The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-05-30
DECORATION DAY.

DECORATION DAY.
By throbhirs drum and waiting sc.
All sought the rursi church yard where
hcnose0 their pssssot-deAd.
Asa Towers in hand We gathered foun0
In turn cacn s;sil. eafhefic mound
oncc year the people OF shis great nation
step asids from the path Of bussling ousiness.
leave 10. q moment the pursuit Of wealth or
pleasure aai stand with uncovered heads OF tae
graves OF the soldiers who fought and snnese1
that the land might be as peace today. The
men Of America close their offices. grid on their
swosds. unfu.i the ssars and stripes. aud. ranged
in ses.ied ranks. with music and enthusiasm.
march through the st.eets Of cities And towns.
The statues In public squares are decsed with
banners and flowers. days wave from every
point, the orators tho nation rise before great
crowds On platform and pulpit ana tell again tho
tnriisang story o, the struggle whicn gave Us
purer life and fuller liberty. The women OF
America wead their way with ienae' thoughts
10 the cemeteries where the patrioi-cead are
lying and sprinkle fragrant flowers over their
grave. The schools are closed AID children by
tea OF thousands. in happy ignorance they OF
war and au !,s horrors, sport about g yiy wav-
Ing theis little hsss and proudly spsinklins the
flowers they have p,ucked
This great day Of national rejoicing. Tor the
with the lapse Of years, is called Decoration day
II present. bu: was originally known a. Memoir
!ai day. The people preferred the latter name
because 10 suggested flowers. and dowcrs, the
pure emblem OF all that 10 N ost reverent ana
tender on earth. werc felt 70 be the lest menor.
ial. The origin of this beautiful Observance
comes from the custom OF the women OF the
South. custom which started even before the
close of the war. OF placing flowers during tho
bright days OF springtime upon the graves OF
fallen soldiers. There were thousands OF these
soldiers. great arr,y Of unknown dead. ana
the gentle Southern women spread their flowers
with impartial hands upon the graves OF all
alike, neither knowing nor caring whether the
dead beneath had fought for North or south.
They were dead. that was suficient. and the
flowers fell in abundance aud the tears fell with
them.
The women Of the North hearing OF this gem
erous sympathy Of their southern sisters were
touched 10 the heart, and whenever they could
do 30 decked the graves OF southern soldiers In
their midst as carefully az they did those OF
their own dear ones. And sos bond strong -
steel was established between North and south
by the simple sprinkling Of fragile, fragrant
flowers. The mothers, wives and daughters
were first won by this gentle practice, for each
one said 70 herself a. she read of unknown
graves far away being decked with flowers:
perhaps l. WAS my boy" perhaps it was my
husband" perhaps it was my father" Then
they straightway wen, to some cemetery and
did likewise. Then they told the men!
But lew years hal passed after the war was
ended when this feeling OF gratitude aud aftec-
ton became so strong that the whole nation de-
mauded that day De set apart when the graves
OF all soldiers alike should be decorated by
common observance. and when the heroes OF
the war should be honored - was fitting. 1t
was the Grand Army OF the Republic which
took the most active part in establishing the
custom OF observance OF Memorial day. Tee
date, May 80. was selected by Gen. John A
Logan. fret commander-in-chief OF the Grand
Army, that day being chosen a. the anniversary
Of the battle OF Fair Oaks, and also - falling
in period when flowers are most plentiful.
Since then Tor about u quarter OF q century no
year has passed without proper tribute being
paid to the soldiers who fell, aud from the first
the Grand Army. with it, 1000 posts and ito
membership Of nearly . million, has been most
active In making Memorial day. or Decoration
day, one OF the most beautiful observances OF
the year.
Every one knows the i'm posing nature Of the
ceremonies which take place throughout Amer
lea on Decoration day. the splendid processions
which march through the avenues OF our
cities. the cannons which sound from our men
of-war, the Gags which fly at haii.mast. al.
though there has been mncn argument ON that
point, the great orators called to address crowds
numbered by tens OF Thousands aud the GENE.
teries of the land turned into flower gardens.
special ceremonies have become usual at the
tombs Of the heroes of our war. notably % that
of Gen. Grant in Riverside park on the Hudson.
ThIthsr tho whole populace Of New York and
surrounding cities makes its way. while the
crack regiments Of the city with the veterans OF
the Grand Army and the other military aud
naval bodies assemble there. in honor OF the
great general. Gunboats flre their minute gus
and salutes from tho river below while words
OF burning eloqucnce are spoken BY the ablest
orators in the country.
What New York has done In this respect other
cities have done also according to their means
aud opportuuities and no ono OF our national
heroes has been forgotten. Wherever statues
stand to Washington, Lincoln. sherman. sher-
dan. there have fragrant garlands been hung
and flags been waved.
Hitherto the Roman Catholic church has not
officially recognized Decoration day. but will
soon do So league OF Catholic veterans has
recently bean formed and IL 10 their intention to
have high and low masses celebrated in churches
aud cathedrals throughout the country.
The most touching portion OF the days ccre.
monies ID always the decking OF the graves in
the cemeteries The country contains eighty
two national cemeteries, where most OF the sol.
der dead buried, and II IL here that the most
impressive ceremonies take place Each one OF
these national cemeteries 10 cared for under .
special superintendent appointed by the gov
eminent, and no expense 10 spared ON Decora-
ton day to make them beautiful The greatest
number Of soldier dead lie in the Vicksburg
cemetery, which contains 1860 bodies The
national cemetery at Nashville comes next with
1852. The smallest of the national Cemeteries
is at Beverly. ". j.. where only l6i soldiers are
buried.
The national cemeteries are divided into six
di-trie,s. each with its commanding officer.
Lieut. Col. z. II. Dandy, of Washington City, IL
In charge Of twenty-eight Gem teries, t~enty-
two being in Virginia and Maryland, three in
adjoining states. one on the Custer battlefield in
Montana. and one ia the City OF Mexico.
A second district including twenty-six GENE
tasies is in charge OF Maj J. ". scully. OF
Mississippi and south OF Kentucky and Virginia.
and including Texas and Louisiana
Another district is under Col. J. W. Moore, OF
81. Louis, this ineluiing ten ives; OF the Missia-
sirpi river and north OF Louisiana and Texas,
aud four in Illinois
Col. II. c. Hodges OF Jesfersonville. Ind, has
the supervision OF district including eighteen
cemeteries In Kentucky and Indiana.
Lieut. Col. {. 6. >awteile, of Philadelphia, has
charge OF several GENE; eries along the Delaware
river
Tae cemeteries in New York state are under
Col. A J. Perry. Of New York city.
One cemetery ia san Francisco IL under tho
direction of Ma. James ii. Lard, o: that city.
Tweaiy-one g! these cemeteries have over
atp) iH.ermeDis. the total num Der OF ntermcnts
in ali the national cemeteries amounting 10
nearly 5000 The identity OF mos. OF the
soldiers buried ia these eesnetcf ies II Eas aown