The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1893-05-03
UNDER ROSES.
GRAVES OF CONFEDERATE DEAD
BURIED BENEATH FLOWERS.

JOnes.-The Day in Dawson.
Dawson honored the memory of the
lost cause in right good style.
1t will be long time before the spirit
of pride for the heroic dead of the con-
federacy will fade from the hearts of
patriotic Dawsonians, as the incidents
of Wednesday will prove.
Every place of business IN the city
closed at 8 O'Clock and both employer
and employee paid tribute of respect
to those who laid down their lives in
defense of this fair southland.
When the. time arrived for the exer-
cises to begin kthe opera house was
crowded with beauty and chivalry-the
largest audience that has assembled IN
Dawson in long time-who had come
to hear the matchless Grafton of Hon.
E. r. Jones, of Albany, and to pay rev.
erence to a sentiment of loving remem-
brance of fallen heroes.
Colonel. j. G. Parks was master OF
CEREMONIES anu 0lIcCICu NCA1 SAAS SnOA
cises of the occasion.
The music was particularly appropri-
ate and well rendered, for it could not
have been otherwise under the direction
of the gifted Mrs. Simmons.
A fervent prayer was invoked by Rev.
Fl. r. McLendOn.
The recitation of 1.-THE Georgia V OIL
unteer," by Miss Meta Baldwin, touched
the hearts of the men who wore the grey
and who gave their lives to the cause
they loved the most.
The orator of the day was introduced
by our own talented young fellow-citi-
zen, Colonel NJ. c. Edwards, IN eloquent
words.
Colonel Jones held the audience in
mastery manner, and no signs of weari-
ness could be seen while he was speak
ing. His Grafton glstened with gems
from beginning to end, and did credit to
one who honored himself as the son of a
gallant soldier
After the exercises at the opera house
a procession was formed which moved to
the cemetery in the following order: the
Dawson Guards, Confederate veterans,
children with flowers, carriages, citi-
zens generally.
A flag of red, blue and white, inter
spersed with stars, f1oated over that part
CT the cemetery in which are the graves
of the confederate soldiers, and under its
folds the Dawson Guards formed.
After short interval of rest the dec
Grafton of the graves was begun, and
each soldiers mound was covered with
flowers, some of them perhaps sprinkled
with tears, by the ladies who placed
them with their own fair hands upon the
grave of some others son, husband or
brother as womanly token of the love
that still fingers in the heat of every
true southern woman.
After the decoration of the graves the
customary salute of three rounds was
fired, after which, for the first time here,
"Taps" was sounded by bugler Cham
bers, and as the plaintive notes echoed
and re-echoed in the still air of beauti-
full April afternoon al were made sad in
contemplation of the fallen heroes of
lost cause.
Hon. L. r. Jones' Address.
LADIES OF THE CONFEDERATE MEM
ORAL ASSOCIATION, LADIES AND GEN
TLEMEN:
If there were some supernatural pow
er at my command by which / could be
transported to the beautiful garden of
Rhetoric, where blossoms 1.-THE rose, the
sweetest flower of poetry and prose, most
heartily would l attempt the journey,
and during my visit would Gull some
poetic sentiments, representing aud ex-
pressing the exalted appreciation of
your spokesman, for the compliment you
have conferred, in honoring him as your
representative on this occasion.
1t is beautiful custom, we'll worthy a
poets theme, and more worthy the
hearts of these people, for low
ing and loyal people to assemble near
the halo we'd shrines of their departed
soldiery to contemplate their deeds of
valor, to extol their virtues, to honor
their memories, and to garland their
graves with flowers
Such is our purpose today, and it
meets with the common consent OF all
within the hearing of our voice.
When the Queen of Spring, with hex
royal trappings, has decorated with her