The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-31
GRAVES FLOWER DECKED
THE GRAND ARMY PLANTS BRIGHT
EMBLEMs OVER ITS DEAD.

Winfield Scott Hancock Post Dec
CRATES the Graves OF Union Soldiers
In Laure. Grove, Bonaventure and
the Cathedral Conference.-The Ex-
ercises in Laurel Grove - Com
mander Taggart's Memorial Ad-
dress.
w. s Hancock Post, Grand Army Of the
Republic, decorated the graves Of the
federal dead in Laurel Grove. Bonaventure
and the Cathedral cemeteries yesterday
afternoon. Details visited the Cathedral
cemetery and Bonaventure, while the
graves in Laurel Grove were decorated by
the officers and members of the post.
The grave of Erastus B. Davis, of John
h Chapman, Jr., Post 50, g. A r. Of .Bev-
erly, Mass, was the grave over which the
ritualistic exercises were held.
Ii was intended to have commenced the
exercises at o'clock. but it was little
after o'clock before the cemetery authori-
ties could locate the grave. IL was found
in the third row Of graves in section A,
grave no, on the eastern side OF the Gene
terry, unmarked. The grass was growing
green on the grave, aud stray bluebell,
midway of the mound, was about to burst
into bloom.
OVER A STRANGER COMRADES GRAVE.
When the grave was located, Acting As
sstant Adjutant General 5. +. b. Gillespie
placed ST its head an iron marker, sent by
the post OF which the deceased was a mem
Der. The marker was surmounted by
kettle drum emblem, upon the head Of which
was painted in white letters dept. Mass.
g. A. R., 1SS9n The drum rested on a
semicirclet Of holly leaves. and was sur
mounted by bugle and drum sticks. Win
field Scott Hancock Van MUSE, the little
son of Adjt Van Muse, planted a miniature
flag at the foot Of the grave.
The exercises were quite interesting, and
not altogether unromantic. The sun had
set and the moon shone down upon the
group of comrades aud ladies who sur
rounded the grave The air was redolent
of perfume from the blooms of magnolia,
and jasmine near by and the ancient oaks
with their spiritueile moss overhead lent
effect TO the exercises over the grave of a
stranger.
THE SERVICES OF THE ORDER
Adjt. Gen. Gillespie read the Decoration
day services and Chaplain Pease recited the
prayer. after which W. II. Devlin, of Han
cock post, placed bouquet of red, white and
blue flowers at the head of the grave and
small United States flag in the iron socket
of the marker. The bouquet was Of red
geraniums, white verbenas, the blue flowers
being larkspurs, the tri-color flowers being
the contribution OF Mrs. Gillespie.
Adjt. Van Muse read the general orders
OF the grand army commander Of the
United States, and Of the department COM
mander, for the observance Of Decoration
day, after which Comrade Gillespie read
the following address of Post Commander
G. ]. Taggart, who was absent ON account
of Ill health:
THE COMMANDERS ADDRESS.
CoMRADEs-Again in the cycle do we find the
indices on the dial plate Of time at our sacred
Memorial day. So paramount is every action
of our grand army organization with the sol
emn pleasure and duty OF honoring the mem
DRY OF our departed comrades in arms that it is
almost work of suDererogatiOn 20 remind any
member OF that fact But 1t is just and profit
able that we should thus commune and
strengthen one another and to again renew our
high resolves Of love and loyalty to the memory
of those who have preceded us to the last mus
ter, and by SO doing our conduct and ex-
ample win command the respect of our fellow
citizens throughout the world
Spring welcomes our day with her fairest
Rarb and most beautiful offering. Let us rev
erentiy and affectionately garland each patriots
couch, and with fervent, manly affection send
a benson of reverence TO the graves Of our
brothers which dot the plains and hillsides of
our Sunny South May this day set apart by
our Grand Army of the Republic be one of holi-
ness and respect TO the memory of all true sol
disrs, dead or living, and TO the land We all
love so well
Comrades, it has been thought proper that
these services should be held at the grave of a
eomrade who died In this city, more than ], 200
miles away from his home in the east, Comrade
Erastus B. Davis of John II. Chapman, Jr, Post
~, department of Massachusetts who died here
June %, 1887, and his post has sent to us this
appropriate and lasting grave marker, and we
have pledged ourselve TO keep it in proper order
and mount it with the flag for which he offered
up his life.
At the conclusion of the address Com
rade Gillespie laid bouquet Of flowers on
the grave, saying, SIN memory of a de-
ceased brother and others came forward
and bedecked the grassy mound with
flowers, among which tributes was beauti-
full cross of white jasmine.
After the exercises had been concluded
other graves OF the federal dead were
visited and decorated.
The day being national holiday the GUS
tom house and postoffice were closed.