The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-06-08


June 9th, ITO be sure OF enough voices
for an anthem" IL was whispered that
many flowers were desired" When the
day came, everybody rose early TO cut
these flowers with the dew on them
otherwise they would perish in the hot
summer day. L had grand climbing
rose. to whose bounty my little girls.
during the blockade, had been indebted
for the only adornment on their home
plated hats. Its globes of snow had lain
upon the breast OF more than one dead
soldier. To-day 1t yielded its wealth for
the hands Of my little children and my
own The day was perfect. The streets
and gardens OF Petersburg abound in
Towering trees. the chestnut, locust, and
peerless magnolia grandihora. These
were in blossom. The city lay under
cloud OF white. In all the town, lately
one OF the weathest OF the South, only
two or three carriages could be found.
These led the way. filed with flowers.
Young girls followed. clad i'm white and
bearing garlands of nowers-a long
double line. Then came every child from
every school All bore baskets and clus-
ters of flowers. Some had covered large
pasteboard letters with white roses. COM
bining them afterward TO form the
tender words OF Brother" or Father
The women and children were followed
by a band playing Beethovens Immortal
march upon the death of hero. Some
military companies and great crowd or
reverent strangers made up the rear.
The day. at o'clock when the process
sion started. was intensely hot and the
distance to be traversed along a dusty
road more than a mile. Upon reaching
the cemetery Of the old Blandforth
Church a prayer was offered, followed
by orations at two graves-one nlled
with the bones OF men who had persisted
al Fort Steadman, the other the grave
Of Col. Scott who fell at Richmond dur
ing the seven days fight. Then the wo-
men and children FASTENED to cover with
flowers first the unmarked graves. Many
little white flags had been prepared for
these graves. Somebody's darling was
printed on them. l remember Miss
Joynes's delicate beauty as she hlled her
arms with these little banners and ran
from one lonely hillock TO another TO
plant them. We then gathered in the
historic old church. roohess then. and
I'm a most picturesque phasis of decay.
But the anthem written by Mrs. Morri-
son was deemed too passionate for the
hour. We wished TO do nothing that
might be construed amiss. so we raised
our eyes to Heaven through the old, IVY
clad walls and sang 10 the good old
church tune,
Guide us. o Thou great Jehovah.
Pilgrims in a stricken land.
When all was over the sorrowful wo-
men and children returned mournfully 10
their homes. The shops OF the city were
closed. The streets hushed. Thus passed
Il ,he Deco
ration Day. IL has been observed IN a
similar manner on some selected day In
ovorv state I'm the Union. but In Peters,
burc II will ever be the 9th OF June, her
one saddest. greatest day Of the war.
that the daughters OF Petersburg VIII
Law flowers os soldiers graves.
WHY should June 9th be a sacred DAY
To the citizens of Petersburg? Every
man capable OF bearing arms enlisted
carly in the service OF the Southern Con-
federacv. They felt that much was ex-
pected OF them. Petersburg had behaved
oallantlv in 1916 and had been the Cock
ade City" I'm 1872 For the first three
years OF the war no gun was hred near
her gates. Only old men, women, ana
children were left In the town. Inc
lovely young maidens bore their uehiea
1ves with cheerfulness, sustained and
hearing Of their elders. Everybody
worked FOR the soldiers and assembled
every afternoon 90 pray for them. Inc
city was almost as quiet as her sister
town OF Blandford. where the old Blands'
Rollings. and Poythresses slept in per-
feet peace.
True there had been in 1863 one July
dav Of feyerIsh excitement, known IN
Petersburg history as "Pawnee Sunday.
\ telegraph operator In the early morn
Ino had relieved a dull hour by inter-
viewing his colleague at City Point: ANY
danger from the Pawnee?' receiving as
answer: THE Pawnee Is coming Up Tue
river" The town was wild. everything
valuable was hidden away, the militia
drawn M. the lads Of twelve and four
teen loading up their hunsing pieces anu
rallving TO the Town Hall. Time having
been allowed for any reasonable. we'll
conducted man-of-war 70 steam twelve
miles. the telegraph operator. sorely
pressed BY questions again interrogated
his CITY Point friend. What's become
of the Pawnee? He isn't here yet me
irate answer spun over the line: on
- fool I said the Pawnee Is not
coming up the river" Everything fell
fiat at once. There was an avowed sense
OF disappointment at the loss OF an OPP
portunity which might not come again.
The dear women-the best nave ever
known in any land-resumed their gentle
ministraticns. working much Tor the
hospitals and experimenting, with Gull
nary skill. many deficiencies In material.
Rut the men chafed. The nhysician. tied
10 his humdrum routine, yearned for the
larger sphere in the field. Said one %
me. "The dearest sacrifice n man can
make 10 HIS country Is his ambition.
The Pawnee incident was a fortunate
one for the city, for e awakened the
authorities to the necessity OF preparing
against surprise. The old. exempt citi-
zens were formed into companies for
home defense and a breastwork prepared
commanding a road particularly inter-
esting." says one OF the survivors. be-
cause Il opened to deserving Petersburg
ers the beatihc vision OF Sussex hams
and Southampton whisky" for at that
moment the dreaded foe was the wolf
already at the door rather than the
possible thunderbolt.
When Gen. Butler. In June, 1864. COM
menced his advance against Richmond
and Petersburg. which was intended as
cooperative movement with Gen.
Grant 10 accomplish what was done the
following spring. he sent Gen. Kautz on
June 9Th to make cavalry attack on
Petersburg. The city, as I have said,
was almost defenseless. There was much
strategy-marching and countermarching
too long a story TO tell here, put enc
thing at least was accomplished. as one
OF the Confederate Colonies pithily re-
marked: Whatever plumbers were made
the citizens and militia were trotted out
In the direction of the enemy at least. "
Kautz's superb cavalry charge wac met