Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1895-06-08
THE DAYS CEREMONIES.

| THE DAYS CEREMONIES
lo-day's ceremonies began with th,
ringing of the Columbian Liberty Bell
and the firing of national salute bv
battery ID, Illinois national guard, on
the lake front. Then carriace no
rane OF northern and southern ren.
erals was formed and moved, under
military escort, to the Twelfth Street
depot and took trains for Oakwoods
cemetery, where the dedication cere-
monies occurred. The military escort
consisted of the well-known First req
lment, Illinois national guard, under
command of Col. Henry L. Turner as
well as the Chicago hussars, Il mount
ed military organization of seventy
live men, under command of CAPT.
Quincy.
The dedication ceremonies were
opened with prayer by Col Joseph
Desha Pickett, chaplain of the Ken.
tucky Orphan brigade, G. S. A. Then
Gen. John c. Underwood, in a few in
troductory remarks, placed in the
chair Rev. j. II. Bolton, pastor OF the
Centenary Methodist church and past
commander of U. S. Grant post, No.
2s G. A. r., Of Chicago who delivered
brief address on assuming his duties.
The dedicatory Grafton by Lieut.. Gen.
Wade Hampton of South Carolina fol-
lowed.
A memorial poem by Maj. Henry r. |
Stanton, of Kentucky, was next, and
the literary portion of the dedication
was closed with an address by Right
Rev. Samuel Fallows, bishop of the
Reformed Episcopal church. Chicago.
CONsECRATING THE GUNS.
Then came the beautiful and i'm
pressivc ceremony of ''consecrating the
guns" At each corner of the monu-
ment stood field piece, presented to
the association by the United States
government. The ceremony is known
as "monumcnting the guns, and con-
sists in making the ordnance part of
the monument to the dead.
The monumenting corps consisted
of the following. For cannon No. l,
Col. r. II. Stewart and Miss Lucy Lee
Hill; for cannon No. ., Col. Samuel j.
sullivan aad Mrs. Albert Akers; for
cannon No. 8, Lieut.. Col. George f..
Forester and Miss Laura L. Mitchell;
or cannon No. 4, Lieut,-Col John W.
White and Miss Belle Armstrong.
'piking party; Lieut.. Col. r. Lee :
france and Comrade Theodore Noel.
This party formed in procession $
nd, the gentlemen escorting the
aides, passed through the lines of the
eterans to the first gun, and when S
hey stood beside it, Gen. Underwood
ave the command:
"Consecrate the guns! c
SPIKED THE GUNS.
Col. Stewart advanced to the piece,
nd with him went Lieut.. Col. France,
arrying triangular bolt of steel,
nd Mr.. Noel, who bore heavy ham,
Ter. Col. Stewart spoke the first
ords of the ceremony: p
"This gun, having fired its last shot u
n the field of battle, will now be u
fenced forever" u
Lieut.. Col. France placed the spike !.
/ the vent of the gun. VI
"Spike the gun!" commanded Gen. u
Underwood.
Down came Mr.. Noel's sledge on the u
,ad of the spike, driving it home and ~ y
ndering that cannon forever harm ol
SIS. "
Col Stewart then escorted Miss Lucy y
re Hill to the pedestal beside the ~
liked cannon, and Miss Hill said: "a
"This cannon, with its glorious record >, .,
the field of battle, having been =, -
enced forever, do consecrate to the Il;
emory Of the valorous soldiery we smo m
w monument, as military decora- -, ao
IN for their bravery and honor unto p, D,
ath."
The ceremony was repeated at the r..
her guns by the other members OF n. ~
g consecrating party, with slight w. w.
anges in the phraseology OF monu' W. W.
,ntation. g.,
rayette Hewitt, chief OF staff then M
sisted Mrs. Katie cabell Cnrrie 70 90 90,
D central pedestal, whence the lady 10 ;u
livered the final words OF consecra' ,n' n
N, saying: I'm
these four cannon, being guns -. =.
ptured from the Union forces in the 8.
titles Of Murfreesboro and oh'ch- ~
lauca, and afterward manned BY the ai' ~;
,fcdcratcs, and fought on the SOUTH ,s' -
side In the battles OF Missionary ~ M
I've, Resaca, Dalton, Kenesaw Noun, sa' ~
i 'pearh Tree Creek, Atlanta and no
Isi1In. we're finally recapturcd Dy VI