Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-06-07
Remarkable Celebration
A CONFEDERATE MONUMENT DEDICA-
Ted At CHICAGO.

Of all the memorial day celebrations that
took place last Thursday from one end of this
country to the other, none was so remarkable
as that which took place at Oakwook GENE
terry, Chicago. 1t was the dedication of a
monument to the memory of the Confederate
soldiers who died in Camp Douglas and were
buried in Oakwood and the expense OF erect
ing which was largely borne by the citizens
of Chicago. The day before the dedication IA
large number Of distinguished soldiers had
arrived, and the citizens OF Chicago rendered
them banquet At it were 1t. Gen. John
NJ Schoolfeld, U. S. A., Lit. Gen. James
LOngstreet, e. S. A., 1t. Gen. Wade Hamp-
ton, e. S. A., Gen. John e. Black, U. s. A.,
Maj Gen. John NJ. Palmer, U. S. A, 1t Gen.
Stephen D. Lee, e. S. A.. 1t. Gen. A. P.
Stewart. e. S. A.. Maj. Gen. Alfred Orendorff,
u s. A, and others. Maj. Gen. Fitz Lee, e.
S. A, did not arrive until the following
morning, and SO was not at the banquet.
The next morning the procession was FORM
ed to 60 to the cemetery. Army officers in
full uniform, Grand Army men wearing the
old volunteer uniform of 1861, members of
the State militia and exConfederates decked
with the badges of the various camps to which
they belo nged gathered in groups to talk over
the changed condition since the close OF the
war. In the throng were men whose names
were historic, besides hundreds of lesser Off
GERS Oh either side who had come together to
do honor to the memory of the 5000 men in
grey who sleep in the beautiful cemetery by
the shore of Lake Michigan.
Finally the clear notes of a bugle announ
ced that the Chicago City Troop, which was
to escort the visitors to the depot, was in line.
and the carriages, Zach containing two federals
and two Confederates, where rapidly filled.
AS the procession moved along the boulevard,
battery D., Illinois National Guard, fired a
salute of 46 guns. At the depot the party
was transferred to special train decorated
with the national colors, and rapid run soon
deposited the distinguished veterans at the
station where carriages were waiting.
The distinguished Confederates in the party
were 1t. Gen. Jno. 3. Gordon of Ga, Maj
Gen. Wade Hampton of S. G., 1t. Gen. James
Longstreet of Ca, Maj. Gen. Fitz Lee of Va.
1t. Gen. SD. Lee OF Miss, and others of less
rank.
The march to The cemetery then began
The Black Hussars acted as guard OF honor,
and detachments from the Illinois militia,
Grand Army posts, and camps of Confeder-
ate Veterans, made up the rest of the process
sion. A great crowd had assembled about
the monument, stretching out in dense masses
from every side. 1t was considerably after
II O'Clock when Col. Pickett, chaplain OF the
Kentucky "Orphan Brigade" arose and
invoked the divine blessing on the assem-
blage.
Gen. John e. Underwood, who originated
the idea of the monument, then introduced as
presiding officer of the exercises Rev. IL. w.
Bolton, pastor of the Centenary Methodist
church and past commander of U. S. Grant
Post No. %, e. A. r.. whom he styled broad
representative of the union veteran, a human
itarian and Christian gentleman. DR.. Boil
ton returned thanks for. the honor conferred
upon him, and delivered an eloquent eulogy
upon the soldiers Of the late war, both north
and south. After an anthem by a double