The San Francisco call., 1897-05-30

Nearly half q million soldiers graves
will be decorated in the cemeteries of the
United States to-day. From the Atlantic
to the Pacific the Nations heroes will be
honored by a loyal and loving people.
From the time the sun rises over the hills
of Maine until it sinks to rest beyond the
mountains of California the vast extent of
our land Will echo with the bugle call and
the booming of cannon. The youth OF
the Nation will get their best lesson IN
patriotism when they lay a wreath of
flowers on the stone that marks soldiers
grave.
1t is at the present time impossible to
state exactly how many soldiers graves
will be decorated to-day, as no record has
been made of them for several years.
When the last record was made there
were about 100000 sleeping in the Ma
tional cemeteries and probably 75,OeO
scattered in little graveyards all over the
country. The accompanying map gives
The figures of the last record made.
OF course, the number OF graves has in
creased since then. The veterans have
become fewer and fewer. They have not
fallen as rapidly as they were moved
down before the death-dealing fire of
Gettysburg, nor as they fell in the awful
charges of Bull Run, but their ranks have
been thinned by the grim reaper. ana for
each one that passed away there has
arisen another mound to be decorated to-
day.
National cemeteries, as is, perhaps. we'll
known, are burying-places maintained at
the expense of the United States Govern
ment, and wherein only soldiers are
buried. Many of these are near some
military post, but by far the larger ones
are located in the vicinity of the big bat
tle6elds. Some of the heroes were buried
near the spot where they gave up their
lives for their country, and numbers were
taken to as near their homes q, possible.
In the National cemeteries near the bat
tlefieIds most Of the graves are unnamed.
Only mum Der and tiny stone tell where
hero lies sleeping.
When shells and shot moved men
down by the thousand it frequently hap
pened that there were none left to iden-
tify the bodies. In most cases it was
known TO what company certain men had
belonged, although each could not be
identified individually, and in such cases
all are buried in groups and the names of
all the men who were missing after the
battle are inscribed on single shaft.
There are in all about ninety National
cemeteries in the United States and SO
scattered that each presents an entirely
different appearance. Could pictures of
them be viewed one after another they
would present panorama of our country.
Each characteristic would be shown.
There would be cemeteries far out on
sandy wastes where the sun beats down
mercilessly and the dry desert wind car.
ries the hot sand in binding clouds
over the shiny stones that mark the
graves. There would be cemeteries in
mountain wilds and on boundless western
prairies. There would be peaceful little
spots sh eltered meath church towers, and
vast stretches of beautiful park where
thousands lie buried. Millions of people
will visit these cemeteries to-day and
when night comes each will be q perfect
bank of flowers
The most easterly of the National ceme-
teries is the one known as Cypress Hills.
1t is located not far out OF the city OF
Brooklyn, and is typical Eastern bury
ing place that contains some of the finest
monuments that are placed over soldiers
graves in the country. The natural aspect
of the country at Cypress Hills is some
what fat, but the cemetery has received
SO much attention and art has done so
much for it that the flatness is not notice
able. It is a most beautiful spot, where
5000 heroes are buried.
Woodlawn is the name of the National