The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-05-31
THE OLD SOLDIERS

THE OLD SOLDIERS
"A nd Auxiliary Orders Obierve Memorial
4, Day As II HASN'T been Observed hers In
X Many Yoars-The Graves Prort,lely Dec.
u GRATED. s. q 3 III y !, Xxx "
IKE The old soldiers and the auxiliary or
ders observed the day as It hasn't been
observed In Wheeling for years. and
the significance OF the occasion was
strlkingly brought out in all the cx-
ercises held at the various cemeteries.
The presence Of SO many school chill.
.dren assisting the veterans was a
beautiful feature, and the weather
was Ideal, the warm rays OF the sun.
being tempered by a cooling breeze.
This year It was decided to hold a
general celebration at the Peninsula
cemetery In the afternoon. enc. In which
all the old soldiers could participate,
and the innovation was decided sue
cess. In the morning. details visited the
other cemeteries and strewed the
graves OF departed comrades with the
most appropriate tributes, beautiful
flowers. The attendance at the cene-.
teries was much, larger than In previ-5
Gus years, and considerable more In
.terest was evinced by those who were
not at the front in the" Sixties" or who
had no deceased relatives that were.
and the increased interest manifested
was probably due to the present I'M.
3pleasantness" with Spain.
1.-THE squads detailed from Holiday
and Stephens posts. CA R. to visit
the cemeteries. were noted previously.
In the 5Intelligencer. with the names OF
those composing them. Greenwood and
Mount Calvary were visited by de-
Stachment in charge OF Department
COMMANDER Richard Robertson:
Charles T. Reed Commanded the,s de-
$tachment4, which visited the Stone
Church ceneteryTat Elm Grove: Caleb
! SyIvist had charge OF the one assigned
to- Mount Wood; and as usual. Stephens
post had charge OF the exercises at,
4 Mount Zion. cemetery. out Caldwelfs
&run. and in charge Of Joseph A. Ankle.
The exercises at these burying places
lasted &until nearly noon. and at 2
yo'clockithe general celebration was held
at Peninsula cemetery. x !. e
We There was no lack of flowers. The
Woman's Relief Corps had deftly ar,
ranged the bountcous baskets OF flow
gers, lthe old boys In blue carried to the
cemeteries. and every grave, designa-.
ted by small American flags at Its head
I and foot, whether 1t covered the re-
mains fof Federal or Confederate SOL
der? was almost hidden by heaps of
floral tributes The regular G. A. R.
ritual was read, ard brief remarks
were ade'approprlate to the day at all
the cemeteries. The Richie school chill
sdren. with drum corps. marched with
the ij"old fellows" to Mount Zion, and
I the Clay school children attended the
4 Peninsula exercises. & 4,
As was natural, more interest was
taken in the memorial exercises at the
Peninsula. The and o'clock motors
carried out large crowds. while a
greater number OF people walked out.
AT 4 80 O'Clock the old soldiers. accom-
panied by a drum corps, left the G.. "A.
! r, Y hall and marched to the cemetery.
! They halted at the grave in which lies
I Capt. VIM. Morgan. OF Company e.
First West Virginia infantry. This
grave stands by itself and some dis.
8tance from 1t on all sides stands a
fringe of trees. Within this circle the
veterans halted, and the spectators fol-
lowed their example by barring their
A heads. Commander II. J. Felher was
I IN charge, and he was assisted hv Com
y rades Rogers, Watkins and Pebler. :.
5Ss AT the conclusion Of the reading Of
the ritual, Department. Commander
Richard Robertson spoke. giving the
i reasons for the afternoon exercises at the
Inc n Nd Iro, ,ahy III
Z general remarks concerning Memorial
day. incidentally he referred to the
Z fact that: In Stone Church cemetery
Z someSrears ago, the G. A. r. discovered
4 that twelve old soldiers occupied pau
perst graves. and the two posts then
decided that such a conditioned affairs
demanded a change, even II their treas
!. ury was depicted, consequently they
purchased enough ground In the GEM
& eteryi to provide an honorable resting
Il place for any old soldier OF Ohio county.
Comrade F. H.. Crago. tho orator OF
4 the day, WAS next introduced. and made
\ an eloquent address, concluding bygre-
letting the appropriate and beautiful
4 poem, The Blue and the Cray" The
a speaker denied that Decoration day
i, / was observed In order to keep alive
/ scctlonal feeling that might have been
y engendcred. or to boast OF deeds OF
l5s'volor, but It was to pay yearly tributes
4 OF respect to dead comrades and rededi-
u cate themselves to the work Of making
this country grnnder and greater. Pro-
Y lessor Crago argued against the @. A.
N Re- giving up It's organization, and the
4 Confederate Veterans giving up theirs;
u for; sal Id he. there is no anlmosity to-
A day between the survivors OF both ar
2 niles. He regretted that Decoration
day was made m occasion for all kinds
SJof revelry, and said It should be, kept,
1 not as n day OF mourning. but as n day
s Tor reflection. and incidentally for re-
X 1oiclDg I'm n land redeemed and mnde
d greater and purer BY the baptism OF
1 blood 1t received. He called attention
TO the greater number OF graves there
are this year than there was Inst year,
ana said soon all tho veterans would
\ nave answered the last roll call. Tho
present conflict with Spain was, aptly
50 This concluded the speaking, and the
\ old soldiers moved farther up the hill
Il 6ide,g,whcre tho work OF strewIng tho
graves with flowers begun. There arc
" monytvcterans sleeping under the Pen
i 1naula's sod. and the nag-dcsignnted
\ gravncs were quite conspicuous. Tho