The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-28
MEMORIAL SERVICES ARE HELD
FOR THE NINE WHO DIED
THIS YEAR.
SURVIVORS ATTEND CHURCH.
REV. E. II. INGEFtSOLL DELIVERED
THE ANNUAL MEMORIAL SER
MON LAST NIGHT.
BE READY FOR THE BUGLE CALL.
He Reminds the Comrades That
10000 Are Passing Away With
Each Year.

Park Congregational church was COM
fOrtably filled last evening with an au-
dience gathered to hear the memorial
services of Acker Post No. 81, G. A. r.
Between fifty and sixty members Of the
pest, under command of Commander
M. K. Williams and AGjutant S. Ham
mond, formed in procession at Central
hall, and proceeded to Park Congrega-
tional church to bear witness to their
| love for departed comrades.
The service was an impressive one.
The pulpit and choir balcony were
tastefully decorated with the stars and
stripes, and in the front rows of the
church sat the hoary-headed veterans
Of the post. During the past year the
ranks of Acker post have been thinned
by the death of the following mem
bers: Robert K. Evans, Company c,
Fourth Minnesota; Charles D. Kerr,
cavalry, Sixteenth Illinois; H c. Eller,
Twenty-ninth Indiana; w. w. Braden,
captain, Sixth Minnesota; George j.
Virtue, Seventh Indiana; u. G. Bohrer,
captain, Thirty-siXth Indiana; 0. Nj.
knight, First Minnesota; l. T. Reeves,
lieutenant. Eighty-eighth Illinois; r.
+. Sinclair, lieutenant, Company H,
! Thirtyfourth Massachusetts. During
the services many floral Wreaths were
deposited at the foot of a temporary
monument placed upon the pulpit, in
memory of the loyal dead of Acker
pest.
The services opened with the usual
memorial tribute, by the members OF
the post, in Which the record of the
deceased members was read.
Rev. DR.. Ingersou preached the me-
mCTial sermon, and spoke in part as
follows: ~.
Comrades: You are most heartily
welcome to this service, and to this
church of the living God. The day did
not seem propitious in it's early hours,
but it was impressive, and brought to
my mind the day when our noble Lin
cCln was taken suddenly from the head
OF the nation; the heavens were drip
ping the country over, and seemed to
know the sorrow that had just fallen
upon this people. 1t seemed to me to-
day that the clouds were in sympathy
with our service. There is a deep feel
ing of egr6t for the departure OF these
brave men who have fought the fight
and who helped win the great struggle
for human liberty. but there is some
| thing grand in the thought inter-
men have fought the fight and gone to
tf4eir reward on high.
These WTeaths you have brought
| here and placed upon this semblance OF
a tomb, for whom are they? All of you
do not know each life of these that
have passed from our midst, but some
Of you know great deal of them as
they were in the midst of strife and as
they have been soldier-citizens since
that time; and so there has been
blended with the giving of these
Wreaths rendered in fond memory and
tender love, the knowledge that it is
left for man only to give sorrow to
the departed, and look forward to a
meeting beyond the grave from whence
joice for what they have done on our
| behalf. And they brought US freedom
OF government, that homes might be
Christian homes, and our children live
under the banner of the national en-
blem. which shall be placed just under
the great white banner of Christ. So it
is fitting, 1 say, to show that gratitude,
that gratitude of the nation for her
dead heroes, as long as we shall live
The holy war in which you were Ell
gagged will be remembered up yonder
for we read in His word: 1.-THE armies
that were in heaven followed Him on
white horses" And this vision seems
altogether fitting.
So we see them, hear them sing, and
we know that they are victorious as
they come to Him bowling before Him,
saying mot unto us, but unto Thee
the glory" The true soldier looks to
a good leader. There must be a COM
mander to whose orders you give
obedience, and under whose leadership
you make the charge and gain the vic
tory. A great force of your COM
rades in arms learned loyalty to the
heavenly kingdom by experience and
discipline in war. Thousands and thou
sands of those soldiers went into that
war believing that the kingdom of
heaven was directly interested that they
should win, and thousands Of others
because they wished the cause of right
eOuSness to prevail Ranks upon ranks
had a feeling that Gods especial provi-
dence was watching over you.
The Merrimac came forth upon the
high seas and from New York to Bos-
ton mems hearts beat quickly, but
forth came that little yankee cheese
box" as they called her, the Monitor.
but she had the power and swept the
Merrimac from the seas.
Unless men have belief in the life
that is beyond, they will go to war for
anger, pride, plumber, or the desire for
gain but you went for another and
nObler cause. Anger there was, but
an anger Of righteousness, and so we
fought in a war that was grander in
its principles and nobler in it's issues
than any war within the Christian era.
Every one believes there is a living
power above our own. This must be So
for there come down to us expressions.
memories and blessings that do not
come from this earthly experience, but
from some higher source. Our com
rades have not gone without their re-
ward. The breeze that whistles through
the forest the roll of the ocean. and
the stream that laughs on it's way are
all singing in the grand chorus 'Ha
made US, He made US, for you for you.''
1t has been proven that Christ rose
from the dead, and that truth comes to
human heart that trusts When love
is quickened within you for another
heart, you know there is that other
heart even if you cannot see it, And
so it is. The kingdom of God belongs
to this world. The kingdom of God
is within you. Heaven and earth are
made one, and this is the beginning of
| that great life which is to follow. and
here is the commencement of the light
which shines more and more unto the
perfect day. Therearth is crammed with
heaven, but if we become engrossed in