Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-06-13
MONUMENT TO A TRUE HERO
dwelling of a Monument at Grants
Old Home at Galena.
Mastery Grafton by Chauncey NJ. Depew,
I'm Which lie Draws "a Beautiful Pic
ture of General Grants Fri
vate and Public Life.

GALENA, H., June 3.--High on an
eminence in the city that he once
claimed as his home, almost casting it,
shadows in the setting sun over the old
house that sheltered his family during
the period that at the very front he
was lighting or directing the battles
for the preservation of his country ano
the continuance of the union, magni
ficent monument to the memory o1
"The Old Commander" was formally
unveiled today with impressive ser
vices. An immense throng-the mum
Der was variously estimated ut from
%, 900 TO 10000 peoplc-participated il
the function. They came from far ano
near, from Iowa and Wisconsin, from
the remote parts of Illinois, down II
that region familiarly know a'
Egypt" from Michigan and from In
diana. The population of Dubuque
just across the river, literally emptieo
itself into its sister city To bear Tho
men and women of Galena in paying
honor to the memory of the Hero o
Appomattox. The outside visitors be
gan to put in appearance almost be- kS
the first signs.of dawn had appeared IN
the heavens They came in fe mcrs
wagons, in buggics, on horse back, ,afoot
and by special trains which seemed to
roll into the depot in an almost un-
broken line. The veterans of the Grand
Army who had fought under their
late commander turned out in force.
Business was entirely suspended. In
Dubuque the public schools were
closed, and Freeport and other con-
tiguous cities were in similar accord.
The pretty little city was literally
swathed in bunting. The decorations
of the bridges, court house, market
house and other public buildings were
especially elaborate, the aid of pro-
fessional decorators from Chicago hav-
ing been invoked in order to make a
display worthy of the occasion. All
business houses and private residences,
with scarce an exception, were envel-
oped in the national colors and there
were two grand arches on Main street
at as many principal crossings.
Shortly after L. o'clock two special
trains from Chicago brought in large
number of distinguished guests. Among
them were Hon. Chauncey NJ. Depew,
of New York, the orator of the day;
Ex-Governor and Mrs. Hoard, of Wis
consin; General and Mrs Nelson A.
Miles, Judge and Mrs. Walter q.
Gresham, Johan Gelert, the sculptor of
the monument; Mr.. James w. Scott, of
the Chicago lierald-to whose sugges-
tion and energy is mainly due the exis-
tence of the Grant park, the beautiful
breathing spot within which the monu-
ment is located-and Mrs. Scott; Rev.
=. 5. Hensen, ID. D., the eminent Bap-
tist divine and wife; ii. II. Kohlsaat,
the donor of the monument; Senator
Cullom and Attorney General Hunt. of
Illinois; senator Allison and Congress
man Henderson, of Iowa; Judge
Blodgett, Stuyvesant Fish, president
of the Illinois Central railroad,
Chicago delegation came the
famous Fifteenth regiment band from
Fort Sheridan, and in addition to this
Tess than il fifteenh 6ofiier @ifYusictai" 6sitEi
cations from various points of IlliI.,
aad Wisconsin. The distinguished Wis
itors were met at the depot by az
immense crowd and heartily greeted
Shortly after II o'clock the exercise:
opened with parade which moved
from the DeSoto house corner under
the command Of Grand Marshal George
S. Avery. The Fifteenth regiment
band, u. S. A., led the way. Then
came company 1, Third regiment, /. n
g., of Galena, acting as special escort
to the carriages containing the donor
of the statue, the orator, anC
other speakers, and the distinguished
visitors from abroad. After these fol
lowed the park commissioners, tn,
mayor and city council, the division
being completed with the Savannah
Ill, band. The second division was
nies, followed by over 5000 Grano
Army veterans, the local fire company
civic organizations of the city, ano
citizens in carriages and on foot. The
line of march was from Main street Il
Spring, thence to Bench, Meelxer
Main, Green, Johnson and Second
streets to the park. Here the immensc
throng gathered itself around the mon
ument and the orator and other distin
guished guests took their places upor
the platform.
Within the enclosure there were
ranged the small company Of comrade,
of the old Ninety-sixth Illinois who
stormed the heights of Lookout
Mountain and swept the hills of Mis-.
sion Ridge under the very eyes oi
their dead chieftain, together with a
large number of former Galeneans now
living in Chicago, who some time age
organized Galenan association. Con
siderable enthusiasm was manifested
as one after another of the distin
guished guests stepped upon the plat
| form and was recognized, and it waS
some little time before quiet could be
| sufficiently secured to enable the eX
ercises to be proceeded with. Then
the ''Star Spangled Banner" was rem
| dered by the Fifteenth United State:
regiment band and fervent invoca
cation was pronounced by Rev. w. d.
| Atchinson, of this city, chaplain of the
day. When he had concluded the
united bands struck up Hail to tae
Chief" and amidst scene of inspiring
enthusiasm, little Miss Pauline Kohl
saat, of Chicago, daughter of the do
nor, gave strong tug at the silkeT
cord and the black shroud in which
Che monument had been envelopeC
fell apart revealing the work of art ir
all its beauty. The vast gathering
gazed upon the life-like features OF ths
dead soldier and president for a mo
ment as If spell-bound, and then, lee
by the old veterans of the Ninety-sixtl
Illinois, three hearty cheers and ;
tiger were given for Mr.. Kohlsaat
Ex-Governor Hoard, of Wisconsin, wa.
introduced by II. ii. McClennan, chair
man of the board of park commission
ers, and in behalf of Mr.. Kohlsaat pre-
sented the statue to the city of Galena
A brief az ..Iess Of acceptance on be
half of the city was made by Mr.. Nc
Clennan, and after the band had rem
dered America, Mr.. Depew was in
troduced and enthusiastically greeted
His Grafton was a mastery effort, ever
for SO great an orator. Among othe
things he said: