Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-06-01
CLOSING EXERCISES.

closing exercises of Memorial DAY were
carried out. The hall was crowded
with people, men women and children,
and the final fitting ceremonies evoked
all the pathos which such an event could
inspire. The post was present in full
force and occupied q portion of the hall
set apart for their accommodation as an
organization. Commander Carr presided,
with the officers of the post about him
on the platform. In front of the
platform were four vacant chairs, draped
in mourning, the vacant chairs OF de-
parted members of the post-Comradss
Moran, McNamara, Stockwell, and
Granston.
The formal exercises opened with a
prayer by Chaplain Gross. followed by
the singing OF the hymn America by q
male quartette.
Little Julia Murphy. daughter of
George Murphy, recited In touching
tones the following very appropriate
poem:
With sable draped banners and slow measured
tread
The flower ranks passed through the gates OF
the dead,
Seeking each mound where a comrades at rest,
Leaving tear believed garlands to bloom on
each breast.
Ended at last-'tis the labor of love,
Once more through the gateway the saddened
lines move.
Close crouched by the portal a sunny, fair
child,
Besought and implored him with grief render
ed wild
A w~ailing of anguish, a sobbing of grief,
Fallslow on the ear of the battle SCARED chief.
'O'er all your dead comrades, your bright gar
lands wave.
Blu you've not put any on dear papa's grave.
His grave is SO lowly--no stone marks the spot,
You may not have seen it--oh! say you have not.
For my poor heart would break if you knew it
was there
And thought lin too lowly your ~oif'ring to
share;
L know he was poor, but as kind and as true
As any that mustered in battle with you.
Fl didn't die lowly--he paid his best blood
In rich crimson streams from the top of the
sod
OF the breastworks that stood in the front of
the fight.
IF mamma was here-but she too lies by his
side,
Her worried Heart broke when poor papa died. )"
Battalion, file right Countermarch!'' cried
the chief
This young orphan child has q cause for her
grief"
Then up in his arms from the hot dirty street
He lifted the maiden, while on through the
gate
The long line repassed and many an eye
Paid tribute of tears to the lone orphans sigh
This way! Right under this tree
They lie, there together, with Just rooM TO
me-"
Halt! Cover with roses each lowly gree,
mound.
a love pure as this makes these graves hallow
ed ground"
"Oh! thank you kind sir; / ne'er can repay
The kindness you've. shown little Bessie to
dap.
But I'll pray for you each day that 1 live--
IT'S all that a poor soldiers orphan can give
It'll see papa soon. and dear mamma, too
), l dreamed SO last night and l know twill com
i, true.
And they'll both bless you, l know, when / ga
How you folded your arms round their Bessi
r to-day.
How you cheered her sad heart and granted he
rest
: And flushed it's wild throbbing on your stcon
! manly breast.
"And when the bright angels shall call you t
We will welcome you then in our beautifr
Where death never comes, his black banner t
wave,
5 Ard the beautiful flowers ne'er weep DER th
I grave"
The orator Of the evening, Rev. @. I
Clapp, of this city, was then introduce
+, and delivered the memorial address. 81
t spoke extemporaneously and addresse
himself to the members of the pos
gathered in front of him. His addres
was q tribute to the men of the unio
, army, dead and living, who had gor
into the armed conflict as a matter
! principle and had fought on the cid
they knew to be right and for a caus
always upheld in the worlds history b
the advocates of the best progress
civilization. 1t had not been his TO
b tune to wear the blue during the da,
of strife and the regret of his life W
that he was then too young to partic
pate in the active duties of the soldie
d Mr.. Clapp mentioned the loss of an cid
brother on the battle field of Champion
hill, whose body was never identified
the heaps of slain which covered tl
scene of that bloody contest. II
reference brought to the minds
:: several old soldiers present the events
> that battle and some of them we
. familiar with the regiment to which N
Clapp's brother belonged and knew tn
It's ranks were shattered and bieedir
when the victory was o A consi
cradle portion of the speakers adore
was devoted to the work of the santa
and christian commissioning, In which,
y q boy, he was ali active participant
Sc the community where he lived. 1t ga
to the ex-soldlers an idea
the tolls and privations of thu
friends at home while they were at t
J. front and this feature of the four yea
war was new and entertaining to the
a To the soldiers dead the speaker ga