Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-04-26
Memorial Day.
HEADQUARTERS
DEPARTMENT OF VERMONT,

J
BELLOWS FALLS, Vt, April 18th, 1895.
General Order No. 6.
LIST. Another year has passed and we
are again reminded that the time is near
when we make our annual visit to the 81
lent cities of the dead, and with fitting
ceremonies attest our devotion to them
and pledge anew our loyalty to the prin-
ciples for which they died.
End. Therefore pursuant to custom,
Thursday, May 3Oth, will be observed by
the Posts in this Department as Memoir
ial Day, the most sacred anniversary in
the calendar of the Grand Army. 1t is a
day of precious memories, when with
the recurrent warmth of spring our
hearts Instinctively turn to the solemn
duty of concentrating the deeds of our
departed Comrades.
Nearly thirty years have passed since
the Angel of Peace spread her wings over
our beloved land, and in all that time
you have never faltered in your devotion
to their memory, and now in the midst
of this season of the year when all nature
is bright and the sweet perfume of the
flowers of spring is around and about us,
it were well that we stop at the mile
stone of '95, and with solemn thought
and uttorances renew our allegiance and
show by our fidelity to those who have
answered the last roll call, that the mem
DRY of their sacrifices has not dimmed
with the lapse of time. Let us drop the
tribute of a tear as we deposit on their
lowly mounds the beautiful flowers of
spring. The swiftness of the passing
years admOnish us, Comrades, that but
short time remains for us to take the in
itiative and is therefore highly important
that the greatest care should be taken
that Memorial Day is carefully observed.
Sd. Call to your aid our good right
arm, the Woman's Relief Corps and Sons
of Veterans, give each some duty to per-
form; make your services impressive so
that the spirit and purpose of its obser-
vance may be fully impressed upon the
people. The graves we decorate are
their charge as much as ours; they enjoy
equally with us the blessing of Nation
with its free institutions preserved, and
it is therefore their duty as well as ours
to honor and perpetuate their memories,
so that through the ages to come the
children shall sing of how well you and
those whose graves we decorate main
tanned the Constitution, preserved the
Union, kept the flag unsullied, giving to
1.-THE Nation a ne birth of freedom"
4th. 1 earnestly request that all the
Posts in this Department Gnviting the
Woman's Relief Corps and Sons of Vet
Grams to join them), attend divine servi-
ces in body Sunday preceding Memoir
al Day, May Goth, and where it is practi-
cal to do so l would recommend the
holding of union Memorial services at
some suitable place and hour in the day
as will not interfere with the regular
church services. This custom is prac-
tised to considerable extent and is very
satisfactory.
9Th. Attention is called to the follow
ing act passed at the last session of the
Vermont legislature: Sec. 1. The last
half-day's session of the public schools
before Memorial Day shall be devoted to
exercises commemorative of the history
of this Nation during the war of the re-
beliOn and to patriotic instruction in the
principles of liberty and the equal rights
of man.
9th. Post Commanders are admonished
to give this matter their serious atten-
ton and see to it that the provisions of
this act are fully utilized by the appoint
ment of wide-awake Comrades to work
in connection with schoolNcommittees
and teachers in every district, in the ar
rangement of exercises that will teach
bright lessons of patriotism, that the
youths and maidens of to-day may be
made to know that we had and have a
country worth loving and worth living
and dying for. Teach them to cherish
the memory of the Nations dead, to love
our country, to respect her laws and rev.
erance her flag.
It'll. The attention of Post Chaplains
is called to the duty that devolves upon
them of forwarding to the Department
Chaplain, E. NJ. Haynes, 3S Grove street,
Rutland Vt, full and complete reports,
giving all the particulars that pertajn to
the observance of the day in your locali-
ty. Blanks will be furnished for this
purpose which you are requested to fill
out fully. Attend to this, Comrades, be-
fore you retire May Both.
By command of
b. CANNON, JR., Dept. Com.
II. A. WHEELER, ASS Adjt. Gen.