The herald., 1896-07-05
The Catholic Cemetery and Memorial Day

Editor Herald: In The Herald of June
10th there appeared an article on One
Sided Patriotism, in which the writer,
who signed himself "A u. S. American,
took the G. A. r. to task for making out
program each year for Evergreen
Rosedale and the city cemeteries, while
the Catholic cemetery apparently never
is thought of by the committee of ar
rangements. This letter brought forth
spirited reply from Mr.. N. d Mussey
on behalf of Kenesaw Post No. 106, G. A.
r.
l have been waiting for the gentle
man with the patriotic nom de plume to
answer this letter of Mr.. Musseys, but
he seems unwilling to further discuss
the matter.
AS have been mentioned by Mr. Mus
sey in his letter, which appeared in The
Herald of the 14th inst, as a witness
who could prove the truth of his asser-
tions in relation to the efforts which
Kenesaw Post, No. 106, has made to care
for the graves of the veterans who lie
in Calvary cemetery on Buena Vista
street, l feel it incumbent upon me to
briefly state what l know of this mat
ter. / do not agree with Mr.. Mussey
when he asserts that the writer of the
article to which he replied, accused
kenesaw Post of neglecting to deco
rate the graves of the veterans in the
Catholic cemetery, for in that letter is
the following tribute which l copy word
for word from that article. Although
Kenesaw Pos0has burial plot in Ever
green cemetery, yet they sent couple
of men to place flowers on the graves of
the veterans who are resting in the
Catholic burial ground, and these, with
two others who were sent by another
post to decorate the graves of one of its
members who lies buried there, is the
full extent of memorial services in this
i,1ct 20
Kenesaw Post, and the real motive that
actuated the publication of that COM
munication seems to be contained in the
following, with which l heartily agree:
$50 we hope that when next Decoration
day arrives we will not witness the
humiliating spectacle in our city of three
cemeteries crowded with c. a. r. posts,
army and navy regulars, Woman's Re-
lief corps, fife and drum corps, firing
squads from the national guard, ladies
of the C. A. r., the Boys brigade,
Daughters of Vterans, Sons of
Veterans school children from the
neighboring school, and the Lord
a splendid program, while all of those
organizations can spare just four men
to lay flowers on the graves of the sew
enteen veterans, among whom are five
officers, who sleep in the Catholic cem-
etery." Mr.. Mussey's assertions in re-
u,
if the members of the other posts, gar
risons and corps of the city took as great
an interest in the old soldiers of the
civil and Mexican wars, who rest in the
Catholic cemetery, as do those of Ken
esaw, we would not be compelled to take
note each year of the fact, that while the
daily papers TEEN with glowing accounts
of the memorial services that are held on
Decoration day in Evergreen, Rosedale
and the city cemeteries, no mention
whatever is made of the Catholic ceme-
terry. AS l am the son of a Union SOL
dier, / naturally take a deep interest in
everything that pertains to Decoration
day, and have done everything in my
power to obtain as full list as possible
of the veterans who are buried in our
cemetery, not only that they might be
properly attended to on Decoration day.
but as every soldier after death is en-
titled to a marble headstone to mark his
grave, which is presented by the gov