The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-06-18
GRAVES OF HEROES OF '76
DECORATED FESTERDAY BY SONS OF AKERICIN REVOLUTION.

Graves of SeYenty-eight Revolutionary Escort-Addresses by Rev. Dr. Lines and Others.
 The one hundred and twenty anniversary of the battle of Bunker Hill was periodically remembered yes- terday by the David Humphreys branch Of the Sons of the American Revolu- tion by their annual decoration of the graves of Revolutionary patriots who are inferred in the old Grove street cemetery.
 They were assisted by the Second Company, Governors Foot Guard, who turned out in full uniform under com mand of Major Brown and acted as escort for the Sons of the American Revolution.
 The party marched from the armory to the cemetery headed by the Second Regiment band. At the cemetery de- tails were formed to decorate the graves Abundance of flowers from
 
 by contributors at the chapel of the cemetery. Especially prominent, and tittingly so, were large masses of the high laurel now In full bloom
 Yesterday was the first time that the Foot Guard has ever turned out in full uniform to act as escort on such occasions, and the company's doing so this year added much to the occasion.
 FThn ciohf of ha 1Ata ai ilS nf rod pnata1 soldiers scattered among the white tombstones of the old cemetery was both unique and beautiful.
 The tomb of David Humphreys, from whom the branch takes its name, was especially decorated. All the members of the David Humphreys branch, near ly thirty in number, assisted in the decoration.
 Prayer was also offered here by Rev Dr. TwitchelI ex-chaplain of the Second regiment, state militia.
 Most of the exercises, however, were held at the tomb of Roger Sherman, signer of the Declaration of Indepen- dence and otherwise closely connected with the early days of the country's history.
 The flat tablet which marks his rest
 
 flowers. Here also the entire party as- sembled and listened to brief addresses , by ex-Lieut. Gov. Samuel E. Merwin, president of the David Humphreys branch, by Major Brown of the Foot Guard, and by Rev. Dr. Twitchell
 Rev. E. s. Lines. chaplain of the David Humphreys branch, made the address of the day He spoke as fol- lows on "The Battle of Bunker Hill and Its Place in the War of Indepen- dence."
 Upon the one hundred and twenty second anniversary of the battle of Bunker Hill, I speak to you of the place which the battle had in the war of in- dependence. Hardly any battle of the revolution has been more often or more carefully described but it's importance in our annals is not likely to be over estimated. The time and place and cir cumstances gave it peculiar importance in the struggle with the mother coun- try. It was the first battle in the war in which colonial troops, untrained ill., equipped, ill-directed stood face to face with English regulars under the best officers of the British army. Lexington had been prolonged skirmish and running fight rather than definitely ordered battle. It had shown the tenn per of the people but it had not proved the ability of hastily gathered colonial soldiers to face line of English bay onets.
 "The question asked in England, as well as by English officers in Boston, with something of contempt: Will the colonial troops fight?' was answered once for all at Bunker Hill.
 '"The repulse by farmers and minute men of the expedition to capture Sam uel Adams and John Hancock at Lex ington, and to destroy the stores at Concord had not made a peaceful set clement between the colonies and the home government impossible. But when the battle of Bunker Hill was fought, all men knew that a great war had begun. Tn old England it was known that the men Of New England would fight for what they counted their rights, with all the stubbornness of their race. Our own people knew that a step not to be retraced had been taken, and with full appreciation of It's meaning, they made ready for the con flict. There came over the people such a feeling as came to the north after the first disaster of our civil war.
 When upon the afternoon of June IT, 1775. more than one thousand British soldiers and half as many of our own, lay dead or wounded about Bunker Hill and Breeds Hill, all men knew what war meant and all men felt that 1t was only the beginning, with the end far off. Two great people of common stock. one old and strong in the tradi- lions of victory and imperial power, one young and hopeful smarting under the sense of wrong, were making the appeal to war. The first page in the record was written on that fair June day on the heights of Charlestown.
 "The critics tell us that the Amerl- cans made a mistake in trying to gain a position where they could hardly maintain themselves against the Brit ish fleet and that the English made grievous mistake in not taking posses sion of these heights before and then in trying to capture them in the way they did.
 Boston was not of so much impor- tance to the British for military pur- noses as they supposed. The Ameri- cans could shut them in and make them so uncomfortable that they would soon be glad to go and make New York their base of operations. But the occu-
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