St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-05-31
HoNoRING DEAD HEROES.
Old Soldiers Decorate the Graves
Departed Comrades-An I'M
pOSinG Procession.


posing Procession.
A more imposing procession than that
which yesterday traversed the streets OF
st. Paul, and marched to the cemetery
to do honor to the memory of the noble
men who died in defense of their coun-
try'S FLAG, has never been seen in this
city. There had been elaborate prepar
alton for the Decoration day exercises,
and the intermittent showering of the
past week gave place to as beautiful
weather as could have been wished for
yesterday morning. At a. IN. a line of
vehicles half mile long extended up
Fourth and along WabaSha streets in
waiting to convey the remnant of the
once great Army of the Republic, or
that portion of it quartered in st. Paul.
to the various cemeteries in which lie
the remains of the comrades who have
passed over to the great beyond. The
Adams Express company had sent every
wagon at its disposal. to be used in
carrying the survivors of the civil war,
in this their yearly pilgrimage, and sew
eral other companies sent vehicles to be
used for the same purpose. Most OF the
wholesale houses and many doing re-
tail business closed their doors, some
morning. To the crowds which thr0nged
the streets during the progress of the
march it was a gala day. Holiday rib
bons and summer muslinS were brought
out for the first time this season. and
the pavementS were gay with the varied
coloring of the whole. There were
flowers everywhere. Many carried
wteaths and floral emblems of various
design with which to decorate the
graves of their lost relatives and
friends. One wagon was absolutely
loaded with cut flowers, and it seemed
that all the greenhouses of the country
side had paid tribute in sending their
choicest blossoms to scatter on the
graves of the dead. Delegations from
the local Grand Army posts Bircher,
Putnam, Acker, Ord and Garfield
started for the cemeteries at $50 with
their offerings. and took part in the dec
Grafton ceremonies. Oakland, Calvary
and the Lutheran cemeteries were filled
with people who had assembled to
honor the memory of the dead heroes
who lie sleeping there. Prayers were
said over graves on the top of which the
rank grass grows and tiny wooden
cross alone marks the resting place OF a
dead soldier. 1t was becoming observ-
ance of day set apart to the memory
of the nations dead heroes, and as such
the day of all days to be kept sacred.
1t was not until after 2 o'clock that
the scattered veterans had been got
into line and the order of the procession
began to assume its shape. After this,
however, the arrivals were rapid, and
by 2:15 there were fully 1000 men in
line. The lead was taken by platoon
of mounted police, with Col. Bobleter as
hol nd
of staff. The aideS-de-camp were AL
bert Scheffer, j. j. McCardy, Bernard
Kuhl and William B. Robinson. The
first division was led by the Third
infantry band. followed by 200
men Of the Third infantry, U. S.
A., under Col. Edwin &. Mason.
The second division, Col. W. B. Bend
marshal, was led by the First Regiment
band, and was composed of battalion
of the First infantry, under Capt. Ed S.
Bean; Battery A, n. G. S. NJ. j. j. Mo-
Ginnis in command; Troop A. N. G. S.
NJ. Capt. B. Bergholtz commanding;
st. Paul Camp No. l, Sons of Veterans,
Capt. Eben Cakes in command. Then
followed long line of carriages con-
tanning invited guests and displaying
profusion of bunting. and flags. The
third division, Marshal Joseph l.. Brig
=
McIntire, was led by the Second Regi-
| ment band. Then came Garfield Post
No. s, under Theodore Sanders; Acker
Post No. 81, in charge of w. III. IL.
Bebee; Ord Post No. 20, under E. T.
HaIlowell; Bircher Post No. 14s,
under NJ. S. Granger; Putnam
Post No. 81, Commander Seamens;
and the Minnesota naval veterans,
James KavaDagh cammandant. Mar
shall w. M. Campbell, with aides Will
lam Cunningham and M. s. Granger,
led the Great Western band and the
Fourth division. Following the band
came the Junior Pioneer Association of
Ramsey county, &. G. Starkey COM
handing, and battalion of the Second
regiment, uniform rank Knights OF
Pythias, E. ii. Milham in command A
number of other societies followed IN
the van, and behind them string of
carriages, making the procession the
| largest ever seen in St. Paul on DecOra-
| ton day. The route was down West
| Fifth to West Seventh street, thence to
| West Third and down Third to Sibley,
on Sibley to Seventh, on Seventh
to Wabasha, on Wabasha to Ex
change, thence to the south en-
trance of the capitol, where platform
| had been arranged. The streets along
| the line OF route were literally packed
with spectators, and every feature of
| the procession was discussed and eX-
| amined with great interest. The
| various bodies made first-class show
| ing and there was military precision
about the whole affair which made it
particularly attractive. The regulars
marched finely and looked we'll in
the light blue uniforms, which
only show to good advantage in
fine weather. The battalions of the
national guard were as perfect as the
regulars in point of precision and the
lads of the state soldiery never looked
better. The Grand Army veterans
| marched as men who had been there
before, and the bright regalia of knights
furnished relief from the different
shades of blue worn by the majority of
tho rauly nd flo