Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-06-07


obtained by dishonorable sacrifice of the
principles for which they were willing to die.
MEN FAITHFUL TO PRINCIPLE.
''Of the 6, 900 Confederates buried here, not
one was all officer; all were privates in no
way responsible for the unhappy war which
brought an iliad of woes upon our country.
And yet these humble private soldiers, any
one Of whom could have gained freedom by
taking the oath of allegiance to the Federal
government, preferred death to the sacrifice
of their principles. Can any possible dis
honor attach to the brave men of Chicago be-
cause they are willing to recognize the couI
age and the devotion to duty Of these dead
Confederates
'Are any Federals soldiers disloyal to the
flag under which they fought because they
join in decorating the graves of brave men
whom they met in battle ? Thousands of
Federal soldiers rest under Southern skies, in
Southern graves, many in unknown graves.
And when, on Memorial Day in the South
the graves of our dead are decorated, gray
headed Confederate veterans and noble de-
voted women strew flowers over the graves
of the Federal soldiers
CONsECRATING THE GUNS.
Then came the eautiful and impressive
ceremony of ''consecrating the guns At
each corner Of the monument stood field
piece, presented to the association by the
nited States government. The ceremony is
known as ''mo numenting the guns, and
consists in making the ordnance part Of the
monument to the dead.
The monument corps consisted of the fol-
lowing: For cannon No. 1, Col. r. H.
Stewart and Miss Lucy Lee Hill for cannon
No. 2, Col. Samuel J. Sullivan and Mrs. AL
bert Akers; for cannon No. 3, Lieut.. Col. Geo.
J. Forester and Miss Laura L. Mitchelll for
cannon No. 4. Lieut.. John W. White and Miss
Belle Armstrong; spiking party. Lieut.
Col. r. Lee France and COmrade Theodore
Noel.
This party formed in procession, and the
gentlemen escorting the ladies passed though
the lines of the veterans to the first guns. and
when they stood beside it General Under
wood gave the command, Consecrate the
guns!"
Colonel Stewart advanced to the piece, an d
with him went Lieutenant Colonel France,
carrying triangular bolt of steel, and Mr..
Noel. who bore heavy hammer. Colonel
Stewart spoke the first words of the ceremony:
"This gun, having been fired for the last
time on the field Of battle, will now be silen-
ced forever"
Lieutenant Colonel France placed the spike
in.the vent of the gun.
"Spike the gun.'' com manded General I'm
derwood. Down came Mr.. Noel's sledge on
the head Of the spike, driving it home and rem
dering that cannon forever harmless.
Colonel Stewart then escorted Miss Lncy
Lee Hill to the pedestal beside the spiked
cannon and Miss Hill said: ''1his cannon,
with its glorious record on the field of battle,
having been silenced forever. I do consecrate
to the memory OF the valorous soldiery we
now monument as a military decorate II for
their bravery and honor unto DEATH e
The ceremony was repeated at the other
guns by the other members OF the co.lsecrat-
ing party, with slight cha nges in the phrase
ology of monumental ton.
Fayette Hewitt, fchief of the staff, then as
sisted Mrs. Katie Cabell Currie to the central
pedestal, whence the lady delivered the final
words of conservation, saying:
"These four cannon, being guns captured
from the Union forces in the battles OF Muir
manned by the confederates and fought Oh the
Southern side in the battles Of Missionary
RIDGE Resaca. Dalton. Kennesaw Mountain,
Peach Tree Greek, Atlanta and Franklin,
were finally captured again by the federals in
the battle Of Nashville and used in subsequent
engagements. They constitute field battery
of light artillery of distinguished battle rec
ord. and it is here permanently parked, never
again to belch forth deadly missiles in hor-
rible splendor Of war. All hail the silenced
guns we consecrate, which, with shot and
she'll piled in monumental decoration on this
burial spot, are henceforth dedicated as
military tribute to valor, fortitude and
DEATH
Decorate the monument" commanded
General Underwood, and then Miss Catherine
Stewart, Miss Marion Sullivan and Mrs r. L.
Walker, dressed in white and escorted by
three staff officers bearing floral decorations,
approached the inscription face of the monu-
ment and in turn placed white cross and
laurel wreath on easels at the centre and cor
ners of the base, dedicating them to the chy-
alrous bravery of the dead there buried and
kneeled upon the lower steps with their arms
folded on their bosoms while the Arion o.
tette chanted GAS God Wills-Amen."
The field was then cleared, and the First
regiment of infantry, Illinois National
Guards, paid the final military tribute by fir
irg three volleys. Then came the command
Taps p after which the military band play
ed march and the audience dispersed. ~. .,
THE MONUMENT.
The monument dedicated stands for
ty feet from the ground to the top of the figure
which surmounts it. The pedestal is of pearl
granite from quarries at Constitution Hill near
Atlanta. Its lower base is Is feet inches
square and upon it are laid three other bases
On the front of one Of them cut in raised and
polished letters. are the words "Contedera ate
Dead" The upper base is adorned with
series of rich holdings, and in the front of
this stone is placed an enlarged model OF the
Confederate seal worked in bronze, represent
ing in relief mounted soldier. General
Washington, inclosed within wreath
wrought by entwining the foliage of products
of the south. The die of the monument is
made of one massive stone, the dimension
being feet and inch square by feet and 10
inches high, and has re-entering angles which
are filled with groups of cluster columns