Omaha daily bee., 1897-06-01
FLOWERS FOR SOLDIER DEAD
Imposing Ceremonies Are Held at Beautiful
Arlington.
EXERCISES AT THE NATIONAL CEMETERY
President Mckinley Present 10 Wit
the Cercmony-Marine
Band and the Regular
Troops Participate.

MASt1lNGION, May ol.-MeOuTldi udS
was generally observed in Washington. The
senate adjourned over for the day and the
house held only a fifteen minute session
All the departments and the business houses
were closed and the day was given up to
patriotic observance and tributes TO the heroic
dead. The bronze statues Of the nations
heioes on land and sea in the government
| reservations and parks were shrouded in the
flags under which they fought. At 10 O'Clock
there was an impressive parade of the Grand
Army of the Republic and other patriotic or
ganizations, which at IL O'Clock broke up.
the several posts holding memorial exercises
in the various cemeteries.
The most imposing ceremonies were held
at the National cemetery at Arlington on
the Virginia side o; the Potomac. opposite
Washington, which was before the war the
| magnificent estate OF Robert L. Lee, the
confederate chieftain. This beautiful prop
erty had been sold little over century
ago to John Alexander for six hogsheads of
tobacco, and was inherited by Lee from
John Parke Custis the son OF Martha Wash
ington by her first husband, who served as
an aide on Washingtons staff 1t was pur-
chased by the government from the Lee
heirs in 1883 for s150,00O after having been
held as a national cemetery since the close
of the war. Here bivouac almost 80 900 of
| never be known being buried in a single
grave. Among the most famous heroes
buried beneath the spreading oaks and elms
are: General Sheridan the great cavalry
leader Admiral Porter, the hero OF Mobile;
Brigadier General Harney and General Rick
etts.
AT THE CEMETERY.
The exercises at Arlington today were
made particularly memorable by the pres
ence of President Mckinley. They began at
IL o'clock with a national salute of twenty
one guns from the light battery Fourth ar
tillery, U. S. A. The beautiful ceremony of
strewing flowers on the graves followed
Led by the marine band, the Grand Army of
the Republic and other organizations which
had formed in front of the old Lee man
sion marched to the tomb of the unknown
dead where the band played dirge After
this the procession separated. With gentle
hands and loving hearts the graves Of the
vast army beneath the trees received their
tributes.
The officers and guests afterward gathered
at the amphitheater, which was handsomely
decorated, where the exei c;ses took place.
The program at the amPhitheater opened
with buglers sounding Assembly" After
the funeral march by the Marine band tie
Burial of the Dead was sung by the choir.
Thomas s. Hopkins, department commander,
called the assembly to order, and Rev. w.
II. Black invoked, the divine blessing. The
choir sang again, and then Representative
Doiliver OF Iowa -yieiivered- the oration of
the day This was followed by music and a
poem delivered by DR.. Thomas Calver. Hon.
Webster Davis, assistant secretary of the
interior, followed with Grafton, and the
exercises concluded with Beethovens
Funeral March of Dead Hero" played
by the Marine band
ADDRESS BY DAVIS.
Hon. Webster Davis of Kansas City, who
tomorrow assumes the office of assistant sec
retary OF the interior, spoke of the solemnty
of the day to those who were children dur
ing the war, and who were eager to testify
to the reverence for the past. He said:
Surely the union soldiers are the assured
emergency, in every danger, in the shadows
Of every cloud, however dark, they were
and the union, as the sheet anchor of hope
for the welfare of their children. Some
s.eep today in the groves of the sunny
graves and trenches marked "Unknown;"
yet they are not unknown nor forgotten, for
:heir names are engraved on Columbia's
| their luster. i would just as leave honor
living hero ns To immortalize a dead saint,
enough to defy all hazard in their defense
we speak equally of those who have pitched
their tents on the plains OF the spirit land
and those who yet walk with us the walk of
life.
Standing here on the heights of Arling-
ton billowed with 10000 heroic dead, we
feel proud of them all. hut we also are proud
Of tn r comrades who yet survive, and we
| are glad that one of them-the gallant Will
liam Mckinley, stands at. the head of the
old ship of state, and with a firm hand has
| turned its prov toward the beckoning seas
of a still more prosperous future, while
waving at its masthead with stars that ap-
pear to liberty-loving people like the morn
ing stars of God, and stripes like beams of
public, bearing the beautiful nscrip-
no South east but the Tnted ns States n0ra
A ma M ha haaxy yap1,n
gift-liberty. And don't forget our pa
riotic mothers. 1t was woman's many acts
night of gloom like the pure, radiant tints
that gild the eastern portals of the day.
May the young men Of the north and
south feel that they are brothers and hail
the good time coming when the last wound
OF the war shall be healed. Let us be de-
any manner whatsoever the efforts made by
some to create another sectional line TO
separate the east from the south and west.
and that flag the stars and stripes. Every
effort should be made to advance In the
our people, care for the unfortunate, promote
peace and good will, narrow and obliterate
forever the widening chasm between capi-
condition of the tolers In the workshops
and mills and fields until the shadows of
darkness and gloom shall melt away before
the dawning light of brighter day of con-
tentment. happiness and peace.
OTHER SERVICES.
Special services were held afterward over
the tomb OF Admiral Porter, at which Ad-
mirai Walker presided.
At the Soldiers home cemetery the services
were conducted by Henry Wilson post, No.
IT, Grand Army OF the Republic. Services
were held at the tomb of General John A.
Logan, under the direction OF a subccm-
mittee composed of the Logan Guard CT
Honor and committee from the Legion OF
Loyal Women. The exercises at the Congres-
sional cemetery were conducted by Farragut
post, No. TO- Grand Army OF the Republic.
Similar services were simultaneously held at
ST. Elizabeth's, Oak Hill, Holyroed and al
OF the other cemeteries in and about Wash
ington where the union dead found resting
places. A large majority OF the members
OF the Union Veteran Legion left for Win
chester. Va, early this morning to partici-
pate In the exercises OF Memorial day there.
A noticeable feature OF the exercises here
today was the great inroads the past few
years had made in the ranks OF the vet
Grams. In oeveral instances the bands out
| numbered the posts they were escorting.
POSTAL DELEGATES ATTEND.
WASHINGTON. May 31.-(Special Tele-
| gram.)-Decoratlon day at Arlington was
made especially notable by the presence OF
large number Of dele gates 10 the Postal
| congress. uniting with comrades In commem-
| Grating the memory Of these who had fallen
| in defense OF right. In honor OF the occa-
| sion an especial invitation was extended to
| the delegates OF the Universal Postal con-
gress, now meeting In this city. to participate
| In the touching ceremony OF remembrance to