The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-27
IN MEMORY OF THE HEROES.
CONTINUED from Eighth Page)

Continued from Eighth Page)
God strengthen her heart as the days go by
And the long dreary nights of her vigil
No bird, no moon, nor a whispering wind,
May breathe the tale of the hollow;
Alasi Alasl
The secret is safe with the woodland
grass.
The confederate volunteers were the
flower of our youth What the heart is
to the oak, what the sun is 10 the day,
they were to the south. There is no virtue
of the soldier they did not possess and
adorn: there Is no devotion in history more
heroic than theirs; no patriotism more
sublime. In the darkest hours of the
struggle they chung to their colors. Even
when chilled by the suicidal blunder and
crime of conscripuon, when duty was
partly stripped of its grace, they still
kept brightly burning in their hearts the
vestal fires of patriotic ardor OF those
OF them who are gone, whether fallen in
the heat and dust ana roar of battle with
the gaudia certaminis blazing in Their
eyes or sinking to rest in lonely hospltal,
missing and yearning for the soft touch
of loving hands. what can we say in honor
| that is meet2 II has always seemed that
the best were taken. Death loves
shining mark" Out of that vast legion of
honor those that are gone were the bray
est and the best 1t remains for US 10
honor them. This beautiful custom you
celebrate to-day of strewing flowers upon
their graves and touching afresh the ten
der chords of memory is the most grace
We cannot do them too much honor Let
us raise still higher in our hearts the mon
ument OF love for those whose brave voices
are hushed, whose bright eyes are closed
and whose strong arms are fallen. We
owe it TO them, we owe II to ourselves,
we owe it to our children, to pay them
every tribute of respect. They deserve
our highest. our profoundest honor. 1t is
true the darkness of defeat has enshrouded
the cause in which they fell. but they are
"As dear to us as are the rudy drops
That visit our sad hearts"
1t is true 1t is said by some that the
| cause in which they fell was an error,
but If so it was "An error that we love =
and year after year on this memorial day,
1 we Will bring our children and our chill
| derns children to this altar of our hearts
/ and swear them anew to revere the mem-
/ DRY of the confederate dead.
In yonder city Of the dead, where we
| of the living that will gather to-day from
| the homes and streets of Savannah, bent
upon the plous task that is before them,
! there VIII be another concourse. There
/ VIII be silent army there to-day. IN
| visible forms will stand before us. in
! visible voices " Ill speak TO us. The people
/ of memory will be there. While you are
/ busy scattering beautiful flowers upon the
! graves of those who are resting there,
/ your tender memories retouched and
! quickened, will summon from their far
| off nameless graves the dead confeder-
ates who are sleeping elsewhere. They
| Will come from the rocky nights of Gettys-
| burg, from the trickling rill of Sharps-
| burg, from the winding banks of the dark
Chieamauga. They Will come from the
! orange groves of Florida, from the banks
| of the Great Father of Waters and from
| every hill top and mountain side and val
ley in Virginia; they will come In bat
| talions. Fond memory will wave her
magic wand and give them lovingly back
| to us again for awhile. The confederate
army Will be on foot again to-day. The
! tattered gray, the old ragged hat. the
| bronzed face, the steady step we know SO
well will march before the eye of mem
Va -1nNr in nr,r,
devote it to them. ITO give unto them
beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourn
ing, the garment of praise for the spirit
! of heaviness."
At the conclusion of The address the vet
| Grams filed around and inside of the rail
| ing about the monument where they
| handed the wreaths which they carried
! TO the committee of ladies, the veterans
! committee assisting in placing them upon
| and around the monument Twelve little
| girls in white, who occupied places on the
bank of the monument formed a very
pretty picture, and they also assisted IN
| placing the wreaths. After this work
was complete prayer was delivered by the
| chaplain, Rev. L. c. NaSS, d. d. Taps
was sounded on the cornet by Private c.
| c. Dupont of Company A of the Guards.
/ This concluded the ceremonies.
The veterans filed out of the inclosure
and drew up in line west of the monu-
ment while the escort passed in review
The Guards and Oglethorpes exchanged
/ salutes and the latter then accompanied
! the former to the armory of the First
/ regiment The Guards then returned to
their armory where the parade was dis
missed. The parade was Intended in part
Z as a celebration of the ninety-third ami
/ Versary of the Guards, and was very sue
cessfui, being the largest parade ever
| made by the corps.
The Branch lot at Laurel Grove was
1 remarkable for its beautiful decoration.
The graves of Lieut. Branch, who was
killed at the first battle OF Manassas, and
his brother Sanford w Branch, who died
| more recently, were bordered with Easter
] with a confederate flag
1 in violets and carnations on each grave.
! The grave of their devoted mother, who
died last year, was also decorated
The ladies We're assisted In their work
I of decorating the graves by Veterans
Puder and II. NJ. Branch.
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