Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-30
Interesting Ceremonies at the Famous
Maryland Battle Ground,
UNION VETERANS union And G. A. R.
Flowers on Graves Of Dead; Pa
triotic Words to the Living.
OLD SOLDIERS IN LINE
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.

SftARISBU RG, Mo, May oo.-A large
crowd of happy-looking people accom-
panied the Union Veterans Union excur-
sion to Antetam battlefield the Balti-
more and Ohio railroad this morning.
The eXcursionists were met at Sharps-
burg, Mo, by the Antietam Post, G. A r.,
accompanied by the Keedysville Brass
Band and escorted to the X. of P. Hall,
where the procession was formed. At II m.
the line of march to the national cemetery
was taken up in the following order: Capt.
Harlow L. Street of Washington, D. c.,
marshal: Hagerstown Band; Antietam
Post G. A. r.: Union Veterans Union;
Keedysville Band; Knights of Pythas: Sun
day schools: Sharpsburg Band citizens.
At the cemetery the exercises were by
courtesy placed in the hands of the L. V. T.
with Gen. Samuel r. Strattan, department
commander, as master of ceremonies and
were as follows:
Music dirge KeedsviIe Band: invocation,
Rev J. r. Garinger; music, Pieyels hymn,
Sharpsburg choir; sermon, Rev. Jacob L.
Grimm: prayer, Rev. A. a. kerIin; selec-
ton. Sharpsburg choir; music, keedysVille
Band: address. Gen. r. St G. Dyrenforth,
commander, L. V. L; music, HagerstOwn
Band: address Gen S. R. Strattan, COM
mander. Department Potomac, U. V. L.;
address. Gen. H. l.. Street, ex-national
commander, U. V. o.: music Hagerstown
dieton, national staff U. V. u; music,
SEarpsburg Band; address, S. s. Yoder, ex-
national commander, L. Y. o.; address,
Gen. Robert Alton, eN-natonal commander,
L. V. T.; ''America," audience. Prof. F. II.
Yingling, leader; original poem, Dewitt c.
Sprague Washington, d. c.. music, kee-
dysville Band benediction, Lieut.. Col. A A.
Reese department chaplain, Baltimore,
Nd: decoration of soldiers graves.
The names of the reception committee
consisted of Ridgely Moore, Frisby Kitz-
miller Raleigh Sherman, j. l.. Grim, Jas.
Morrow, Chas. w. Adams and Ed. c. Will
son of Sharpsburg Md; Capt Joshua
Rohrer of Keedysville acted as assistant
marshal
Speech of Gen. Dyrenforth.
Gen. r. G.. Dyrenforth, communicating
chief of the L. V. T., on being introduced
to the audience, spoke, in part as follows:
Here on the field of the bLoodiest battle
of the war, in the youth Of the year, and
with young generation around us-fading
men Of a generation passed-we meet in
memory of our comrades VINO nave gone
before, In memory of dear comrades VINO
stood with US amid the storm of battle and
at many a reveille and tattoo, but nave
now answered their last roll-call Beyond
all strife they rest in the Elysian fields ana
have their home in that house not made
with hands, eternal in the heavens.
How long will it be ere the body of the
last of usSof a great army of 100000 of
We are old, but our dead comrades sun
seem young to us; and our hearts are
young for them, for we remember them in
the freshness and ardor of youth. They
will never be old to us.
Just as our young men are today, were
they. Just as our young men are engaged
in the VARIOUS earnest occupations CT life
today, and with life and hope before them,
were they.
But, at their countrys call, they left
everything, gave up home and happiness,
Trit he ri III nj
forfeited the equipment for the future in
the education and experience which must
be obtained in early years, il at all, and
faced unfiinchingly the inconceivable hard
ships and dangers and occasional disasters
of
Many returned manned for life to drag
out a painful existence, or, shattered IN
health and prematurely old, to waste away
in hopelessness-even those in health, per
haps never TO recover what they forfeited
in the time given to their country.
Those to commemorate whom we are met
this day never returned. They sleep the
sleep OF the brave and the just. But they
are not dead TO us. To us they have never
grown old. We remember them as they
parted from US in their youth. My dear
Old comrade, you have never died to me.
Remarks of Gen. $. Il. Strattan.
General S. r. Strattan commander of the
Department of the Potomac, said that on
account of the great length of the program
he would make but a few. remarks. After
thanking the people of Sharpsburg and vi
cinity for their kindness and courtesy to
the eXcursionists he spoke, in part, as fol-
lows:
In the language of distinguished fellow
citizen, we are here today to celebrate
the vernal festival of American PATRIOTISM
Thousands of old soldiers and sailors and
patriotic people of both sexes are today
turning aside IN the various walks of life
to visit the silent encampment of the dead
heroes who lie sleeping beneath the beauti-
full green sward of the land they helped to
save. These people have come hither N
oruer 10 Sho" their appreciation OF the
Valor and heroic sacrifices made by these
noble patriots by strewing their graves
with beautiful flowers
Capt. Street Follows.
Gen Strattan was followed by Capt H. L.
Street, eX-national commander of the u V
U. Capt. Street said, in part: We have
met here on Antietam's bloody field, this
memorial day, TO pay tribute Of affection 20
our coilranes, who here laid down their
lives that this glorious Union might be pre-
served in its entirety. Here IS ,OuO men in
the combined armies engaged, were killed
or wounded. They stood shoulder to
shoulder and touched elbows with us. To
them their surviving comrades and friends
lay upon their sleeping forms the flowers
OF spring and drop the tear of comradeship
and affection. To you my comrades, here
present. l would remind YOU that ere long
you and l shall have Joined the host gone
before us, and It's well fer us to remember
that Whl!e we pay this tribute to our fallen
comrades, that we owe duty to those liv-
ing ana the widows and orphans of those
sleeping here and elsewhere. While We are
an u. A. K men, yet, as an organization of
union Veteran Union, we go farther, and
propose to see that the laws in reference to
our comrades are carried out and that they
snail be preferred for positions under this
government they saved.
AdJt Gen. Robert Alton followed Capt
street, ana made a stirring and patriotic
auoress' as did Gen. S. s. Yoder of WASH
ington. Col; John Middleton of Hancock
command, Washington, =. c., then read
our Honored Dead" by Beecher with
great power and effect
Inc national cemetery at Antietam al
most rivals Arlington in its beauty and sur
toundihss and the battlefield at Antietam
Is Iuiiy equal to that of gettysburg in the
care winch has been taken to properly des-
ighate by substantial makers the positions
OF troops on both sides during that sanguin-
airy battle.
according to the report of the Secretary
ot o, me interior, the public domain contains
i'eo',ol ''os2 acres, of which 139, 5l621 acres
are reserved and 6S7, 339 40 acres are APP
statement - $500