Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-05-30
MEMORIAL DAY.
fCoatinled from First Pdge.l


The golden trumpet's cali. the victor's crown,
The patriot soldiers glorious welcome home.
To-day we gather by their green and honored
graves,
To lay our fioral tributes. fresh and fair:
To-day sacred festival we keep,
A holy day for loving memories dear,
o1na ,o when , c0mrs1es rom their daily ton
And starry silken banners wide unrurled.
Come forth with garlands in their loving hands.
Inc sp0tiess offerings OF q loyal comrades heart
For nalloWed shrines OF honored patriot dead
To-day a nation ransomed from the lonely grave
OF slavery'S night and pail OF dark despair
Lifts up her stainless hands unto the skies.
Her blo0d-Stained robes washed whittier than snow
Her starry mantle radiant as the dawn,
Her shining feet with golden sandals light,
Are walking In the howery paths OF peace.
To-day nation knit with tenderest ties
Blends Into one grand union. firm and strong:
Ana all her Wide domain, from east TO west,
For evermore Is Freedoms chosen home.
To-day q million hearts are beating TO the sound
Oh drums unmuffiad. silyery bugles' notes,
Noicing the clarion tones Of Liberty's refrain.
Ine deafness song OF nations that are free;
And now upon million patriots grassy graves
A million loving souls their floral chapietSiay:
The tokens of their loyal grateful hearts,
Inc emolems OF the patriot martyrs crown.
Trend lightly, comrades OF the tented field,
This place Is holy ground:
flowers
Ihey steep Ia peace profound.
Walk softly, comrades of the weary march,
The boys We loved aud lost
Have gone before US to the soldiers rest
The shining river crossed
Over the silent silvery stream OF death.
Some With the cannons roar,
With the song OF the angels lowering near,
TO pilot them safely Ger.
And some little cot beneath the shade,
No sound OF passing bell,
Only cOmrade tried and true,
To hear the last farewell
Without q country free,
without the starry flag that waves
over our land and sea
To-day my comrades OF the tented field.
Your hallOwed offerings bring,
And lay them on the vernal peaceful graves.
heavenly requiem sing
The golden battiements Of jasper walls
Are full OF forms divine,
They whisper words that listening we may hear
In heavenly armOr shine.
They tell US Of their peace and Joy and rest,
The many fruited trees
The ciOudie5S mountains Of the better land
The perfume laden breeze.
And bid US wait the Fathers own good time.
And we shall sur|ly greet
Our comrades of the warltke camp and 1eld
upon the golden street
Lay gently on their green and messy beds
The tokens OF your love,
In memory OF our comrades brave and true
Passed to their home above.
AT THE SOLDIERS, HOME.
Memorial Day services at the Soldiers Home
cemetery have always possessed a peculiar inter-
est The dead are bivouacked close by the asylum
where many OF their old comrades In arms wea-
fied by long service under the Old flag, find quiet
and restful retreat in which TO spend the remain
der Of their days In wer-earned leisure To-day
the exercises were OF unusual interest on account
OF the distinguished character of the orator and
OF the poet and the presence, not only Of the vet
Grams OF the Home, bat the troops from the bar
racks and many gentlemen and ladies' bearing
names that are Synonymes or va1or and victory
Inc formal exercises were held In the grove adj
Home building. The stand erected for the Prest-
dent In front OF the Executive Mansion on the
Army OF the Potomac had been transferred to
this grove and converted into n very handsome
decorated There was large attendance which
was called TO order promptly at ten O'Clock Be-
fore the exercises began salute was fired.
THE PROGRAM
was carried out follows: Music, "Fountaip of
Grace" {WeDer'. 2d U. s. artillery band: calling
the assembly TO order, Comrade Edwin M. TrueIl:
invocation, Rev. E. ID. Huntley; "Once More with
solemn Tread" octette; "Our Dead" original
poem, written for the occasion by Capt s. H. NJ.
Byers, read By Comrade Edwin NJ Truell; "Sleep
y. a.
MAJOR r. M Clarke, music by s. II. Jecko), oc-
tette: Grafton, Hon. VIM. Strong; "Rest Soldier
Rest" oetette: benediction. Rev. z. D. Huntley;
DECORATION or the graves with flowers by the vet
efa0s OF the Home, assisted by the committee and
al others so disposed. During this ceremony the
the octeite: 'sTread Lightly DER Ther Graves -
"The Sleep OF the Brave" The octette was under
direction OF Comrade G. II. Lillebridge. Mr. Fred.
ration OF the graves was conducted under
tne supervision of the following committee:-Gen.
ssunr enc R Seni Ayres Gen s.
DeDnis Kerr, Comrade J. Van Dyck Harry Howard
NiSS Rita Spalding. Miss Carrie l. Huribut, and
AattnlfaS Glynn, Supt- cemetery
CoNRADB TRUELLS RKNARxa
MT Edwin d. Truell, In calling the assembly e
ordeT. said: -
Comrades ana Ladies ana Gentlemen:
The custom OF paying tribute of flowers to the
memory OF the dead Is lost In antiquity but it re-
manned for the effects OF great civil war to bring
THIS SENTIMENT into such general regard as to OBJ
tain the selection OF one particular day upon
which all Iight unite In service Of gratitude and
praise 10 tie memory OF those who have gone be-
i1 lbs sentiment peryades strongest, perhaps,
tne hearS or those who shared the dangers and
The hazards OF uphoIding the cause for which the
la,oa soldier died. The spirit that led men to
leads at.o TO graft ue for the blessings they enjoy
urleI us supremacy, established by the Joint
f R1,9 OF those who fell and those who survive
But Is Time rolls On tn" thoughts OF all turn back
10 the source OF our present condition of peace
sac government and prosperity, and this fnevtta-
Diy b.iags forward the fact that these men died
thhl These remaining might live In the enjoyment
oi lhe DRESSINGS they have since experienced so
that all classes. whether soldier or citizen during
the war, now more July understand their obl1ya-
uohs- Suhiiy before last l met a venerable white.
haifei Trend who, early I'm the morning was on
nj way, aiOne 10 Arlington, that mghtieSt OF all
our clues or the dead. lie said he Iike to make
an occi,lOnal visit to the silent city and submit
himself 10 is wonderful influences its tremendous
AGpFe9S'TeneSs, and The lesson IL teaches. II IA
VIII Sucn feelings 10 renew our memories OF the
past anu iit us for al. the patriotic duties OF the
Iuture That We gather and unite IN the exercises
va memorial Day. We VIII now address ourselves
10 inc duties OF the occasion, the first In order
oe.n8 prayer from Rev. DR.. HuDtlcy
Inc poem LOT the occasion Was written IA stated
above, by Capt s. III. NJ. Byers The author OF the
famous song, ''Shernan'5 March TO the Sea-" and
at present [. 5. coAsul at Zurich The text Is as
Our Dead.
MI TO the de2d-the nations dead
no sleep by Wool AMI field AMI shorei
10 them We come with loyal tread
and kneel beside their graves once mora
Win notes OF buslP-scng and drum
ana HyinS flags ana sweet May flowers
Aaa grateful hearts, again we come
10 deck these soldier graves Of ours.
With hopes UhAmnled BY flying years