Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-30
YOUTH AND AGE


boys in blue suffered, bled and died A
grateful nation will ever hold in loving.
lasting remembrance your immortal deeds,
written in blood, upon a thousand we'll
contested battlefields in the annals of
las long as the American republic sur
wives, as long as men lovb liberty and man.
hood rights the common heritage of every
man and every class of men: as long as the
stars and stripes float Over us a free
and independent nation; as long as men
love truth and justice, and hate wrong and
oppression. your heroism. patriotism and
sacrifices for humanity and the cause of
freedom and civilization will be remem-
bered by grateful people and admired by
all lovers of human progress throughout
the world.
..It is eminently proper and fitting" he
continued that members of grateful ma
ton should unite with You during this sea-
son of sunshine and flowers in decorating
graves of sleeping comrades. to whom We
are Indebted, with yourselves. for the
priceless boon of universal freedom.
I'm our late war with Spain the negro
soldier did his full share Of the hard fight
ing. When the Maine was blown up in the
harbor of Havana. Mudd, a negro sailor,
shared the fate of his comrades. When
the first blood was shed In actual war Off
Cape Cardenas and Ensign Bagiey 1el:
Elias B. Tunnel, a negro sailor, was one Of
the four men who, as an immortal quartet.
struck the first notes in the song of Cuban
Independence When the Rough Riders made
that daring assault upoh FL Saiiey onu
were in imminent danger of being annihi-
ated it was the negro soldier who saved
them and the day to the American cause
When the assault was made up san Juan
hill, in the face of murderous nre, ana
there was wavering on every side, 1t was
the coIored troops that moved forward and
mt the Spanish soldiers to flight. And in
all probability there will be no peace In the
Philippines until the negro soldier mas
hand in claiming the dogs of war In those
islands,"
A poem appropriate to the occasion was
read by Prof S. G. Brown, following which
Rev. C. w. Lane made an address, during
which he said:
"In accordance with a time-honored GUS
tom, we are here to revere the noble deeds
and comment upon the grand achievements
of those lofty and grand characters who
fought SO grandly during the years of 1851
to 1865 for the preservation Of the Union
flag and the Union Of states and for the
commemoration of all OF those-our loved
ones-who have fallen asleep in death"
The speaker said that from the days OF
Washington to the present there was not
a decisive battle fought on American soil
in which the negro did not participate In
defense of the stars and stripes, ana yet IN
history the negro had not been known as
soldier, because no doubt, Of race antag-
onism; but through such gallant and noble
spirits as Generals Lee and Jackson and
Generals Grant ana sherman tne Worlu was
made to know the worth of the black SOL
diers on the bloody field of battle.
Mr. Lane referred to Crispus Attacks,
negro slave, who received his death wound
at Boston in 1878. and stated, with great
emphasis, the account of $4,000 negroes
who fought for American independence.
During the afternoon the chapel lately
erected in the cemetery will be dedicated
by Revs. Lane and Mnler The exercises
will consist of the reading of a service as
prescribed in the ritual Of the Colored
Methodist Episcopal Church, and brief re-
marks by the ministers named.
AT ST. ELIJAH EFT H