The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-31
Veterans at Santa Monica.

was fittingly and beautifully observed at
the Pacific Coast branch of the Soldiers
Home at Santa Monica, they being OF
far more unique and imposing character
than ever before at this city OF veterans,
who to-day have moist eyes and sad hearts,
as they remember the days of the sixties
and comrades left on battle-fields, many
in unknown graves.
The ceremonies commenced at S:45 A. NJ.
with the procession of over 1000 souls to
the cemetery, led by Governor j. G. Row
land and staff, and the orator OF the day,
Colonel E. E. Lee, q. S. A., preceded by
| the home band.
They were followed by the non-commis-
stoned staff, a firing party, members OF
John A. Marten Post, G. A. R., members
of Encampment 1873, Union Veteran Le-
gion, Association of Naval Veterans, Kee-
| ley Club, visiting members of the G. A. R..
and w. R. c., children with flowers for
decoration, members from the home hos
pital in carriages and citizens in carriages
| The exercises at the cemetery were COM
| menced by well-chosen remarks by the
| Governor, followed by special service
performed by forty-four young girls from
Santa Monica, who represented the States
of the Union, each one with sash, wreath
and bouquet of a special flower. The
wreaths and bouquets were deposited on
the center monument to the unknown
dead, each repeating verse from Sc
lected poem. Thus were the nations I'M
known dead, who died for their country s
sake honored at the home of the veterans
here by edrth's fairest creatures.
| The regular G. A. r. memorial ritual
was delivered, after which the three hun
bred graves of those who sleep here
awaiting the reveille of the Great Com
mander, at rest from wars alarms and
life's eares-were decorated profusely by
the choicest of Floras gems.
| In the afternoon the memorial Grafton
was delivered by Colonel E. E. Lee, the
orator being in particularly appropriate
mood as he recalled the scenes of the Re-
| bellion, touched up here and there with a
telling anecdote. The services of the en-
| tire day were of character long to be re-
| membered, and much credit is due to
| Governor J. G. Rowland for his indie
| fatigable labors, both before, in perfecting
the details, and to-day in carrying out the
varied and interesting programme; also to
Mrs. Goodall of the home, who drilled the
school children.
Memorial day was appropriately cele-
brated by the citizens generally under the
leadership of Fort Fisher Post and the w.
R. c. The few graves of those who sleep
| in the cemetery on the hill beside the sea
were decorated in the morning and an elo-
quent grafton by Major Donnel was de-
Gvered in the opera-house in the afternoon.
There were many strangers in town who
cicfo if,f IA Of hra ~
the Nations heroes.
Farragsst Post Takes Charge at Vallejo.
VALLEJO, CAL, May 3O.-Memorial day
was universally observed by the people of
Vallejo. Stores were closed and flags flew
at half-mast. No work was done at the
| navy-yard. The streets were thronged
with men, women and children to witness
| the procession as it moved out toward the
Union Cemetery, where the exercises were
| held within the Grand Army inclosure
| The exercises were held under the
auspices of Farragut Post No. 4, G. A. R.
| In the line were men who had taken part
| in the great conflict, either as boys, pri-
| Yates or officers. The line of the process
sion was led by the Vallejo concert band,
composed of twenty young musicians,
who, for their first effort in leading mill
tary procession, did very well. Then fol-
lowed Company B, Second Infantry
Fourth Brigade, N. G. c., Captain Frank
O'Grady commanding. Fully 100 children,
boys ana girls, from the /. o. G. 7. Home
for Orphans followed, bearing an Ameri-
can flag in one hand and handful of
flowers in the other, which later were
strewn over the silent mounds. The mem
bav n Ear M A
Newcomb post commander; the Union
Veteran Legion, Edward Walsh Garrison.
r. a. N. o.; Farragut Camp No. 10, Sons of
Veterans, Farragut Corps No. 80, W.R c.,
and long line of honorab1y discharged SOL
diers, sailors and marines, with detach-
ment of sailors from the men-of-war in
the harbor, followed.
Each one in line, outside the military,
carried bouquets of fragrant flowers. In
the line of carriages were the choristers
and the pastors Of the Methodist, Baptist
and Presbyterian churches. The pastor of
the Baptist church, who delivered the
grafton, is the division chaplain of the
Sons OF Veterans, and his effort at the
cemetery was pronounced to be one of the
finest orations ever delivered on a similar
occasion.
The order of exercises at the cemetery
consisted of music. a dirge by the band;
reading of orders for the day bv Adiutant
8. E. Wilson; opening address by Past
Commander L. S. Newcomb; singing bv
the choir, consisting of Miss Flora Win
| chell. Mrs. j. r. Watson, Professor Charles
Green and Mr.. H. e. Wilder; PRAYER bv
Rev. 3. M. Woodward; address by the
commander; music; Grafton, Rev, w. T..
CASTOR; music, choir; recitation. "Tbe
Four Hundred" Comrade J. Hunter; dec
Grafton OF the monument erected to the
unknown dead, by the officer of the dav
Albert Hodges; hymn, 'My Country. 'Tis
OF Thee" by the choir and entire audience.
The benediction was pronounced bv the
Rev. I. 3. Burnham, after which the deco.
la a Oh .ne graves was participated in by
nearly every one of the vast multitude q :,
semoled at the cemetery. The Grafton bv
department. Chaplain CASTOR was the
theme conversation after the ceremonies
were over.