Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-05-31
MEMORIAL DAY.
Solder Graves Garlanded With
Flowers.

the threatening clouds and the drIz2,in!
rain which set in about the time the peo
pie began to gather, prevented the car
rying out of the programme which haC
been announced by Drummond Post, fol
tue celebration of the day.
Notwithstanding The threatening
weather, dram corps consisting OF nine
small boys with eight snare drums and
one bass drum. with RUbe,t Darlington
fifeI, which was especially drilled tol
the occasion, reported for duty at Post
headqnarIe 5 at 81 o'clock, ana were al
once detailed to escort to the Court
House the teachers and children Of
the public schools who were in waiting
at The school building, aud VINO were
abundaGJly supplied with all kinds OF
flowers in season. As many of the vet
ans and their fl lends and the children
as could find room, gained access to
the court room and the exercises
were opened by al appropriate prayer
by Rev. Robert Alexander, d. d,
james NJ. ReeS, Esq, one of the boys
who wore the blue, then delivered a
short. but very impressive Ora,iOn,
which We regret we cannot give in full,
but give below few notes which were
hastily taken:
Comrades-FIiendS I feel very glad
to meet with this peeple for The first
time on such an occasion, to listen 20
the voices of the past. There are many
he'e who are thinking of the by-.oue
davs-mothers, who remember their
boys; fathers, who have spent years of
anguish oser their sons; wives and SIS
ters who have wept many bitter tears.
We are now calling to mind those sad
hours of trial. The comrades of the
Post were thinking o. the long dreary
marches, of the comrades who sacrificed
their lives, of those who died in hospital
tents, and those who starved in the
prison hells.
Tine graves of these we decorate to-
day-these are all listening to-day, and
if they could tell us, they would tell us
irst, that Patriotism was not mere
name, that it ought to be the ruling pas,
sion of our lives, that in our busy lives
of to-day we are not to forget this. That
they tell US that we live in time that
is grand, grander than has ever been
that we did not need to go away back
into history to find heroes-the young
clerk who left his store, and the young
man VINO was loo bash-ul TO tell his
ioye-these who rushed into the can
mons mouth-these were the heroes
The graves of these tell US that now is
tine time 10 live. grand time, a good
time. They tell US that we have IA sacred
duty, that this land of ours which was
handed down to US by them, and they
ash what will you do with it?
He eferred to The old world countries
Africa, Asia and Europe, and the pool
chance for the development of true man.
hood there; we must turn to our own
land to find a place wne.e there is a
|-chance to develop true manhood. This
issno unmean ceremony, but one which
teaches as many lessons lessons OF
love, lessons OF charity. These will not
teach US why man should be Repub-
lican, Democrat, or a member of any
political party, but teach US all that we
should be lovers of our country.
He was glad to see the school children
present, these boys may be called upon
some time to do as their fathers did
these gr.s to suffer the aneu sh of theiI
mothers. He was glad to see the teach
ers take an interest in these matters, as
it gives the children lessons in patliot,
ism and love of country.
That he was standing here to-day
thinking Of the scenes of long ago-that
there was not need to say much, that we
should nourish the feelings called forth
by these demonstrations, SO that if occa.
sion should ever come again, that if a
call should come, that the comrades
would fail in as they did before.
We do not mourn these dead com,
rades. we only think of them with love
and affection. We do not reglet them
we rather cherish their memory with
gratitude. and hope that nature will
cleIIsn them by initiating them.
The ritual of the Post for the Occa.
siou was read by Col. Charlesworth
Post Commander, w0o also said that as
the weather was SO unpropjtious, the
ladies and children could not possibly &c
TO the cemeteries, so they would be dis
missed, ana the decoration of the graves
at the cemeteries be performed by the
Post.
The exercises at the Court House
wei then concludedwith the benedictien
pronounced by Rev. Robert Alexander,
when the Post formed, and preceded by
the Drum Corps, and 25 young ladies,
each of whom bore beautiful wealth OF
flowers, and followed by large number
of citizens, marched to the Methodist
cemetery, where services were held ac-
cording to the ritual at the grave OF
Capt. Thomas Drummond, which was
literally covered with the choicest flow
ers and upon a cross planted at the
grave, a handsome floral wreath was
hung. After the Impressive ceremonies
at the grave of the soldier for whom the
Post was named, the line of march was
taken up and upon each soldiers grave
there was planted !ittJle flag and a
cross, upon which was hung wreath of
lowers, ard each little mound was gar
landed with the first flowers of spring.
After the graves were strewn at this
cemetery, the Drum corps led the way
and the twenty-five fair and brave
young misses and the veterans of the
Post took up the line of march for the
Union cemetery, but before they had
gone far, the ladies, on account of the
rain were reluctantly compelled to
break rfuks, and the boys OF the
Post bore their offerings of flow
ers to the graves of the dead heroes
in Union cemetery. which they solemn
ly and silently bedeeked, after which
they marched in soldierly style to their
headquarters, and were disbanded.
The thanks of the soldiers of the G..
A. r. are rendered to all who in any
manner contributed to the success of the
occasion.
SPECIAL MEMORIAL SERVICES were
b old in the n Z church of this nlaca ON