San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-05-30

L. S. Military band
U. S. Troops.
Belknap Rifles.
San Antonio Rifles.
Maverick Rifles
| Confederate Veterans "a men.
| G.. A. X. Ord Post.
Musical Union band.
Uniform Rank, X. P.
Fire Company No. j.
Fire Company No. ..
Hook and Ladder company.
Second Ward Hose company.
| Sunset Hose company.
Mission Hose company.
Mexican Benevolent society.
Mexican Union.
Italian Society.
Carriages containing distinguished guests,
and orator of the day Sam NJ Johnson.
Flower wagon, and escort and more carri-
ages.
A large escort OF foot passengers also
wendell their way to the cemetery following
! the carriages.
Arrived: the L. S. cemetery was entered
| and hollow square was formed about the
stand near the keepers lodge. The Frohsinn
singing society occupied the post of honor in
| front of the speakers stand, and next
surrounding were the local militia companies
and U. R. X. Of p fianked by the T. SIN, s. in,
band were placed on opposite sides
| of the platform and when all were pro-
perlv placed. the master of ceremonies for
| the G. A. X. announced the memor ial servi-
| ces in accordance with the rules of his post.
| Following this announcement the Frohsinn
Singing society sang very beautiful requiem
| and then Chaplain W. II. Robinson, of the G.
| A. X, offered fervent prayer. Music by the
| band followed and then Orator job uson de-
llvsred the following eloquent address:
FELLOW COMRADES AND FELLOW ClTI-
ZENS!
| We have gathered together on this memo
| rial day to strew flowers on the graves OF
| those who went forth to battle more than
| quarter of a century ago.
M
every citizen in the land, and caused youth TO
grow to manhood with rapid stride and old
age for the time stepped backward and
dOlned the armOr OF youth.
Not one of us W no took part in that great
four years struggle has been spared by the
whitening hand of time. Those of us who
went forth at our countrys call from a sense
of duty, who had family ties and responsible
| tiles to make US give heed to our actions.
| those of us who left wives and little ones at
home, are now old, grizzed veterans who
look backward rather thar forward for our
pleasures, while those of us who young
| eager, tnOughtless and seeking only for eX
citement and change, dropped our books and
| followed the first call to the field, with our
hearts pulsng the youthful, ardent blood
| rapidly through our veins. have not been
spared by the relentless hand of time. FlaXcn
| locks have thinned and whitened and the
raven black shows many a silver VEN, and
| the laughing, careless, thoughtless boy OF Is
| has passed the IN 9ridian of his life, and care
and thought have marked their lines dc ep on
his once smooth brow.
| Some of us may yet hold our heads as stern
| ly aloft as when we were on dress parade but
| it requires greater effort than of yore, and
| the command Rest at will' falls on willing
| ears. Not many of us would now enjoy
| Reveille at the unseemly hour it was wont to
greet our ears
| Some Of US do not walk as briskly, some of
us do not see or hear as WELL but there is not
one OF us so old, so feeble, or so crippled that
! his blood does not pulse more rapidly through
| h S veins when his thoughts wander back TO
| the days when he was wearing the uniform of
soldier, and stood as ready to offer his life
| for the cause he advocated as was the cour-
| tier of old to throw down HE gauntlet when
| the perfection of his lady love was not
promptly admitted.
his life alone, but none but the
Lord Almighty will ever know how
| many characters that might have
| safely passed through the ordinary trials of
| ruined by the extraordinary temptation and
| unbridled license of the war. There was no
| Gliding mothers voice to stay the sons hand
when it raised the cup to the lip; no sisters
| earnest pleading to keep the brother in the
path of recttude, and too often, the lack of
these, Joined to the fires of youth, led men as
| tray who would have safely weathered storms
| of temptation at home.
Not only may we mourn for those martyrs
| who fell stricken by the insidiOus bullet, or
pierced by the bay Onet, or cut with the sabre,
| or mangled by the shrieking shell, or those
| carried off by disease, brought on by exposure,
| hardship and unwOnted fatigue, but oft'times.
| righteousness anu Sudu6 Udu Que0c1eO
| with steemiug infamy, the pure chivalric
| flame" and while the body may have lived
| the man and the soldier had died death ten
| times more to be dreaded than mere physical
death.
| To portray the horrors of that great strug
| gle would require the pen OF an Ingersoll and
| the brush OF Turner, but any one with aught
| OF the power OF speech can speak words that
will recall to willing ears the deep anxiety
| that was in the minds of all that time. How
| the soldier dreaded to hear from home and at
| the same time tore open the letter with eager
ha ste.
How the wife, mother or sister scanned the
| reports from the front to see if her darling
husband, son or brother, was among the list
| of killed or wounded.
Hearthstones were made desolate. Widows
weeds were the prevailing fashion. Orphans
were plentiful as the leaves in June. Sorrow
took the place of JOY. Not a household where
| the shadow did not fall. Stricken bodies on
| the field, and anguished hearts ut home filled
| all the land with gloom.
| We would be ungrateful indeed, if we were
not willing to join in this slight memorial to
the dead heroes who gave up their lives and
| hopes and joys as sacrifice for the nations
| welfare.
| To the kind and loving ones who bring their
| wreaths to strew on the graves of our dead
| heroes, we can only say that you do no more
| than your sisters of quarter OF a century
! ago would have done, for then, as now, the
| noble women of the land were its chief main
| stay
| When individual sacrifice was to be made,
| the women were eager to show their zeal, and
| the patient, wearying life led by the dear
| mothers, wives, sisters and sweet hearts,
doing their best to care for and protect the
4 interests that had to be abandoned by the me n
| when they left for the field will never receive
| half the praise that Is its need. And too,
| when news came that nurses were needed to
help in the hospitals, there was ever a supply
| far in excess of the demand, and from every
| village there were volunteers. And many a