The morning news., 1889-05-31
FLOWERS FOR THE DEAD.
The q. A. r. Decoretes the Graves of
Federal Soldiers.

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Federal Soldiers.
Decoration day was not as widely OBJ
served in Savannah as it is in other cities
of the south where posts of the @. A. r.
are located. There are not many federal
soldiers buried here.
w. S. Hancock post decorated the graves
of those who are buried in Laurel Grove
and in Bonaventure and the Cathedral
cemeteries. The post assembled at Laurel
Grove at O'CLOCK last night and the ritual
was read over the grave of Sergt. Martius.
After the ritual had been read the graves
were decorated with wreaths and bouquets
Of flowers.
Among the graves decorated were those
of Brig. Gen. j. NJ. Cuyler, who was for
fifty years a surgeon in the United States
army; James Wayne Cuyler, United States
engineer corps; William Clarendon Cuyler,
6reyet major United states artillery; !;
Charles z. Wakefield, Eighty-third New
York infantry, known as the Fourteenth
Brooklyn; Christian Fisher, Company d,
Fifth United States artillery; John David
son, commissary sergeant United States
army; Julius Dieman, Company ID, First
United States artillery; j. H. Housel, Com
pany D.. United States artillery; Adam
Gunther, Company H, Sixteenth United
States infantry; John Hoffman, United
pany E, Third United States artillery.
At the conclusion of the exercises at the
grave of Sergt Martius, Junior Vice De-
partment Commander Porter delivered
short address. Commander Porter said:
Your commander believes that the simple
service of our ritual should be supplemented on
this Memorial day 10y few appropriate words,
and calls upon me- as the ranking officer pres
ent, to address you. have had no opportunity
to prepare anything original, but have done
better: l have collated rev bright gems,
which have fallen from able lips in the past,
and have thrown them together somewhat
rudely, perhaps, yet with sufficient consecu-
tiveness to bring vividly to your minds what
1--WE know that all oyer our broad land
Memorial day has been dedicated to the beauti-
full custom Of decorating with earth's fairest
and freshest flowers the graves OF the patriot
men who died that we might possess IN peace
''There is no day in the year more beautiful
and sacred than this, when, forgetting that we
are partisans, and remembering only that we
are Americans we come to scatter flowers on
the graves OF union soldiers, and to renew in
our own hearts loyalty to the country for
which they fought and fell
Beyond the simple friendship which belongs
to the individual there is always something
more that must make the value of our Memo
rial Day. There are the special principles for
which they died; there is the acknowledgements
of the special value OF the things which they
won and so long as those thing are precious to
u.s. the memories Of our soldiers never can pass
away"
resting places Of our beloved dead; /;
the flowers which are strewn may
symb )lze The living fragrance OF their memory,
but we S all honor them most by having their
example teach us to love our country more; to
value it's dearly purchased institutions more, to
prize its manifold blessings more, and to ad-
vanceits greatness and true glory more"
In 635 battles and severe sklrmisnes blood
flowed like water IL streamed over the grassy
plains it stained the ROCKS, the underground Of
the forest was red with it, and the armies
marched on from one conflict to another"
81 would, if had the power, write the grand
deeds of the defenders OF the Unioa. in letters
of living light on the broad arches OF the skies,
so that all men. as they look heavenward, might
be inspired by their noble example
we come to-day with beautiful flowers, with
laurel wreaths of victory, in memory of our
own dead, and we gather about the grave OF
Martins as a REPRESENTATIVE of that great host
which is gone to where there is no more war,
and whose memory we delight to honor. But
we come as American citizens gladly accepting
the tact that we have a united country, and,
rejoicing in that fact. we also gather ABOUT the
graves Of the unknown confederate dead, repre-
sentatiVes of another host which has fought its
last battle aud we crown their last resting place
with the laurel wreath of victory as token of
respect, gladly believing that in the conflict
with the grave they are victorious.
." so let our heroes rest
Upon your sunny breast.
Keep them, South, our tender hearts and
true,
Keep them, South, and learn to hold them
dear
From year to year.
Never forget,
Dying for US they died for you;
This hallowed dust should knit us closer yet d"
After the graves of the federal soldiers
had been decorated the post marched to the
confederate soldiers lot and wreaths of
laurel were placed upon the headstones
over the graves of the unknown. The
soldiers graves in Bonaventure and the
Cathedral cemeteries were decorated by
committees from tina most