The Cecil Whig., 1881-06-04
DECORATION DAY.
HONORS To THE DEAD SOLDIERS
Ceremonies - Elktor, Cherr:' Hill, and
North East.

Monday May Both, tie day set apart
upon which once year 10 do homage 10 the
heroic dead who laid down Thei: lives upon
1!,s altar Of their ,G&nyrg d;,Nfi..l "learan,I
pleasant, with L bright ,Ea and a cool in
NigoTatinS breeze; toward noon, however.
the heat of old Sol hecane quite intense and
many We're glad 10 seek the shade At an
! early hour members of CrcSwcl Post, G.. \.
L., and others were moving toward head
quarters, bearing flowers, ilags, and other
enIhlemS TO he used in he ceremony. Very
little business seemed TO he tran$actcd;
though our people, generally, did not turn
ont to take part in the ceremony, content
ing themselves with furnishing the flowers
and leaving the remainder To he ncriormed
hy the G. y. K. Post.
At about 10 O'Clock, the Post assembled at
its headquarters, and rerr shortly after
ward, headed by the ElkIun Cornet Band
Prof. Harry McCrone leader, took up its
, line of march 10 the various burial grounds
in and near town. Both the Band and Post
were uniformed and presented Il very cred
liable appearance. The first place visited
was tie Presbyterian cemetery. Here they
: We're TO have been met by Rev. Mr.. Hebcr-
, ton, pastor of the church, hut this arrange
: ment failed in consequence Of the &. \. K.
/ being ahead of time. The ceremony of deco
rating the graves WAS gone through with
without introductory services, and the graves
of Federal and Confederate soldiers hon0red
alike. The new cemetery on Howard street
: WAS then visited, where Rev. Mr. Schouler
! of the Trinity p. Z. Church, conducted the
, preliminary services. The next place Wis
tied was the Old Methodist cemetery on
High street, where Il number OF soldiers are
inferred. Here, Rev. Mr.. Avery Of the VI.
, +. Church, offered prayer and protuSion
{ of flowers We're ,Ii>trib"trd. after the cere-
! monies here, the company visited the fourth
and only remaining burial ground-;hat at
/ tached to the Catholic Church on Bridge
t street. \ number OF graves We're decorated
| here. but no other Scrvirc was held, there
/ heinz 10 clergyman present. The Post then
/ marched 10 its headquarters. where it was
/ dismissed unril O'Clock +. NJ, when they
4 Mere notified to meet to proceed to Cherry
/ Hill cemetery.
The visit to the cemetery L; Cherry Hill
/ is always the great feature Of decoration
day here. The people Of that village and
n"ghhorhood take hearty interest in The
! ceremony and turn out en ntnS>r. Here,
too, the Grafton at The day WIS 10 hc dr!iv-
, cred ami other nlra,iu, services hel,i, and Il
crowd WAS looked for and thcrr. WAS no dis
appointment Promptly a: the hour fixed,
+ 'reSwcll Post, accompanied by the Baud,
took carriages for the Hill. A?rivin. There
they formed line on the border of the town
and marched through the principal street
to the cemetery, where they were met and
Welcomed by Il delegariur. headed pv he
pastor of the church, Rev. Mr.. White. After
placing their floral tributes upon the graves
ot the soldiers in the cemetery, the entire
company gathered in the church to listen 10
! the Grafton by Rev. Mr.. Matlack, of Viii
mington. The house was crowded and many
could not gain admittancr. The services
We're opened by prayer hy Rev. Nr. Avery:
after which Mr.. Matiacl1 spoke rs i,'lowS:
Comrades of :he G.. \. T., this day is ON
Secrated to martial memories, and to the
pleasant duty of decorating patriot soldiers
graves.
Twenty wears ago this month. ut Mont
j gOlncry, Alah2ma, u Congress Of traitors
made formal declaration Of war on the nited
States, thus contcmptuUurly treating their
native land As a foreign power. I'm army
organized with stolen arms, fifty mil
lions OF bogus money Were printed, many
millions more of debt due to Mort hern cre,li-
tors were outlawed, and then these rebels
against Tie most generous government ON
earth, and repuaiatnrS Of honest deb:S, went
hvpocritically before God in prayer, May
Il, 1851, being appointed rs general fast
day through the Sonth.
The nov outlawea head Of that Congress
Of traitors, in an address To The Southern
people, then called the martyred Lincoln
'au ignorant usurper,' and one of his gen
erals said that Lincoln was "a reckless ana
unprncipled tyraut.
Their joint opinion of your rally for the
defense of the nation, and ni our comrades
generally twenty years ago May ~, was
thus expressed: =" Whatever happens aI first,
we are certain TO triumph at last, even il we
had for arms only ptcil-fnrkS and lock
muSketS y gallant and free people that
is the rebel army are invinciblr against
disciplined mrrcenareS. WnLt then must
ie the result when its enemies are little more
than an armed rabhie, gathered hastily on
IA false pretenSc for an unholy purpose.
That means you and me, my comrades,
and a million other men.
The sequel was written within four years
ny the loInt lenmanShip OF Gen. Grant and
Gen. Lee, when ut Apn"nattoA, April q,
lS". The hr>t Sand: propose I" receive
the surrender OF the Army Of Northern III
Slnla. And the second replied: hettrmS
ot tEe surrender OF the Army oi Northern
Virginia as proposed by Nou are accepted.
This hrlet abstract OF martial memories is
an index to a large volume ot history aiound-
ing with noble deeds ana terrible suffering,
Whlch we Il" h"t care 10 relate To- lay. 6nt
we cho">e 10 lenieii'utr why II WIS "h;tI we
t""Ghl. ANA we rel"ico 10 kno" 'hiJ Il
grateful nation unite ny III" miill"n, with
n"ral proceSSiohS' 10 perform annual rii-
grimages 10 the graves "t their patriot dead.
In tile presence "f, or near ny some OF our
urad 'oihfa'ie>, we may ne "lluWe" l" recall
ne scenes OF naraheSS eh""fen ny many ON
the h.ld an" III 'leir tents: WhIrh hro"ght
more OF th'm 10 Ill" gray" 'h'h an Who le'I
III ha'tie.
IL Is hot hlfh 20 h@it even u H'ahn"rn i"e
and dle III the licii VIII N"nfc"mraueS close
about You. Inc faLl\lh cry oi the COM
mander, the Replying SHOUTS OF tue men, the
ruHh and roar ana crash oi the c"niilc'' All
ada 10 the Pf"lt!ilhG iorcea OF me lodr ol
battle" But 10 lie down quietly III the tenf,
t" he almost alone TO waste away Slowly,
ami "ie among ''fah gers WIN IL" nome lace
non t"hiiade y nan" he"i 'H--"H' 'h'' tests
the lhahhoo" o' lht maN'
lhe regiment hean4 utr'tIS were per
MAJ" IltfaIly III ihe II" ~ ne "l'rhlH@ oi
Il wet winter. crowded III CLOSE not tents,
going out heated t" guard and licket duty,
IN searching rams, HnlFtilh" WIN coil lnf