Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-06-10

the s;lk hammer nresented by the ladies to
the Peters burg volunteers in the Mexican
war in IS47, and which was carried oy thdV
command TO that far distant country. ~
has been admirably preserved ny coroner
+. II. Archer, who commanded the Voiun-
tecrs. and is held sacred historic mcinen-
10 but for the fact that few OF the Mexi-
can veterans are living they would nave
appeared as an organization at the unveu-
ing. ..
The veterans were dined and refreshed
this afternoon at the Grays' armory by the
Ladies' Memorial Association, and were
briefly but eloQuently welcomed by MAYOR
Collier. After the collation. the visitors
straved about the streets. admlrlng the de-
corations and accepting the hospltantles
Of the people until the formation OF Ihe
line of March on Sycamore street, under
the escort of A. F. Hill Camp. The line OF
march embraced several of the principal
streets before the start 10 the cemetery.
AT THE CEMETERY.
Alan early hour in the afternoon crowds
beoan 10 wend their way over TO the GENE,
terv. All of the people bearing flowers ana
eyerereens with which 20 decorate the
graves of the soldiers, and with the iur-
tber view 10 secure a good position near
the grand stand, from which the address
was delivered Every vehicle III town was
called into rcquisitlon. and thousands mao
10 foot it to the cemetery and back.
THE PARADE.
The PROCESSION TO the cemetery was one OF
the finest ever seen in Petersburg. 1t was
composed OF A. j. Hill Camp of Veterans,
Pickett-Buchanan Camp OF Norfolk, Il. r.
Lee Camp and Sons of Confederate Nete-
rams of Richmond, the Prince George
-. ID.4,rol,trrn f,FnVE Petersburg
ARTILLERY with full battery of guns. the
Fire Department with engines beautifully
decorated. civic societies, and o long hne
Of citizens. The line was headed by
mounted police, Chief-Marshal Henry and
his assistants, the ladies' of the Memorial
Association. and the orator of the day with
the Mayor and Miss Hill. IT was fully half
past before the ceremonies comnenced
in the cemetery. where fully ten thousand
people had assembled around tne mOhu-
ment and the stand.
AN INSPIRING SEINE.
The scene was an inspiring one. The first
to ascend the stand were thirteen Deautl-
mi little Girls dressed in white, represent
inc the thirteen Confederate States. On
the stand were also seated the ladies OF
the Memorial Association, Miss Lucy Lee
Hill, ministers of the Gospel, and Mayor
PRAYER was offered by Rev. DIR. C.. Il.
Haines, after which Mayor Collier intro
duced Colonel ". Gordon McCabe as the
orator of the day.
COLONEL M'cABE's GRAFTON.
Colonel McCabe's address was d splendid
effort He spoke as follows:
nv Feilo,r- Citizens:
If from the happier land the dead look
down and are touched in any measure DY
concerns of earth. surely there is deeper
iov in Heaven this day "a those dear COM
rades who have fallen on sleep gaze upon
this eager concourse of old companions IN
arms. OF loyal kinsmen, and OF steaaIast
friends who have gathered here at the
bidding of the noble women who IN the
brave old days cheercd these men as they
trod the thorny path OF duty and who TO-
day upveil to the broad light Of Heaven
this beautiful monument reared by pIouS
hands to perpetuate to all coming time the
consistency and valor of those who lived
heroic life and died heroic death.
Other and Prander monuments, per-
chance. NAV Use TO tell in stored beauty
or impressive majesty peoples gratitude
and reverence tor those who counted lie
itself worthless thing when freedom was
at stake, but surely nowhere IN all our
southern land could he found spot more
instinct with all the mournful glory OF That
heroic past than this historic Cemetery
Hill" overlooking those
"labour'd rampant lines"
where our matchless leader, girt with a
handful of devoted soldiery. greatly
stood at hayn and "taught" astonlshed
nations what long-endurlng hearts can
do"
Yonder to the left frowns Fort Stedman,
made glorious by that daring stroke OF
desperate valor, where Gordon's hery few
cashed" and for the moment won -
here almost at our very feet the long ra-
vine now clothed in summer bravery,
which It seems but yesterday we saw one
moment shrouded in billowing smoke and
then agleam with serried bayonets, as the
men of the Virginia brigade" sprang
along its slope with fierce, wild cries, and
bv the magic touch of veteran steel trans
formed disaster into switt-wnged VIC
tory"-and far aheld, where yonder fringe
of solemn pines sharply cuts the distant
skyline we mark the spot where tins day,
twenty-six years ago, the gray-halied men
aud eager boys OF this heroic town WIN
stubborn valor held the outer works
and freely shed their blood for hearth and
home and country.
Surely then. l say, il is most meet that
on this spot, above all others IN our south
ern land, should rise some monument IN
breathing marble or enduring bronze to
tell our children and chlldren's children OF
the courage and devotion of these heroes,
who chose death in resistance rather than
safety in submission.
And as in those eventful days, when
selfish dross was pur yed away IN steady
fires of patriotism. these noble women
miuistered with tendercst touch alike 10
humblest soldier as to famous captain, and
counted none stranger who wore with
honor his couutry's gray, so now today
we bid their southern sisters mark that
those who closed the dying eyes of these
their unreturniug brave" have reared
this monument not alone to those who
called Virginia mother. but 10 all our
Southern Dead"
Growing this monumental shaft, the
counterfeit presentment' OF a simple Con-
federate soldier, fashioned 50 true to life
by cunning art that we almost catch the
merry quipor wild, defiant veil, looks down
uDon the serried graves OF sleeping COM
rades from the Old North State"
from the rice-fields of Carolina, from
the cotton-lands of Georgia and
Alabama. from Arkansas and Missls-
sippi, from the savannahs of Florida
and Louisiana, from happy home
steads on the banks of the Cumberland,
and from that teeming empire beyond
1.-THE Father of Waters whose Lone
Starr banner has ever blazed in Glory's
van-a mighty patriot host. who at the
/ trumpet call of duty put aside the clInglng
arms of wives and little ones or turned
from aged sires and weeping mothers TO
attest upon these distant fields their tideli-
ty to constitutional liberty, and who here
upon Virginia's soil sealed with their brave
young blood their devotion to those princl-
pies, which, since the days of Runnymede
| have been the common heritage OF all Eng
| ish-speakinC folk
Well nigh one hundred years ago at Ober-
hansen, III Bavaria, fell in the full flush Of
victory. Latour d'Auvergne, 1.-THE first
| grenadier of France"-and there, upon
the very spot, where like. soldier
/ he met soldiers death, his comrades
reared in that foreign land monument TO
| his memory, which his commanding gene
raj. in the "order of the day." declared
was " consecrdted 10 virtue and 10 courage, ana
placed lnder he protection Of the brace Of ere'y
age and country"
Not in vain was this soldierly appeal made
| to German honor.
Faithfully was that monument guarded
and cared for by his ancient foes VINO had