The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-05-30
SOLDIERS HOME EXERCISES
Veterans Listen to EulOgies- on
Their Dead Comrades.

Impressive Services Held This Morn
fuE-An Eloquent Address by Cen
eraI RuggIes. Governor of the In
stitution-GaIIant Deeds Recited.
The day of all days in the year precious /
to them, the inmates of Soldiers Home /
this morning celebrated with betting /
soIemnity and earnestness. The bent vet /
Grams took the early hours of the day /
when the dew of the night was still damp +
on the graves of their sleping comrades (
for their services A glorious sun, risen /
but a little in the sky, cast its rays asIant /
through the trembling leaves Of the ma /
PIE trees, and the matted foliage Of the !
spruces, dotting with sold a broad green /
sward. marshaled over with solemn bat
tie array of white headstonesy each front
ed by a tiny huttering flag
The ceremonies Of the day began
promptly al $50 a m, at which time the
soldiers formed in front of Scott Build
ing, and. headed by the Soldiers Home
Band, under J. S. NJ Zimmerman, march
eG to the amphitheatre- Seated upon the
gently rising slope, under the great trees
that raised their trunks like coIamns and
their branches like groined arches above
the assemblage, the brothers-in-arns still
living listened to impassioned eulogies Of
the comrades over the headstones of
whose graves they could see the sunshine
and shadow play as the wind waved the
Gen. George D. Ruggles. L. s. A. Gov
ernOr Of the Home, addressed the gath
eTing after an invocation had been deliv-
cred and there had been further music
He said:
Mr. Commander, My Comrades:
The passing year and our passing
lives bring to Us another Memorial Day
to claim our homage to the devoted dead:
1t is well that we pause, for the brief
hour, from absorbing interest in our own
little affairs, our own little world, to
call heroic deeds of gallant souls who
have gone before in all our past, and TO
give memory 10 departed comrades with
whom we have marched and messed, and
camped and blVOGacked, VINO IN thtlI
turn have watched for us upon the out
post, who have stood by our side in the
hour OF battle, who were gay N the Gay
of our rejoicing and who were our solace
in the time of wreck and ruin.
Within this Soldiers Home National
Cemetery lie the mortal remains OF 8 $50
American soldiers. Fifty-twO new made
graves mark the inteTments within the
year. These grand old trees in the full
ness OF their foliage these Towering
shrubs in the wealth of their bloom and
color, this green swaTd in its coat of vel
vet seem all IN gala dress to welcome
the living who come to honor the dead
Here rest representatives from all OF our
wars since that of 1872 Here sleep many
men OF EailantTy in action many who
suffered from wounds in battle, and 9th
ers-gOod duty men-whose latent abllI-
" IDT brave CEtOS lacked only OppbI IA4-
mty for fun Development God rest the
dead We SJTew flowers upon their
graves. and we bid peace to their ashes
In the winter and early spring. fifty
five years ago, the Army Of Occupation
under General Taylor. lay at Corpus
Christi in Southwestern Texas in that
calm that preceded the storm as II burst
at Fort Brown at PalO Alto. and at Re
SAGA de Ia Palma, upon the advance 10
the Rio Grande- A troop-laden trans
port, Flowing her way through the GulI
OF Mexico sailed into Arkansas Bay with
Te-entorcemcuJS for the army Upon the
last night on board, a lieutenant of the
Eighth infantry wrote these words:
We have slept in the caIm-we have laughed in
We have sung by the pale moons Eight. my
bows.
Bu. by mornings dawn, should the breeze not
Wen bid to the sea, good night. my boys
The moon shines bright!
Our Wild campaigns begun, my boys!
We bid the sea, a glad good night
And tomorrow vel fight. we can, my boys
We VIII some Of Us sleep meath the prairie
We viii some 20 hack Ger the sea. nv BOYS.
But the hearts that are true to their country
and God
VIII all meet at the last rcveiIIe, my boys.
IT'S the soldiers simple faith: Those
that are true 70 their country and God
viii al meet at the last reveille my
boysr
!
battle; II nerves him TO conscientious
performance Of duty in the day Of peace;
Ii assures him Of rest and -seace and hap
piness upon the eternal camping ground.
where tears are never she'd
Since those Mexican days Of march
ing of fighting ard OF uninterrupted sue
cesses. the American soldier by his great
campaigns on land and the American
sailor by his VaIOT and good work on in
land waters and on the seas have placed
their country in the forefront Of al the
nations Of the earth Their campaigns
ended their work done, they return gui-
city. uncstenta tiously TO the ways OF
peace
--TIe war cloud SO recently hanging
over Cuba has given way TO brighter
Orient Is lifting Through all the sacrl-
fees and all the horrors Of war with a
half civilized Zoe. as following the black
ness of night, now breaks the dawn OF
civil government, Of education, Of civil
cation and of good order IN the Philip
pines
Justly. may we harbor the fond antici-
patton of an early return Of peace &c
american arms
Eternal Father Mighty Lord
Who rul'st the nations BE- Thy Word,
Guard and defend warrior band,
And over them stretch Thy sheiteFing hand
In Thy good tirr-a make war to cease,
And send loved ones home IN peace.
After the conclusion of General Rug
giles address the following programme
was carried out:
Providence. overture (JObani}, Sol
diers- Home Band solo-'-The Rest Of tbs
Brave (CaIVerJ- Miss / E CalTeT- read
fug-..I ;ncoiu'S Gettysburg Address,
Col Edwin z. Hay; Memories Of Memo
rial Day (Frcelich), st. Peters Choir