The San Francisco call., 1897-06-01
THE NATIONAL GENE Terry
GarlaDds Were strewn OF the
Graves at the Presidio
Yesterday.
E equent Grafton OF General N. P
Chipman at George H Thomas
r.. Posi-, G A. R, Plat

A multitude of visitors gathered at the
National Cemetery Yesterday to attend
the interesting Memorial-dav eremonies
under the auspices Of George II. Thomas
Post n o. G. a. r., and to view also the
unveIling OF the monument in the Gem
etery recently reared bv the Regular Army
and Navy Union. Pacific Coss garrisons.
Ii is estimated that 10000 peop.e visited
the Presidio Yesterday The day was per-
feet. The cloudiess sky, ne genial tenn
rerature and balmy breezes from the
ocean rem cred the outing agreea bic. As
the years roll on the exercises c)mmem-
Grating the deeds of the loyal dea grow
less solemn, without losing in any sense
their impressive c aracter. The display
of flags and banners, the artillery salute,
The music and the animation of the Wis
itors yesterday inspired patr.oIic senii-
ments in the minds of the young and old.
j.. At he appointed hour the marchIng q
column was formed on the parade plain
Of the Preside. The procession moved
on time, headed by Marshal Colonel
George Stone and aids A. j. Vining. J. B..
Lauck and Colonel William u Little.
Next in lire was the First Uuited States
Infantry Band, Then followed four com
pdn-eS OF the rHSt Uhlteu ctates In
fantry, commanded by Captain j. J.
Q Cornell. Other commaaGs, as follows,
made up the column: First Regiment,
n. @. c., Colonel James F. Smith COM
manding; Sons of The American RevoIu-
lion. Sidney NJ, Smith PRESIDENT; Society
Children of the American Revolution,
Valentine Holt; Veterans of the Mexican
War, Charles Ltnge PRESIDENT. Regular
Army and Navy Union; band of he d
music, First Infantry, n. G. c.; Veteran
Guard OF California;; 6. A. r.. Depart
ment Commander G. A. R., n. 2. Chip
man ana staff; George H. Thomas Post,
John Tutle commander; James H. Gar
field Post, Benjamin Hayes com mander
Colonel Cass Post, John O'Neill com
mander; General George G. Meade Posi-,
Robert Graham commander; Liberty
Post, S. 9. Smith commander; Admiral
ID. D.. Porter Post, E. Lancaster com.
mander; Sons Of Veterans, school chit
dren and Carriages.
Minute guns were fred from a section Of
the Third United States Artillery, Lieu
tenant Hams commanding.
The grand stand erected on the plat OF
George b. Thomas Post, near ;he eastern
line OF the cemetery, WAS appropriately
garlanded. Furled flags, standards and
banners were placed On the stand. Here
the band played and the knicKerbocker
Quartet sang. General w. r. Shaiter, u.
.. Az C0u mduQiug the lie par lgeHE OF
California, and his chief sid, Lieutenant
r. H. Noble, occupied seats on the plat
5orm. Past Com mander w. II. l.. y 4rnes,
Charles Wilson and c. T. Maste! Lar, e. A
r. Sidney NJ. Smith of the Sons of the
American Revolution, Major General y.
T. James and Staff and Brigad!er- General
r H. Wartield and Staff, y. G. C. +. Sam nel
NJ Shortridge, A S. Hubbard and other
prominent citizens were. present.
hU oh
I'uuIe, commander of George H. Thomas
Post. Alter the overture by the band
and the prayer by Chaplain j. II. Macom-
Der, U. s. A, comm anderTuttle spoke as
follows:
Comrades and friends, another year has
elapsed since last We assem- bled mere in tnis
home of the de ad- We find that the
grim messenger called Death hiss kept con-
stantIy thinning our ranks. 1t reminds US that
ere long these periodical visits of ours will be
made by others than ourselYes-that George
Ii. Thomas Post No. 2, Department of CGlilOi-
MIA and Nevada, viii have passed away from
the busy scene OF action; th ct ali that is NOR
tai OF its members Will be laid away in this
and other cemeteries and the history OF Thomas
Post will be made up.
Death loves a shining mark, and the insatia-
Die archer has chosen these comrades who
sleep here in peaceful repoSe in this beautiful
CITY of The dead overlooking the magnificent
and gtandly eloquent Golden Gate, speaking
1or nature, as 1t were, In welcoming 10 these
every clime-fOr those who sieep here hail
from various climes-and when their adopted
country needed their services, with true in
centHe of patriotism they responded to the
call, ready If need be TO lay down their lives
All honor 10 the brave ali honor to the COM
raoes who lie here. Bedeck their graves with
cholcest flowers, aud as the grand army OF
soldiers look down from heaven may they've
trust-ieel that they are indeed remem bered.
The Knickerbocker Quartet sung Mem.
ories Sacred and Grand" An inter
esting feature. of the exercises was re-
cNaI bv the talented young actor, Hol-
brook Blinn, OF Lincoln's famous address
on the battlefield of Gettysburg. After
ne ne FeGltation the quartet sang Julia
Ward Howe's Battle HYMN.
Tne orator of the dav. General N. p
Chipman, department commander OF the
6Tand Army OF the Republic, spoke iii
the e words to the vast audience as
semhled:
Comrades Citizens: The significance Of this
adequateiy portrayed
IN Fourth OF fully commentaries The birth
oi leeuoH ana the establishment of govern
men men upon tne lmperishable principle that all
men are endowed with an iEalienable ripht 10
lie, liberty and the pursuit OF hapuInessy
Anu IA al ages yet TO come its ce ebration will
Iegsil 10 paIrloie hearts the scenes at Bunker
hlII, al valley Forge, al Princeton and
Brandywine, as well us those which occurred
at independence Hall. Washington ana his
=, N,IStorfOus army VIII always be foremost 4
the merits and in the minds of our peonle
when they assemble on this anniversary of
our Nations birth. -
Memorial day aLds rel ated to our Nations
history as no other day can ever so stand.
CRITICAL POSITION
Our Government and our country were unon
the very brink OF dissolution and destructioo.
the precious heritage given us by The 1ethers
ol the Republic was about TO be ruthlessiv
sno causelessly cast away; the keystone oi
l ne arcn Oh liberty WAS Already looSened ana
about TO drop from Its place; the Samson Of
rebellion, in tlind aud faIuous rage. had leid
hold OF he pillars of our suereG Temple. and
was in the act of committing The most eignt
TIC patricidal crime ever record ed of apY nee
PIE. F
1t was at this supreme moment. when all
hat was sacred and de4r 10 loyal American
hearts seemed about 10 perish Ir, m The earth.
there arose mighty army. of n ch you. raw
comrades, were part, consecraL, ddo the sim
gle purpose of saving the Union and estab-
lHhtng for all time the principle that this is
6 Nation composed ol States, sovereign only in
heir proper spheres, but so bound toge her bv
tcompact that the right To secede
or withdraw from The Union does not exist in
any one or more OF It's mem bers
1t was u Titanic struggle that followed and