Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1894-05-31
Decoration Dnv.

DfiBht Ruu refreshing aIter the RAIN
fall of tue evening before. EARLY in
the morning the crowds began to
gather from the country, until by
loon about 1900 people were in town
ready to participate in doing honor
the nations dead heroes in Decora-
zion Day exercises
At 1870 o'clock the parade formed
at the southwest corner of the square
and began the march to the fair
grounds. More than $50 teams, be-
sides a large number on foot took
part in the parade. At the grand
stand in the fair grounds the exer-
cises were performed, consisting OF
music by the band and a chorus Of
voices. Rev, A. N, See delivered the
principal address, lasting nearly two
hours. 0. L. Smith followed with q
short address after which the Pudi'
encb marched to the cemetery, where
Il beautiful ceremony WAS said and
he graves OF twelve sleeping heroes
decorated. The names of the soldier
boys who rest in this cemetery are as
follows: George Carman, Nelson b
Burst, Luke Allen, Joseph Griffith,
I. s. Moore, EIhu Davis, Royal
Woodward, Asa Massey, George Nc
Donald, Alfred A. Kivett, William
Post, q. II. Nelson.
Tie exercises throughout were
very impressive and were carried out
without a hitch or jar, They will
long be remembered as a beautiful
service in honor Of the memory Of our
country's brave defenders.
The HERALD has secured the ad
dresses delivered, and will print them
in full, IN this and our next issue,
Following is Rev. Sees address,
COMMANDER AND COMRADES OF PBiL peDURG
Posi- No n, G. A, r., THE W, II. O. AND
FRIENDS:
esteem It great honor TO be called to address
you at this time. only regret my inability to do
| justice to the occasion, But then realize that
no pen or tongue of man or angel can ever do jus.
tce TO these noble, heroic, patriots and martyrs
We will therefore be content with dong the best
| we can though far inferior to what we desire,
| We are here to pay our humble tribute TO the
nations dead The nation IL IN mourning to day,
| From Name to california and from the great
lakes to the gulf, il we could sweep through the
land with the speed of lightning we would see
everywhere flags at half mast and groups Of hun
dreds aud thousands gath red for The same pur-
pose that has called US together to honor the dead
it reminds che Of the prOphesy of Jeremiah, ain
| Rama war there voice heard in amentatiOn and
weeping aud great mourning, Rachel weeping for
her children, and would not be cOmf0rted, because
they are not " A nation IL in mourning for her
chi dien to day, her nobest her fairest, and best
OnlCihl returns show that 1853 QUO men enlisted
under the various calls OF President Lincoln,
These met the armies or attachments Of the arm.
ies of tine COnfederacy in 1000 battles and skir
mshes In l48 OF these battles the loss on our side
was over $40 men, and In at least ten battles the
loss on each side was reported az over 10 600 men,
The combined losses in the following battles on
both sides was iu killed, wounded and missing
shiloh, 240O0; Antietam, 10 900; Stone River, ~
600; Chick amauga, 35,00O; McC!elIan's Peninsula
campaign $4,000; ShGrman's march to the sea. 50,
|, WO: Grants Peninsula campaign, 10000 The
official statistics show that "a 23S were killed in
battles 49208 died Of wounds; 1856, 900 died OF dis
ease; and "a, 900 died Of unknown causes during
the war; making total Of 3O3,s43 There were
20, 900 that died while prisoners of war; 2U5,794
were reported as deserters or missing In action,
and many Of these lie In the $4,000 unknown
graves of the eOuth There were also muny that
died while home of sick leave, who were not in
the report as given above. SO IT Is safe to est
mate that over 100000 were slain during the war,
, and many more have died since of wounds and
diseases caused by the war; while another 100000
soldiers have died of causes that could not be d.
rectly traced to the war, whose graves are deC0ra
ted to-day. So we have the total of not less than
500 600 of union soldiers graves decorated in the
land to-day; 800 600 are in % national cemeteries
OF which II only are in the northern states hold
ing %, 600 patriot dead, while 275O0O sleep In the
sunny south land where they fell or were starved
to death for their country, OF these there are 145
900 gIayes marked unknown the graves Of these
, are kept lreen, and the sentinel in blue keeps
watch over the dust where they sleep, and to-day
flowers are scattered over their graves.
visited the national cemetery at Marietta, Ca
where over 10000 sleep in 1857, and 1t was KEEP
In good condition. and is now presume. And
presume the soldier wears the blue. Possibly HI
may have worn the gray during the war, but th'
war IL over and we must not be particular VINO II
on guard now.
! The total confederate loss Ia estimated at 800 0O
out Of 100000 hat were engaged. In estimating
the conflict we must take into consideration tina
we had the disadvantage Of having 10 hold Oh,
whole country, while they had only small pOr
ton to guard and had their supplies where tn
!, army was, while our supplies were in the nortl
aud we in the sOuth and the trains must be guard
= ed. They fought at home and we away from home
Our whole land Is in mourning to-day. where /
I there home where the shadow did not fall? LII
fitting that we strew flowers, emblems Of mmOr
tality,, over their graves, showing by this act VI
cherish their memory, this MT for their good bu
for the good of our children, the good Of the ma
, ton, for our good. May their graves ever be KEEP
green and their memories ever cherished for tn
= benefit Of the rsiug generation, We should cher
ish these as the psalmist did Jerusalem. And sa
s 'if forget these let my right hand forget he
cunning and let my tongue cleave to the roof o
J, my mouth" And II the tongue of their traduCer
were crown fast to the roof Of their mouths or b.
. misshap pulled out II would be better for the ma
| ton and such mouths should be stopped.
These shall all live again, what an army lie
us 30 maintain the principles they fought an
died for that in eternity they may not chide us 70
our neglect of duty.
q Their noble lives and heroic sacrifice should D
held up TO our children and coming generations a
i examples for them to follow W. revere Wash
= lngton as the father Of his country and homo
q the memory Of those who followed him thr0ug
q the struggle for American Independence, and W
q do well. His life has inspired many youth t
l. nObler deeds, and grander lives. So Will Oh
memory of these inepire Others II we tell them tn
story OF their struggle for the preservation Of GU
nation, but II we let our enenies tell the story an
,, write the history and we keep silent, time wi
come when these will be remembered az misguid
s. ed followers Of party or section, and not as tn
preservers Of republican form Of government, til
- sayiOr- Of our nation. We should tell them Wht
l. they have done and why they were soldiers.
Paul in his letter to the hebrews, the 18th char
), ter, hslds up the lives Of Abraham, Moses, and
host Of other worthless who were obedient to th
g call OF duty though IL led them through trial