Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1896-06-05
THE HEROES REMEMBERED
Decoration Day Fittingly Observed by
Patriotic Hot Springs Residents.
Address Inv Col. KelIar.

Decoration Day Fittingly Observed by
Patriotic Hot Springs Residents.
Address by Col. Kellar.
The morning of Memorial day was
not an suspicious N for a day of out
door exercises and celebrations and vet
the day was an appropriate one for the
observation of the solemn occasion.
The heavens seemed to weep inmourn-
ing for the departed heroes and the
flags which hung at half-mast futtered
ftfully in IA gusty breeze.
The members of the Grand Army post
and the Woman's Relief corps, and
citizens, headed by the Firemen's band,
formed in procession in front of the
soldiers home at 10 o'clock and march
ed to the soldiers cemetery, just west
of the home. Here after an appro-
pirate air by the band, a short but
effective address by Capt. Lucas and a
remarkably eloquent and impressive
invocation by Rev. +. P. Baker, the
beautiful ritualistic ceremony of decor
ating the graves of the heroic dead was
performed by members of the post
and corps. After the exercises at the
grounds the column reformed and
marched back to the home where they
disbanded.
At two o'clock the ceremonies at the
court house commenced. The room
was crowded to the doors and out into
the hall and standing room vas scarce
and hard to get. Capt. Lucas as
master of ceremonies called the meet
ing to order and the Firemen's band
played a suitable selection. Rev. F. p.
Baker offered a fervent prayer and the
choir, consisting of Mesdames Cleve-
land, Stewart, Rominger and Stanley,
with an organ accompaniment by Miss
Kintner, sang sweetly andimpressively
dropping From the Ranks" Capt.
Lucas then arose and with much feel
ing and earnestness, introduced Col.
kellar, the orator of the day. He re-
ferred in glowing terms to Col. Kellar's
brilliant military record in and consci-
entious devotion to the cause of the
Confederacy. He related incidents in
his military career which mark him a
man of unflinchingcourag e,indomitable
perseverance and unswerving devotion
to 81 cause which he believes to be right.
He spoke of his prompt enlistment in
tho oe IL, I1o,ol C..A1.1
at the outbreak of hostilities and his
commission as captain of company ID.
Fourth Tennessee infantry in April.
ls6l; of his promotion to the lieutenant
colonelcy in May, 1862, and to the po-
sition of colonel in September, 1863.
Capt. Lucas mentioned an instance
where his W regiment vas pitted
against that of Col. Kellar and the
battle was Il sanguinary one. 1t was in
this engagement, he said, that Col.
kellar captured Il federal battery amid
IL storm of shot and shell that left
the ground thickly strewn with dead
and dying.
Col. Kellar was visibly effected by
the eloquent and complimentary intro
ductory remarks of Capt. Lucas, and
the imposing scene that was presented.
surrounded as he was by Union veter-
ans and other evidences of the late un-
pleasantness. 1t "a with great diff
Guilty apparently, that he controlled
his feelings, and it seemed as he him
self expressed it afterwards, as though
his heartstrings would be snapped
asunder. The highly eulogistic intro
ductory of Capt. Lucas and the striking
personality and eloquent remarks of
Col. Kellar combined to make the oc-
casion a memorable one. He said in
substance:
1t vas President Lincoln who made
the character of the war. who marked
out its scope, aim and end. by declaring
to the country that the war was for the
Union. and for the Union only. In the
South there were radical leaders. who.
under the cry of state sovereignty. did
not hesitate to say, that to maintain
slavery they would dismember and
destroy Une Union. LII the north you
saw and heard radical leaders of an
other. sort, who denounced the federal
constitution and who did not hesitate
to say they were willing to see the
Union perish that slavery might be de-
stroyed.
Between these extreme and passion
ate men Lincoln stood immovable, way
ing on high the flag of the Union. The
war was not to be waged for conquest,
nor for the destruction ofproperty, nor
for disfranchisement. but only for the
Union. because, as Lincoln said in his
last public speech spoken at Gettys-
burgh in the dark days of the war.ssThe
Union was the last hope of free insti-
buttons in the world, and it must be
preserved, that a government by the
people should not perish from the
EARTH" The hand of the Most High
wa made manifest in raising up Lin
coin to be the defender and preserver
of the Union. and nowhere in all the
records of the world has the Ruler of
nations made his guidance more clear
ly seen and felt with an outstretched
and ,oiubfv nr~