The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-05-22
To scatter fresh flowers the lovely and gay,
The sweetest that nature can yield.
Heap them high, garands so gay,
Over the graves of our brothers to-day.
Mira a. II lathe Wbitin.vtile Naaz

To scatter fresh flowers, the lovely and gay.
The sweetest that nature yield.
Heap them high, garlands gay,
Over the graves of our brothers to-day.
Mrs. c. B. Lathe, Whitinsville, Mass.
"oLATHE KAN, KIay1, 1884
The president calls the attention of u,embers Of
the Woman S Relief Corps Department of Kansas,
to the approach of Memorial Day-Aiay 30.
|. As we auxiliary to the Grand Army OF
the Republic, whose pleasure IL is to perpetuate the
memories of fallen heroes, though had
personal feeling in the matter, could not but
observe the day. But, alas! how many there are
whose hearts are sad. even though score of years
have passed since the battles fought which
filed our country with newiy-made graves, shall
low and cofiinless though many be- The slow
passing years have not made the mothers heart
less sad, she remembers her well l-beloved son
lying IN an unknown and unllept grave on South
ern soil. The widow with her orpaned children
pass many lonely hours, although the children oil
twenty years ago are the men and women OF to-
day. The sister, whose manly brother returned
not, still weeps she longs for his sweet compan-
ionsllip.
The passing years bring reconciliation to past
events, but they do not give US back our dead.
This is the one day of the year which we devote
wholly TO the past. All others filed with the
of the present the hopes for the future. Let
US observe it properly by assisting the several
Posts of the Grand Army of the Republic to which
we belong in the services OF the day
Let flowers be placed upon the grave of every
heroi Let requiems be chanted over their resting
Let the memory of the brave dead be pre-
served. Mrs. President Browns Memorial Day
order.
had deariy-loved brother who was missing at
the battle of Bull Run, and this stanza, from
poem read by Chaplain l.. H. Newell at recent
Campfire given by McQuade Post, strikes a
sponsive chord in my heart:
We speak of those III battle missing;
We can't tell how we know they re gone;
The Southern dews their graves are kissing,
Somebody's loved. unclaimed, unknown.
But tho their headstones bear name,
They are forever known to fame,
To Us comrades dear
Sarah Herbert, Utica, N. z.
ut is hoped that the arrangements for Memorial
Day will be so complete in this Department that
the shadows of evening shall not rest upon the
mound of single fallen comrade that does not
bear the floral tokens of remembrance and love.
Ii is desired that each Post in this Department at
tend divine service Sunday, May %, that we
may be more fifty prepared to decorate the graves
of our departed, not only with tributes, beautiful
and fragrant that must fade but with fraternity,
charity, and loyalty, that shall live forever De
partmcnt Commander r. j. Shank, OF Michigan.
Comrade Edward S. Jones, Department Com
mander of Tennessee and Georgia, in his Memo
rial Day order gives the number of Union
graves in the National Cemeteries of these two
States, as follows:
Chattanooga. l2 952; Nashville, 1925; Mem
phis I3 g77; Knoxville 1896; Fort Donelson, 500;
Stones River 6,Ii5; Hazen's Brigade 81 Pitts
burg Landing, $3.50; Marietta Ca, Io, 1873; Ander-
sonville, Ga, 1874 Total, s0957."
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