The sun., 1890-05-30
The Day OF Memories.

No great battle and no great capitulatlol
OF our civil war will ever be made the occa
sion OF a national festival Even the ami
versaries OF Gettysburg and Appomatto1
pass without public celebration. One annua
holiday founded on the great struggle We
certainly have; but II Is a day consecrateC
TO the graves OF the gallant dead, not to the
gloriHcation Of any specific field Of car
mage, In which the exultation Of the victorf
might be set of by bitter memories Of the
vanqulshed.
Most happy, certainly, was the choice ol
the 80th OF May as Decoration Day, not only
because IL comes In the fulness OF the sea-
son Of flowers, but because 1t does not fall on
the anniversary Of any OF the more sangul-
nary engagements Of the war. In month so
suited to campaigning there could hardly
be day, OF course, during war like ours,
extending over 80 vast field, which was
wholly without a record OF fighting. But 1t
happens that the various great battles which
In one or other OF the years OF the war oc-
CURED about the close OF May, did not take
place on the 8Oth Of that month.
Memorial Day is fortunate in still another
way. 1t may fairly be regarded, In view OF
the final scenes OF the war, as day typical
OF reunion and peace Not until the close Of
May, 1865. did 1t become clear not only that
the war was over in the main field OF con-
fict but that the struggle would also be
abandoned west OF the Mississippi The sur
render of LEE took place on the 9th Of April
but WILSON'S campaign through Alabama
and Georgia continued throughout the
greater part OF that month, with
engagements and captures on the
18th at West Point and Columbus,
and from the Goth to the 2Sd at Tobosofkee,
Macon, Talladega, and Mumford's Station.
SToNEMAN and GhLEM were raiding during
this same month In North Carolina, the lat
ter fighting as late as April 2S at Suwano
Gap. In South Carolina, on the 18th and
10Th Of that month, there was fighting at
Boykins Mills and Swift Creek. The cap
ture Of JEFFERSON DAVIS by a part OF WILL
sons command at Irwinsville did not occur
till May TO- while on the 18th OF May there
was severe fighting at Palmetto Ranch, in
Texas, between the Thirty-fourth Indiana
and Sixty-second colored troops and the
Second Texas Cavalry.
Tho capitulation Of JOHNSTON did not |
occur until April 26, nor that Of RICHARD
TAYLOR until May 4, while JoNEs's forces at |
Tallahassee surrendered on May 10. On the |
21st OF April KIRBY SMITH had called upon |
his army to continue the struggle beyond |
the Mississippi. and during the three weeks
both citizens and troops in that
region took steps for that purpose. CHURCH
Ills division passed resolutions to stand
by the Confederacy. while MAGRUDEB,
PRICE, and other Confederate Generals
warmly supported that project. The citi-
zens OF Washington county, In Texas, Or
yaniZed even the e1empts, and prepared to
give them weapons Of defence. PARsoNss
brigade pledged themselves never to lay
lown their arms. In short, while 1t was
clear enough that the war as whole was
over, there was ground for apprehension
that west Of the Mississippi failure TO COM
prehend the hopelessness Of further re-
'istance might prolong guerrilla operations
through the summer at least. However,
oetter counsels prevailed when the true state
II affairs became known there; and on the
18th Of May, at New Orleans. Gen. BUcKNER
igned q convention with Gen. OsTERHAUs
or the surrender OF the entire army Of
KIRBY SMITH to CANDY. The scattered
roops of JEFB THOMPSON followed this
xample, and from that time all armed
esistance was over.
These events OF a quarter Of a century
go show that Decoration Day is properly
o be regarded as a memorial OF the peace
hat followed great war. AS a memorial
4 peace and reunion it may we'll be cell
brated through years upon years to come.