The record-union., 1897-03-31
PROPOSED MEMORIAL GROVE.
Interesting Meeting Of the Committee in
San Francisco.
Trees From r1any BattIefields Have
Arrived-AlI Will be i'm Readi.
ness by May lst.

of the Republic of California, has just
returned from San Francisco, where she
and Mrs. Eliza H. Waggoner, Chairman
of the Memorial Grove Committee, had
been attending a called meeting of that
committee.
The committee is composed of ladies
prominent in the order throughout the
the State, and all had most favorable
reports to make concerning this most
patriotic undertaking. Many circles and
posts Of the G. A. r. have specially re-
quested that they be permitted to fur
nish trees from the battlefields after
which their circles or posts are named.
This proposition was heartily indorsed.
Trees from the following ba:tlefields
have been received: Cold 1arbor,
Gaines Mill, Gettysburg, Pea Ridge,
SpOttsylvania, Wilderness, Shiloh, APP
pOmatoX, Franklin. Knoxville, Wilson's
Greek, Lookout Mountain, Anderson
Vile, Winchester, Mission Ridge, Chat
tanooga, Nashville, Chicamauga, Pet
ersburg, Balls Bluff, Fredericksburg,
Cedar Creek, Springfield, Mo-; Cedar
Mountain, Kenesaw Mountain. Corinth,
Atlanta and several other places, and
many more en- route.
The following is sample of the many
letters received from residents on or
near the battlefields, and may prove in
teresting:
Old Appomatox Court House, March
IL, 1897.
Mrs. Eliza H. Waggoner: Dear Ma
dame-The Postmaster handed me your
letter as 1 was the most suitable person,
bainp an old Cnnfp6arat te soldier and
my home being very near the spot
where General Robert E. Lee surren-
dered his army. My home is in about
200 yards of the spot where he surren-
dered and where the once famous apple
the surrender.
Now, l write in answer to your letter
concerning the trees. / can get some
beautiful mulberry trees which grow
here on the battlefield about fifty yards
from where the tablet was put up to
mark the spot. The mulberry trees
are of very quick growth and make
very deep, pretty shade tree. There
are no maple trees on the field. l can
get pine or cedar trees on my lot. AS
the Confederate army was encamped
on my lot and around my house, Cen
eral w. H. Lees headquarters were in
my house during the surrender.
Now, if you want any trees | will get
and ship you as many as you want, and
! will get them off the old battlefield,
near the spot where peace was made.
Send me word as soon as possible, and
as soon as / receive it l will snip them
to you by express. Yours very re-
spectfully, c. H. SWEENY.
Mrs. Herr is in correspondence with
the Secretary of the Navy, with a view
of adding to the historical significance
of the grove two ships cannon of the
type known as brass boat howitzers,"
each weighing 1.300 pounds and large
S63-p pound ships anchor, all of which
had done service on the old Hartford,
the flagship of Admiral Farragut.
There will also be a pile of thirteen-inch
cannon balls, one to represent each of
the original States of the Union. These
will be placed in the center of the
grove to represent the navy.
If sufficient funds are raised, near
this will be erected an iron flag pole
100 feet or more high, from which Old
Glory shall float over guns and grove
on every national holiday. The flag is
to be presented by Mrs. Lydia c.
HinckIey, President of Seven Pines Ci&>
Gle, No. 3, at San Francisco.
The dedication ceremonies will take
place May 1st. Invitations are to be
sent to the department officers and
members of all the Grand Army posts,
circles of the Ladies of the Grand
Army, Women's Relief Corps, Sons of
Veterans, Daughters of Veterans, Le-
gion of Honor, Daughters of the Revo-
luton, State officers. county and city
officers and many distinguished per-
sons from different parts of the State.
It is expected that there will be large
assemblage of people here on that day.
The programme for the occasion is
well under way and will be replete in
patriotic exercises suitable for the oc-
casion Mrs. Belle S. Herr of this city,
Department President, will have the
distinguished honor Of being President
of the Day. Just who will be the orator
has not been decided. However, he
will be assisted by one Of the leading
lady orators of San Francisco, Mrs. Be
linda S. Bailey of Seven Pines Circle
and a Past Department President of
the Ladies of the Grand Army. The
Chaplain will be Rev. A. T. Needham
of Oakland, a former resident of this
city and an honorary member of Ed
ward Roby Circle He first served as a
private in the Thirteenth Illinois In
fantry, and later became the Chaplain
of his regiment.
Mrs Herr recently visited Ellsworth
Circle and Post at Santa Rosa, Roanoke
Circle at Healdsburg, Hartford Circle
at Vallejo, Gettysburg and Seven Pines
Circles at San Francisco, and the Sol
Giers' Home at Yountville. She reports
the members as all very energetic over
the work.
The letters received from the East
by Mrs. Waggoner in regard to the
trees are evidence of great enthusiasm
over the matter and the subject is be-
ing taken up by the ladies of the Grand
Army in different States. But to Cali
fornia, and to Sacramento particularly,
belongs the honor of having made the
first move in this direction-that is, to
plant a memorial grove of trees taken
direct from the principal battlefieids of
the late war The originator, Mrs. +.
H. Waggoner, is receiving congratula- !