The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-05-02

cred in capitol Park yesterday dlleI-
noon to witness the dedication OF Me-
mortal Grove by the Ladies of the
Grand Army of the Republic. the plat
in the park set apart for the planting
of the grove was tastefully decorated
with the National cOlors, the red, white
and the blue being in evidence every
where Not a child in all the throng,
and children were in the majority, but
held above his or her head an American
flag in miniature, and not a child
among them but raised its voice when
the flag of their country was run to the
top of the pole erected for the occa-
sion.
Above each slip of a tree which had
been transferred from one of the i'm
portant battle-fields of the War of the
Rebellion hung a Union Jack, upon
which was printed the name of the par
ticular battlefield from which it had
been tranSplanted, and each tree was
emblematic of the section whence it
came. Side by side with the cypress of
Manassas and AppommatoX, stood the
maple of Gettysburg. And the pines
from Shiloh and Fort Donelson were
near neighbors to the Kentucky elm
and the palmetto from Fort Sumter.
Each tree and each emblem of the
Union, each flag and each name were
educators to the children who We're
present, and taught, as no other method
could, by the principal of grouping the
events, the magnitude of the undertake
ing of the soldiers of 1861.
Every important battlefield of the
Civil War was represented by a tree
whose roots first fastened in the soil
where the armies struggled. There was
no distinction-no rank. The bitter de-
feats of the Federal forces were fully as
prominent, regarding positions, as had
been their most glorious victories.
Chickamauga stood side by side with
Vicksburg, and near together were
Fredericksburg and Lookout Mountain.
Each tree was made to represent an
event in the war for the Union, and
the names of battles We're as common
on the tongues of babes as were men,
cries to the veterans whose uniforms
broke upon the vision like flashes of
steel
Those veterans gathered together and
recounted incidents of the long ago.
Battles were fought over, and victories
We're won and lost. With an account
of a gallant charge was strangely COM
mingled the description of a disastrous
retreat, but the old soldiers appeared
happy
The ladies having charge of the chill
dren's part of the services marshaled
their charges shortly after the cere-
monies opened. and two youngsters
were detailed for each tree, armed with
hand trowels, and given instructions to
plant and cultivate the trees which had
been assigned to their care when the
proper time arrived. The little people
stood sturdily at their posts, and
throughout the long wait passed the
time by telling what they proposed do
ing when the trees had grown to be
giants. The main thought seemed to
be to carve their names upon the bark,
and allow them to travel down to pos
terity as having been an essential to
the ceremony of defeating the grove to
the memory of the Nations battles.
During a pause in the ceremonies at
the grand stand, another company of
children worked the halliards that
raised the stars and stripes over the
heads of the people. and when the flag
was in it's place and the ropes drawn
snug and tight each boy and girl with
in hearing raised their voices in unison
and gave three cheers for the day 1t
was asserted that several rebel yells
We're heard, but these were subsequent
ly learned to have emanated from in
fants in arms.
The day was all that could have been
eXpected-a little too warm in the sun
shine and a little too cool in the shade.
The lessons taught, and the memories
para1Tp1
of the veterans present had acted their
parts on many Of the fields of battle
represented, and around the trees rep
resented by those particular fields they
gathered and fingered. The day was
delightful, the ladies of the G. A. r.
pleasant. the children beautiful. and
the dedication well calculated to keep
green the memory of the battles that
We're fought and the victories that We're
won by the boys in blue, and by the
victories Won, after their return, by the
girls they left behind them.
THE EXERCISES.
The Second Infantry Band, c. A.
Neale, leader, opened the exercises with
some stirring selections. after which
Mrs. Belle 5. Herr President of the
Day, made brief Introductory remarks,
saying that they were here for the pur-
pose Of dedicating a grove of tree trans
planted frcm the most important bat
tleflelds Of the late war by the Ladies
of the @. \. r., to perpetuate the men,
DRY OF the Grand Army Of the Republic.
She hoped they would grow successful
~ and perpetuate TO future generations
the memory of the men who died for
their country.
If any OF them die, they will be re-
placed, and tags viii be placed on them.
showing whence they came, and a map
of the grove has been filed in the State
archives, so that when those present
have passed away the remembrance of
it may remain. She explained who
We're eligible to admission to the organ
ization of the Ladies of the Grand
Army, and stated that the idea OF
planting the memorial grove had origi-
mated with Mrs. Waggoner.
After an eloquent invocation by Rev.
a. I. Needham, she introduced c. \.
Post. who delivered the following ad-
dress of welcome:
MR.. POSTS WELCOME.
My Countrywomen and Country
men: It Is with a deep feeling of inabil-
ity to fully meet the requirements OF
this impressive and memorable occa-
sion that l arise to discharge the task
allotted to me-
ITO me has been assigned the pleas
ure and duty Of formally bidding the
Ladies of the Grand Army of the Re
public welcome on behalf OF the State
of California, to the use of this spot
of ground for the Durnose of therein