The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-05-31
THE SLHEPTNG HEROES.

THE SLEEPING HEROES.
GcOntinued from First Pdse.l
them had crossed the Ohio and the
Potomac to confront rebellion in its
strongholds2 Alas, they had fallen in
battle and on the march, stricken down
at once in the conflict or slowly died Of
wounds or sickness in the camps and hos
pitfalls. They had died like the soldiers
Of the Legion in Algiers, in the land of
the foe and the stranger, where
'There WIS lack OF wOmRn's nursing and
deArth Of wOman's tears" al.
A greater army than those ready then
10 be mustered out at Washington had
already been mustered out by the hand
OF death. The story of how they fought
and fell is told by the existence to-day
OF over seventy National cemeteries on
Southern soil. Thousands and tens OF
thousands had been left behind on the
march. They were sleeping at Muir
freesboro, at Chattanooga, At Marietta
and other Southern bivouacs Of the
dead. They had not been permitted to
enter into the promised land of q saved
and redeemed country. Their dust was
in Kentucky, in Tennessee, in Alabama,
in Georgia, in the Carolinas and in
every State through which they had
marched and fought and fell.
And as it was in this sad defamation
OF the army OF Sherman. So likewise it
was with thenoble army OF the Potomac,
whose dead now gil sixteen National
cemeteries on Virginia soil. A noble
army indeed 1t was, Us We may well say,
and as history will record, for they 1t
was who had held the Confederacy at
bay at Antietam and at Gettysburg,
when We were in the very jaws OF death,
and who had fought their way with Grant
through the bloody campaign OF the
Wilderness to Petersburg and Richmond
and crowned their glorious leader rs our
second Washington at Appomatox.
They had made the soil OF Virginia
historic and classic and sacred for all
time to come. They made its cemeteries
meccas for the loyal people OF the land.
To these resting places OF the dead in
Virginia, where SO many thousands OF
that Grand Army Of the Republic are
sleeping, come, and will come, every
year-every Decoration Day-number-
less pilgrims from the North-fathers,
mothers, wives and orphaned children
to kneel once more at the graves Of their
kindred dead and strew the fresh flowers
Of spring upon theipgraves. Truly has 1t
been written Of these possessions OF the
| Nation that D..
"Thcy arc holy ground
| These places Of our country'H braves
Who fell In freedoms holy cause
Fighting for liberty and laws
For them let tears abound.
There let them rest,
While summers heat and winters cold
Shall glow and freeze above their mould;
4 thousand years shall pass away,
A nation still shall mourn this clay
Which now Is blest
There where they fell
Oft shall the widows tears be shed,
Oft shall parents kneel and weep.
Aud mnIdenS whore their lovers sleep
Their woes shall tell"
l have said that there are sixteen
OF these national cemeteries in Virginia
alone and over seventy Of them on
Southern soil. There are eighty-one OF
them altogether throughout the United
States, and in them lie buried over SOO,-
900 Union dead. The government
buried in these cemeteries and in others
with which arrangements were made
1921, 1857 Of its defenders. Never before
in the history OF nations was such u
pious work undertaken or so thoroughly
and successfully accomplished. Six
and half millions OF dollars and two
years OF time were spent in the humane
task. So fur as is known not single
body OF any Union soldier lies neglected
on any spot throughout the whole area
Of war. From the Potomac to the Rio
Grandethey have all been cared for. |
have been surprised in reading upon
this subject ut the magnitude OF this
herculean task, rs well us at the system
and minuteness with which it has been
performed. Not TO weary you will re-
Tier to few OF the details showing the
methods by which success was achieved.
1t seems highly appropriate to the exer-
cises OF this day that they should be re-
ierred to. Xviii quote from one of the
authorities l have consulted on this
subject. Immediately after the close OF
the war preliminary steps were taken
for m extended and thorough eXplora-
ton OF the whole theatre of the contest
in order to properly systematic the
work. To this end publication was
made in over 800 newspapers and peri
odicals for information concerning the
dead. As the facts were gathered they
were recorded and classified in the shape
OF guide books for the intended ex-
plorers. Lists of the dead were gathered
from every conceivable source. Appeals
were made to those particularly inter
ested and through them to all humane
persons everywhere. In short, every
step was taken to collect the desired in
formation. Next competent corps OF
explorers, carefully selected, was organ
lied, and the following instructions
were issued TO them as to the course to
be pursued in making their field notes.
!. They were, after the manner OF sur
yeyors, to carefully locate every grave,
recording its distance and direction from
some known and prominent point or
object. 9. Tonote the number OF graves
ut any spot, noting separately those
marked or unmarked. 8. Condition OF
the graves and exact character OF the
location; whetheri in open feldsor woods,
on high or low ground, and whether en-
closed or not. 1. Names OF the owners
Of the land, with its value and the name
ornamesoft henearest resident. 5. Lists
Of the inscriptions on head boards.
6. Names Of persons to be referred to for
further information and whether citizens
or ex-military. Z. In the neighborhood
of hospitals, the name or names OF the
surgeons or others who had been in
charge. 8. AT posts or public cemeteries
where interments have been made the
name OF the person experimenting the
same as well also as the name OF the SEX
ton, undertaken, or other parties any.
wise concerned. 8. Any information OF
facts and incidents connected with the
dead procured from people in the neigh
borhood. 10. Suggestions in regard to
proper places to locate permanent Gem
eteries. II. Statements in regard to Con-
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