Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-06-06
DEDICATED TO HEROIC men
dwelling Of the Monument to the
Andrews Raiders.
Address OF Ex-Governor Foraker, OF Ohio
Historical sketch OF the Heroic Deed
which Cost tho Lives of
Eight Union Soldiers.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn, May 30.--The
monument erected by the state of Ohio
to the memory of James j. Andrews
and his seven colleagues, known to
history as the Andrews raiders, and
who, on April /, 1862, when Buell. was
planning his advance from Nashville,
seized the train at Atlanta and rushed
north with it TO this city, burning
bridges and destroying tracks as they
went, for the purpose of breaking up
railroad travel and transportation be-
tween Atlanta and Chattanooga, and
who were subsequently hanged for
their action, was formally dedicated
today in the presence of an immense
throng. The weather was propitious,
the heat of the May-day sun being
b. pered by cool breeze from the
north. and the National cemetery with
its beds of flowers, its broad, sloping,
green lawns, its trees just bursting into
blossom, and its thousands of flags,
some planted ut the heads OF the
graves, and others floating in the
breeze from the high tops of the flag
poles, presented scene fit for the can
vass of the artist. Two o'clock was
the hour appointed for the commence
ment of the exercises, but long before
that time "a continuous stream of peo-
pie, on foot and in vehicles, began to
pour itself out over the country roads
leading to the city of the dead.
There were grey headed old men
who had fought on the wrong
side in the late unpleasantness, feeble,
tottering old women who had done
their share toward aiding their hus-
bands and their sons, and little chill
dren who know nothing of the days
from 60 TO '63 save from history, and
there were veterans of the Grand Army
i'm the old familiar suits of blue, with
brass buttons, who had come from far
and near to fraternize with their
brethren of the south on this interest
ing occasion. Ex-Governor Faraker of
Ohio. the orator of the day, was driven
TO the cemetery under escort of posts
and 45 of the Grand Army, and sim
liar honors were paid to the sisters.
sons and daughters of the executed
men, who are the guests, during their
stay in this city, of the Grand Army.
Seven of the surviving raiders also par
ticipated in the proceedings. The exer-
cises proper were prefaced by regular
memorial services conducted by Past
Department Commander Miller, of the
Joint memorial committee.
At 9 o'clock the assembly was
sounded by the buglar and in few
moments $4,000 people had gathered
around the monument. A stand had
been erected within an enclosure to
prevent the encroachment of the
spectators upon the speakers of
the day. Hail Columbia" hav-
ing been rendered by the
band. the vast assemblage was called
to order by Charles +. Muller, past de-
partment commander, and the blessing
of the Almighty was invoked by Rev.
Il. c. Warner, past chaplain in chief.
brief valedictory address was made
by Judge Thaddeus A. Minchall, and
after the band had created enthusiasm
by rendering THE Red, White and
Blue" Ex-Governor John B. Foraker,
9t Chic Chi JyaS yiRtsEsaaaassd "a tbs crater
eral Halbert Il. Cass. AS the well
| known form of the republican leader
of Ohio appeared on the front of the
platform the vast gathering broke into
cheer which was repeated again and
again, while flags, hats and handker-
chiefs were waved in a frenzy Of en-
thusiasm. General Foraker stood
smiling until quiet had been restored
and then proceeded to deliver his ora
tion. Having recounted the circum-
stances under which the general as
sembly of Ohio had made an appro-
priation to erect monument, he gave
a lengthy history of the war situation
at the time of the raid, and the cir
cumstances which had induced An
drews and his associates to attempt
their daring scheme, and followed this
with an eloquent picture of the raid
itself. He then continued: