY. during the day, and seemed bent upon
enjoying themselves at the spectacle of the
military and with the music of the bands. The
day was intensely hot, and the patriotic ardor
Of the troops might have been seen ooZing
throuah every pore as they marched and cOun-
termarched through the streets. However
there were no sunstrokes, and but very little
Indulgence in stimulating beverages The
ice cream and lemonade arbors did more
thriving business, and the old maumaS with
peanut stands were happy.
The Hon. Charles Cowley, of Lowell. Mass,
formerly and during the war Judge Advocate
on Ad .tirsl Dahlgren's staff, was announced
as orator for the occasion, and his advent was
looked o with unusal interest from his having
been factor in the events and scenes around
this spot. After the decoration Of the graves
and a prayer by hev. w R. Jervey, Intendant,
g W. Collins made sn opening address,
which was quite eloquent and appropriate A
poem was read by Mr.. Judd, a
Northern citizen, then letter from Gen.
of the Sea Island Ne1Us An
original poem by Captain E. w. Thomson, a
native Of Edgefeld was delivered. Then fol-
lowed the Grafton of Hon. Charles Cowley.
most striking and noticed feature of the pro-
ceedings. and one commented upon by promi-
nent Northern residents of the town who take
no part in politics, but who literally subscribe
to help such demonstrations along, was the alb
ssnoe of any of the prominent white Republi-
cans or former Federal supporters on the
stage or taking prominent part in the cere
monies They all seemed to avoid the affair
and moved about as il in the dis
charge of some unholy and unrighteous busi
ness Their hearts did not seem to be in the
fulfllment of their programme. With the ex-
ception of ex-senator Collins and A. G. Thorn
can official prominent in the deco
ration of the graves Of the Federal dead.
The one hundred and seventeen Confederate
graves received equal attention from the hands
OF the decorators so that in few ears all
feeling about the differences of graves of the
Blue or the Grey is likely to be dissipated for
wantof inspiring hate on either side.
Judge COwley's address, to say the most,
imnOSSihtA
more than a synopsis CT the address, which
was neither fervid or eloquent, as might have
been expected, and which really bore no sig
nihcance to the occasion. He commenced his
speech with reference-it could scarce be
called a tribute-to Colonel Shaw, the Colonel
of a colored regiment who was killed on the
ramparts while storming Fort Wagner, in
Charleston hsrbor, and whose remains, he
said, had been removed to this cemetery, with
oilers who had fallen on the Federal
side. He spoke of the remarkable
circumstance of the rescue from ignominy
of Colonel Shaw's name by the erection of the
Shaw Memorial School i'll Charleston, near the
place where, as he was told, indignty was
heaped upon the dead body of the brave
Co,oT el Shaw, who fell inside the Confederate
lines while leading his colored troops to the
charge, by being buried in the same grave SIS
the negroes He stated that he had been in
formed by prominent citizen in Charleston,
who was present at the burial of Shaw, and
who had been q Confederate officer, that
lhay had dug a trench in which they had
laid a layer Of dead nfg0ers" and the
body Of Shaw had been put across
their bodies. and on top of it another layer of
his dead 1aigoers" had been hustled in. Here
the speaker was very unfortunate in his ad-
mission of the great indignity, and how shock.
ing an insult had thus been applied to the dead
body of Shaw by placing the bodies of negroes
in the same grave as their white commander. 1t
was rather an extraordinary repulsion 20 find
lurking In the breast of one who comes from
a section that breaches and claims 'the COM
mon brotherhood of mani" The reflection seem
ed to strike the colored people as very curious
that their chosen orator should indicate that the
integers were good enough to fight alongside
Of, but were not good enough to be buried pre-
miscu usly among them. However, the Judge
thought that Shaw's memory had been suf-
flciently rescued from oblivion and attempted
tgnominy by being honoTed with having his
likeness the most conspicuous object now
hanging on the walls of one of the most promi-
nent public schools in Charleston. Colonel
Shaw, Judge Cowley said, was a
typical so der of the Northern sec
ton, who, if the. war had been announced
from the first as intended for the liberation OF
the slave, would never have been in the Fed
erai service; but for the preservation of the
country as a whole, and for the maintenance
aud honor of the old flag, Shaw was inspired
and to this was he committed. Not so with the
other typical soldier who lies buried in this
same cemetery, and whom he named, Col
Putnam. of New Hampshire, who, he said, re-
presented that other element that was for
freeing the slaves and for asserting the power
of the General Government to do so. And
here again it was curious TO observe the
change that the sentiment among the ora
tors Of New England has undergone, and the
evident disposition to retire the cause of the
man and brother" from the hustings and
from the arena of discussion. Time was when
for just suoh prestige the name and deeds of
Putuam as the exemplar of the spirit of the
struggle with the South would have made his
name the popular one upon whom to dwell
because he was enlisted for the freedom of
the slave, but it was shaw who was not in
favor of freedom for the slave, and yet had
been treated with indignity by having his body
mixed up so indecorously among Mig
gers that one orator now loved to
dwell and to recommend to thoughtful
and charitable consideration. We write Just
as we are impressed as candid and disinter-