, 1898-07-07
TROOPERS BURIED
IMPRESSIVE CEREMONIES CON-
QUOTED NEAR THE SCENE
OF THE WRECK,
Rev. 8. G. Cooper Of the Tupelo Bap-
fist Church Speaks in a Touching
Manner OF the Bravery and 10y
atty Of the Dead-Graves Decorat-
ed With Flowers.

Friday contains the following account
Of the burial Of the Torrey troopers
who were killed in the railroad wreck
at that place on June &c:
In the Quietude OF a summer evening
the bodies OF the young soldiers who
lost their live. in the railroad wreck
at this place. were consigned to the
earth to return to dust again. Sur.
rounded by their comrades and our
citizens their collins were lowered to
their final resting places and the soil
of the generous Southland placed gently
above them. The graves were made in
a beautiful spot on a gently sloping
sward in our cemetery where the bright
sunshine OF heaven shall kiss the dew
drop on the flowers chat will grow
above the lead heroes as they sleep the
sleep that knows no waking
The funeral services were conducted
by Rev. s. G.. Cooper of the Baptist
church. who spoke in a touching nan
ner of the brvaery and loyalty to their
country of the dead.
Mr. Cooper spoke in part as follows:
My Dear Friends:-It Is truly a sad
occasion that calls ns together this
evening. Those pale, cold bodies lying
under the surface OF the earth are I'M
known to most OF us in face and form.
but they are our fellow creatures-yea,
more. they are countrymen, bound
to us by strong ties of nationality and
strong sympathy for the oppressed and
down trodden who are struggling for
that freedom which our noble institu-
tions have inspired.
We know little OF their religious
characters and hopes. One OF them
called for his priest; let us all trust that
it is as we'll with him as though his
priest had been at his side. Were 1T
not for the infinite mercy OF the omni-
potent God, none Of us could hope to
reach the blissful shores Of a glorious
Immortality. Another had a bible. The
word Of God in his pocket; indicating
that 1T was the man OF his COUNSEL"
the lamp unto his pathway. Blessed Is
he whose hope is in the Lord, whose
path is directed by His ~counsels.
I rejoice to see beautiful flowers
gathered by noble Southern women,
God bless them, to bedeck the graves
| of the brave soldiers from the far away
northwest, moved to do this by gentle
womanly sympathy for the bereaved in
a distant section Of our country. There
is no north, no south. no east. no west:
but bound together by bonds stronger
than steel bands and deep sympathy
for the oppressed and down trodden
Of every land and cline. May the great
wave OF freedom roll onward till 1t
shall reach earth's remotest bounds,
and fill the whole land with free and
happy homes.
Brave comrades of our fallen
friends, tell your friends and their low
ed ones that Mississippians sympathized
with you in your troubles and the oiti-
zens Of Tupelo helped you all they were
able or knew how. May God bless you
in your struggles for humanity, brave
soldiers. and may you lay YOU hand in
that OF the worlds Redeemer so that
though your bodies be torn and man.
gled by shells or your hearts be pierced
by bullets from the enemy's rifles your
spirits shall take their flight to the re-
gions of eternal bliss. Again, God bless
you.
After this tribute the citizens as
sisted the detail OF soldiers In filling
the graves. When this was half COM
pleted, Lieutenant Roots called AT
t%ention," and formed his comrades pre-
paratory to giving the grand honors"
Of war, and at the command to load
and fire" the same were given by three
successive volleys.
After the services were completed,
the ladies came forward with flowers
and decorated the graves.
While the monuments that will mark
the resting places OF strangers buried
away from home their graves shah
have tender care from our people who
will keep blooming the Lily and rose
above them. And to the lonely ones
at home who will never again greet
their heroes with the soft warm kiss Of
affection we tender our deepest SYM
pathy in this sad bereavement.
The North Park Stage Line agency