The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-05-15
SHOULD SHAME THAYER.
GENERAL UNDERwOOD'S MANLY
LETTER TO THE PUBLIC.
How the Confederate Monument
Came to Be Erected at lakewood,
and How 1t VIII Be Dedicated-
Graves in the South.

Chicago May IA local paper says:
So many statements have gone
abroad in other cities than Chicago, as
a result of Department Commander
Thayer's recent letter to the Mas
sachusetts G. A. R., protesting against
the proposed dedication of the con-
federate monument at lakewood GEM
etery Memorial day, that many per-
| sons deeply interested in the event be-
iseve a part of the public has been led
to misconstrue the significance of the
ceremonies to be performed.
Ever since the bitter attack was
made, General Underwood, commander
OF the division of the north, United
Confederate Veterans, has kept silent.
but the protest has caused so much
comment from some quarters that he
deemed it, advisable to issue a letter
defining his position. The letter which
Is addressed: ITO the citizens of the
United States. reunited people of
one nation" says in part:
1.-The permission to erect a monu-
ment over the remains of 5000 south
ern soldiers in lakewood cemetery was
granted by the secretary of war"
Continuing, General Underwood
says:
Accordingly, fund was raised,
two-thirds of which having been con-
tributed by citizens of Chicago, and
the monument. as it stands, was
erected under direct provisions of the
permit that emanated from the war
department.
Last Decoration day, a number of
u. A. R. posts Joined with the con-
1ederate camp in the memorial exer-
clses. and profusely decorated the con-
Iederate graves with northern flowers
tine southern men returning the
courtesy in memorial ceremonies by
decorating the graves of union soldi-
ers IN the same cemetery. On that
occasion, Major H. G. Purington, COM
mander of Columbia Post No. 706 G.
A r., suggested that the monument
be dedicated the next Decoration day,
May 80, 1895, so that G. A. r. veterans,
because of it being a holiday, might
attend and take part in the ceremony
The holiday feature Of the day APP
plying as well to my own command
that day was selected and without any
thought or intention of infringing upon
prerogative of the G. a. r.
l am in receipt of a letter from |
Acknowledgement John NJ. Schofield, |
commanding the United States army, !
and an endorsement on the back of |
HIS photograph by General Thomas G. |
Lawler, commander-in-chief of the G. |
A. R., each commencing the monu- |
menting Of the remains of my dead |
comrades. 1t is pardonable to refer to /
such high and disinterested approval |
OF humanitarian acts, and although at |
this Juncture no character of discus
sion is desired, still deem it entirely
right and proper to announce that in
monumenting the confederate dead |
every observance of law was complied
with, and the purpose of unearthing
the dead confederacy, of acting dis
loyalty, or Haunting the confederate
flag that went down at Appomattox,
was not for moment entertained, the
only purpose of the living confederates
being ITO monument the fortitude and
bravery of the brave soldiers who sur
rendered their lives under the most
trying circumstances Imaginable, and
by so doing have added a page to the
renown of the American volunteer. I
will be in command during the dedi-
cation of the Confederate monument
On the morning of May 80 next, and
know in advance that neither an I'M
patriotic sentiment nor disloyal word
will be uttered, and I will personally
see that the stars and stripes are
alone given to the breeze on that oc-
casion.''