Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1882-06-02

VI tne lbiIeU b1dNes
Their, as we gather the gnrlands OF flow
ers and approach the cemetery, our hearts
respond to the lines of Sir Walter Scott:
''Soldier rest! thy warfare DER.
Sleep the sleep that knows not breaking;
Dream of battle fields more,
Days of danger, nights OF waking.
In our is,e's enchanted hall.
Hands vi seen thy couch are strewing,
Fairy strains of music fall,
Every sense in sumber dewing."
Little does 1t matter to the brave COM
rades who fell in honor, what tribute we
bring. Much does il behoove us to regard
the honors we offer. We could not remain
silent this week without blush diffusing
oir cleeks,and thecrimson shame mantling
our brow. We must speak, we must decor
ate, we must honor, or be branded as in
CRATES. We can only maintain our self-re-
spect by paying deserving honor to those
who have given themselves for us, to those
who have not in their death disgraced
their race, nor the uniform and flag of
their country; men who taught us the no.
bility OF duty and the heroisn in death.
..Give me the death OF those
VINO Tor The ricoDniry die
And oh! lie mine like their repose,
When cold aud low they ljel
Their lowell est mother Garth
Enshrines the faller brave,
In her sweet lap who gayc them birth,
They find their tranquil graves.
-Montgt merry.
Though they shall no more answer TO
the roll call, yet their names shall be often
called in respect 10 their blessed memory,
for
Each soldiers name
Shall shine untarni ished on the rolls of fame,
And stand the example of each distant age,
And new lustre add TO the historic pPge."
David humphrey.
1t is said the great French soldier, La
Tour d. Auvergne, who was the hero of
many battles, remained in the ranks though
often pressed to accept a promotion.
Napoleon sent him a sword inscribed,
First among the grenadiers of France"
When at last he fell on the field of battle
and of glory, the Emperor ordered that his
heart should be embalmed and placed in
a silver case, and entrusted it to the keep
ing of his company, with the command
that his name should be called at every
roll-call, and the Oldest soldier respond,
"Cead on the field of honor" To us is
committed the names OF the brave Ameri-
can soldiers in our cemeteries we embalm
their noble hearts, and when the name OF
each hero is called some grateful citiz"n
or soldier in floral chaplet responds,
''Dead on the field oil honor" We can not
add to their fame, for they are already
brevetted in fadeless garlands OF the immor-
tai Amaranth, and the sweet flowers as they
fall TO the grave borrow a new sweetness
in their pious conservation.
How befitIng it is that these comrads
of the dead should lead to the place Of re-
pose and first cast the floral tribute upon
The graves. Whilst we can remember the
dead with gratitude, these comrads can dc
more than that, for they remember them
on the field OF battle, and can give expires
sion to their full realization Of true patri-
otism. These stand here as saved by theii
death, but as willing as they that thelI
lives should be sacrificed, If need be, il
the maintenance OF the nations honor and
veal. These men have similar experience
and understand the heart toreboddings
with them they marched and camped
with them they scaled the fort and th,
refe pit with them they made their las
victorious charge and in the flush OF victo
ry by their sides they died. What memo
res crowd on them this day What bat
tie fields are mapped before their eyes
How the old com panions, the old regiments
the old brigades, the old divisions, the oil,
corps, with their battle flags and wei
known banners and commanders are form
ed in line, IN imagination, and march int,
the lhickest OF the fight Once more the
press shoulder to shoulder with them
, Once more they greet them as comrads
Once more the camp fire burns at thei
feet and they hear the songs and stories s.
frequently sung and told ! But they ar
called back again from their mental wan
. derings and remember that these conrad
are no more. The hot tear trickles dow
, their cheeks and their hearts bern within
them, and their hands are ready and ca ge
! to honor their fallen comrads with til
choicest flowers. These living conrad
can better voice the full meaning of Deco
ration Day they only rise to the height
| of appreciation they are the depositorie
of the most precious memories they ar
: the custodians of that il lustrious roll G
honor which glorifes the Amer rican nam,
| But our minds are diverted 10 othe
scenes; scenes still fresh in the memory q
. many here to day; to those days Of forboc
1 dings when the knell Of war was echoe
r through the Union sky, and when brav
Z men responded to the call of the nation
r chieftain. Then it WIS that hearts bega
e to ache and fear at the parting. Nobl
e fathers and mothers gave the good bye an
: God bless you, TO their mobler sons; wive
/ perhaps but OF day, clinging to the maI
u ~ breast Oi the Soluier HUSBAND, sobDe
e what she could not speak-the good-by
z perhaps the long, long farewell; the pra
/. tling child, unable to understand VIII
e those tears and sobs ment, mingled h,
II tea RS and sobs with the mother as she 10
d lngly chung to the uniform father; Il
a, sweet maiden, whose heart WAS burnii
J. with the passion OF love, gave up the oi
a more dear TO her than life, with noisten,
ID eye. Those were days oil tears and sigl
h but days all glorious and grand becau
express ng patriotism and nobility
ne heart unexcelled in any time or counlr
NJ How many ca say with Colonel Ing,
d, soil: "rhe past rises before me like
he dream. Again We are in the great siru
il. gle for national life. We hear the soul
10 o; prepAra.ion-the music Of the boistero
he drums, the silver voices of the her,
of bugle,. We see thousands OF assent blag
Of aod hear the appeals OF or ,lors; we see
in pale cheeks OF women and The flush
IA. faces OF men; pd in those Assem- blages
rn see all the dead whose dust We have GOV
by ed with flowers. We lose sight of them
en- more. We are with them when they en-
*. in the great army OF freedom. We
in them part from those they love. So
tes are walking for the last time in quiet wo,