The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1896-06-04
GRAVES WERE DECORATED
John S. Marsh Post Observes Dec.
grafton Day in Proper
Manner.
Hon. John Day Smiths Eloquent
and Patriotic Address
to Citizens.

Decoration Day was appropriately
observed in Redwood Falls. A large
crowd participated in the ceremonies,
which were under the direction of
John S. Marsh Post.
The day was beautiful. Light
clouds passed over the sun at frequent
intervals, and with an east wind, kept
the atmosphere cool throughout the
day.
Early in the morning vehicles load
ed with people from the country began
arriving and at 81 o'clock the streets
we're lined with teams and people.
At 9:45 the line commenced form
ing for the march to the cemetery and
the decoration of graves of dead he
roes. The march began at 10 o'clock,
the procession being headed by
mounted patrolman Frank French.
followed by the band. Then came
John S. Marsh Post of 81 members,
followed by Redwood Lodge No. S.,
A. o. U. w., OF IS members. Next
came 80 girls and IA boys from the
public schools, the ladies of the Re-
lief Corps in carriages, followed by a
string of carriages nearly mile long.
Arriving at the cemetery the Post
members lined up on the eastern
side, and after prayer by Rev. John
Sinclair, and song by Messrs. Geo..
French, E. R. Houck, M. D. Martin
and Kenney, conducted their usual
Decoration Day exercises.
The graves of dead soldiers we're
decorated by committee appointed
for the purpose, after which the par
Elephants returned to the city. Bas-
ket luncheon parties we're formed un-
der trees, while dinner was served to
the veterans in g.. A. R. hall.
At about 2 o'clock the band march,
ed the school children from the school
to the court house. after which the
members of the Redwood Falls and
Morton posts, and the ladies of the
Relief Corps of those two towns
marched to the court house and oc-
cupied seats especially reserved for
them.
1t was announced that the St. Louis
train, having Hon. John Day Smith
on board, was an hour late, but the
programme was proceeded with to the
satisfaction of the mammoth audi
ence. There was prayer by Rev. R.
G. Grose, a song by the quartette,
a reading by S. J. Race, another song
by the quartette, an excellent reading
by Prof. Torrens, and then the fol-
lowing eloquent speech by Mr.. Smith,
who was introduced by Post Com
mander Kenney:
With the fight of time our Memoir
ial Day has come once more. How
swiftly the years pass! To the old
soldier there is no day 80 sacred, no
observance so beautiful. This day
with it's patriotic memories takes us
back over period of more than thirty
years. The memories of that terrible
struggle are lived over again to-day.
It's privations and hardships, the dan
gers of the battlefield, the sufferings
of sickness and the unutterable agony
of the prison, crowd in upon our mem-
cries. Memorial Day, however, was
appointed for a different purpose.
With it comes the sacaed duty of hon
oring the memory of our comrades
who fell in the battle or who died in
the service by reason of it's hardships
and exposures, or who have since
dropped by the wayside, their short
ened lives testifying to their sacrifice
in defense of the country. We keep
alive an ancient and beautiful custom
in laying flowers upon the graves of
our dead. By this act we pay
tribute of respect and veneration to