Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-05-29
WREATH FOR GRANT STATUE
INTERESTING CEREMONIES IN Ro-
TUNDA OF THE CAPITOL.
Ladies' of the G. A. n. Pay Tribute to
the Dead-PrOgram Of
Exercises.

The decoration of the statue of General
U. S. Grant in the rotunda of the Capitol
this morning, in readiness for the national
day of decoration. was accompanied by
simple and impressive ceremony, conducted
by the U. 8. Grant Circle, Ladies Of the
Grand Army of the Republic. These patri-
otto women gathered about the statue and
conducted a short service, which was OPEN
ed with prayer and closed with the sing
ing of America" Gallant soldiers who
had served under the famous commander
spoke of their personal recollections of him.
and before the company left the historic
building a beautiful wreath was placed at
the feet of the statue.
Before the ceremony was begun an
American flag was hung back of the mar
BILE statue. The L. S. Grant Circle then
entered the rotunda, headed by Israel w.
Stone, commander Of the Department or
the Potomac, and Gen. B.. F. Hawkes., past
department commander. The committee OF
ladies in charge of the ceremony consisted
of Florence L. Barringer. president I. s.
Grant Circle; Fanny NJ. Calvert. chaplain;
Nellie c. Royce, Emma A. Hawkes.. Louisa
c. Loeffier and Olivia V. Cotton. Other la
dies of the circle present were Mrs. c. @.
Bollinger, Mrs. Annie l.. Power, Mrs. Sa-
rah C. Seton. Mrs. NJ. b. kister, Mrs. NJ
V. Perkins, Mrs Emma E. Holbrook, Mrs.
Josephine B. Johnston. Mrs. Harriet Bill
lings. Mrs. Fanny E. Worden and Mrs.
Prominent members of the Grand Army
taking part in the ceremony were Col. Geo.
Patrick Capt. Chas. d. A. Loefiier. Gen.
c. H. Worden. Capt. A. Hart and Capt. ].
P Megrew, the last named having served
under Gen. Grant in the 18th Corps during
the war. Capt Megrew, who has charge
of the police force of the Capitol provided
guard of half dozen soldierly officers.
who escorted the committee.
Remarks by Gen. Hawkes..
lo5; ba Lords
Prayer as they formed a semicircle about
the statue, Gen. Hawkes. spoke briefly, ex-
planning the manner in which the statue
had been provided, by means of 10-cent
subscriptions taken up under the direction
of Gen. Burdette, when commander-in-chief
of the Grand Army. 1t was thought at
that time that the Grant mausoleum would
be built at Arlington, but an erroneous i'm
preston that Mrs. Grant could not be bur-
led by the side of her husband he said. had
caused confusion. which finally resulted in
the people of New York coming forward
and providing mausoleum in New York.
The 100000 that was raised for this pur
pose was devoted to purchasing the marble
statue of Grant now in the rotunda of the
Capitol.
Gen. Hawkes. spoke of the personal char
acteristics of the great commander. on
whose personal staff he had served, and he
held as the highest honor the intimate ac-
quaintance he had enjoyed with General
Grant. He had then formed the highest
regard for the genius of the general who
dominated the Union forces and brought
victory to the Union. He knew that not
only was he military genius. but morally
as we'll was a man of irreproachable char
acter.
Grant seemed to him to be one of those
great men brought forward by Providence
at critical times in the worlds history to
serve their country. So Washington, Lin
coin and Grant had served America and
so Mckinley is now serving it, he thought,
as his illustrious predecessors had done.
The Concluding Exercises.
Commander Stone also addressed the as
semblage briefly. He hoped that in the
future the committee would extend it's
work of decorating to the statues of all
the heroes. those of the revolutionary war
as we'll as heroes of the civil war, now in
| the capital.
America" then sung. and wreath
of green was placed at the feet of the hero
of the civil war. Several of the ladies
carried small bouquets with them, and
these they placed on the pedestal
A - coOrlnSiDp nj ha he