The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-31
HONOR 70 SOLDIER dead
Memorial Day Reverently Observed
in the Nations Capital.
Ceremonies Under the Auspices Of
the Grand Army of the Republic
mt the Various conference.-the
orntc Exercises mt Arlington-Thc
Annual Parade of Wnr Veterans.


observance in the District OF Columbia yes
ierday From early in the morning until
the late hours OF the afternoon the people
Of Washington attended 10 the sad but low
ing duty of scattering flowers upon the
graves of the dead. whose lives were sac
titiced for their country's cause.
Clouds obscured the sun and in the
morning the chilly air seemed TO promise
gloomy day. But the clouds spread only
thin veil over the sky and before noon
It was certain that the weather conditions
would not hinder the carrying out of the
programmes prepared for the day.
The chiefSfeature of the days observance
In Washington was the morning parade
Of G. A. r. posts and organizations of the
Spanish war veterans. Thus the soldiers of
two wars united in doing honor to their
comrades who have passed 10 the silent
majority. The survivors of the civil war
marched with feeble tread, their heads
bent with age and their eyes dmmed by
The passing years. With them strobe in
the vigor of manhood the men who had
fought in Cuba, Porto Rico, and the Phil
ippines.
The parade was formed in Pennsylvania
Avenue, near the C. a. r. Hall. with the
posts of that order occupying the right oil
the line. Headed by detachment OF
mounted police and an escort of the Ma
tional Guard. the procession moved at
1920 O'Clock up Fifteenth Street TO Penn
sylvania Avenue, thence westwardly to
ha Mt a 20
10 H Street, along H Street eastwardly
TO Twelfth Street. down Twelfth Street to
Pennsylvania Avenue, and thence to the
. depot at the intersection of Thirteen and
R-half Street, where special train was
In waiting to convey the soldiers to Ar
lington.
The Old Guard.
The Old Guard, preceded by the Marine
Band, was next in line, under command of
Capt. James NJ. Edgar. Following them
representatives of these G. A. r. posts ap-
peared In the line:
John A Rawlins Post No. /, 4. H.
Nickerson, commander; Kit Carson Post,
No. 2. E. c. Johnston, commander; Lincoln
Post, No. 3, W. II. Proctor, commander,
D. p. Morton Post, No. 4, James Wells.
commander; George C. Meade Post, No 8.
f. A. WILDER, commander; U. S. Grant
Post. No. ), Alfred Shaw, commander;
James A. Garfield Post. No. Z, w. VI. Sef-
ton, commander; Burnside Post, No. S, /.
G. Kimball, commander; Charles Sumner
Post, No. 9, ". H. Grimshaw, commander;
Potomac Post. No IL, James Lackey, COM
mander; Phil. Sheridan Post, No. "A. L.
s. Emery commander; Lafayette Post, No.
10, Briscoe Goodha.t, commander; Freder-
lex Douglass Post, No. 81, George D. Gra-
ham, commander, and Guy V. Henry Gar
rison of the Regular Army and Navy
Union.
About $50 of the veterans of the Spanish
war followed the Grand Army of the Re-
public posts, under command of Col NJ. E.
Crell. The last detachment was battal-
ton of the Sons of Veterans, the line being
closed by a platoon of mounted police.
The parade excited great interest along
the route, and was viewed by thousands of
people.
At Arlington Cemetery.
The public exercises at Arlington Ma
tional Cemetery began at noon, when a
salute was fred by a light battery at
Washington Barracks. Through the morn
Ing hours a vast throng had gathered in
the cemetery, many drawn thither TO
spread blankets of bloom above the dead
before the crowds arrived. There was much
decorating of graves in this way many
of the tombs being covered with the roses
and daisies of May. In this tribute from
Individual hands possibly the veterans of
the Spanish war shared most, but the
strewing of garlands was by no means
confined TO them.
The graves of Captain Capron, General
Lawton and General Henry were conspicu-
Dus among the former and those of Cen
eral Sheridan, General Crook, and General
hi
Admiral Porter was almost hidden in a
wealth of bloom. Across the avenue also,
where simple headstones mark the graves
Of private soldiers. loving hands had
adorned the silent mounds, showing that
they were not forgotten among the thou
lands who lie buried there.
Several floral tributes were sent from
the White House to Arlington by special
order of the President. Each was borne
by a special messenger and placed on the
grave for which it was intended. Some
Of these were in crescent form and some
Of other designs.
Mrs. Mckinley gave orders for a wreath
aud box Of cut flowers that she desired to
take with her to Arlington as tributes Of
her love for the fallen dead. She left for
Arlington about 10 o'clock, accompanied
by Mrs. Hastings and Col. Webb Hayes,
both guests at the White House.
After the firing Of the national salute
and g patriotic selection by the Marine
Band, the procession formed south of the
Arlington Mansion. In the line were to be
teen the grizZled veterans of 1865 and the
martial forms Of those who served in the
spanish way.
The line proceeded to the monument
which marks the resting place of the I'M
known" soldiers Of the civil war The
Ihaft had been decorated with flags and
towers, and as the procession halted and
ftood in reverent silence as the band PLAY
ed q solemn dirge the committee assigned
10 the task strewed roses and daisies about
The monument beneath which lie the
bones of more than 1000 soldiers whose
identity could not be determined at the
time of burial
Passing down the main avenue until the
place was reached where the soldiers lie In
long rows TO the south Of the road the
procession broke ranks and scattered flow
ers over the thousands Of graves in that
part of the cemetery, each marked by a
little flag.
This duty to the dead performed. the
procession formed again and marched to
The Amphitheatre where the following pro-
gramme OF exercises was carried out.
la Sounding assembly, bugler: OBJ
Meditation" Bach. Marine Band: Our
Braves" Keller. octette; calling assembly
TO order George II. Slaybaugh, depart
ment commander; invocation, Rev. ". G.
Davenport, department chaplain; memoir
ial hymn, Winch, ortette; reading orders,
d. +. Chase, assistant adjutant general;
poem, Rev. J. f. Rankin, D. D., Ii. D.; |
SLOWLY and Sadly" written especially |
for the occasion by Madam A. Root de |
LArmitage, Marine Band: Grafton. Com
rade Hon. Marriott Brosius; Soldiers |
Farewell" Kinkel, octette; Lincoln's |
Gettysburg. address, Comrade S. W McEl- |
derry; The Day Of Judgment" Rossini, |