The times., 1901-05-31
AT THE SOLDIERS HOME.
Elaborate Ceremony Marks the Me-
mortal Day Celebration,

| The sun rose yesterday morning to cast
| its first rays through the trunks of the
| tall trees in the cemetery at Soldiers
| Home upon 6,953 tiny American flags fiut-
| tering in the Dawn breeze over the dew
damp mounds of 6,953 soldiers graves. An
| elaborate ceremonial had been planned
for the day. but perhaps the whole essence
of its meaning was expressed when before
the warmth of the early morning hours
had lifted the dewdrops to the sky little
children came and dropped upon each
damp grassy plound some blossom of the
sod. No grave was forgotten, and little
fingers, that on other days would have
clutched tightly treasured flowers, drop
ped willingly offerings of fragrance and
color upon each soldiers resting place
The regular services of the day began
at $50 o'clock. At that hour the blue-
coated soldiers, their breasts declzed with
their medals of honor, gathered in front
of Scott Building, and formed for the pa
rade to the cemetery.
The order of the parade was: The
United States Soldiers Home Band, un-
der John S NJ. Zimmerman, conductor,
followed by Brig. Gen. George D. Rug
giles, u. S. A, Governor of the Home;
Bvt. Brig. Gen. r. f. Bernard, U. s. A,
Deputy Governor; Major Louis A. La
Garde. L. S. A. Surgeon. and Capt.
Charles w. Taylor. Quarterinaster; COM
mittees of the day followed; the Commit
tee on Reception, consisting of the officers
of the Home and Sergt. Maj. Henry Kerr,
Sergt. Richard Barweis, and Past Com
manders Patrick Ford, John B. uonver.
of Henry Wilson Post, No. Il; the Com
mittee Of arrangements, and the Com
mittee on the Decoration of the Graves;
the orator of the day, Rev. d. J. Stafford,
D. D.; the poet, Dr. Thomas Calver, the
medical director OF the department.; the
reader of Lincoln's Gettysburg address,
Col. Edwin B. Hay, and the chaplains,
Rev. Dr. Allan Griffith of Soldiers Home,
and Rev. Eugene Hannah, also of Sol
diers' Home.
B. F. Bingham, Senior Vice Department
Commander. in calling The assembly to
order, touched upon the deep meaning of
the day. He urged its observance as well
with the heart as with the mouth and the
hands. Or. Allan Griffith delivered the in
vocation, which was followed by How
Sleep the Brave" by the choir. DR..
Thomas Carver read an original poem, en-
titled Who Fight the Nations Battles"
in which he contrasted the soldiers who
fight for money and gain with the true
hearted volunteer who went into the war
for the honor Of his flag and his country.
Brig. Gen. George d. Ruggles, u. S. A,
Governor of the Home, then delivered an
address.
At the close Of the address Miss L. e.
Calyer sang the song so much faYorite
with the inmates of tie Home, THE Rest
of the Brave and following her Col Ed
win B. Hay read Lincoln's Gettysburg adj
dress. The Grafton was then delivered by
Rev d. J. Stafford, of st. Patrick's
Church.
DR.. Stafford traced the history of the
movement which led to the division of
the South from the North and showed
how the disagreement between thinkers
some taking sides for Capitalization and
some taking sides for State rights, began
with Washington and Jefferson, and had
in the very nature of things. to come
Constitution perfect. but said II repre-
sented a theoretical State.
Between theory and practice there
must always be abyss" he said and
the civil war was but one evidence of the
effort making in this country to bridge
over that chasm. The result was worth
it all. Liberty required that the blood
Of million men should be shed to seal
its accomplishment
Taps" sounded by Bugler Kramer
closed the ceremonies a the amphithea-
tire. At 12~ o'clock the soldiers gathered
around the fiagstan before the Scott
Building and stood with barred heads while
the flag was raised. a salute of twenty-
one guns was fired, and the DAYS obsery-
ance closed with the singing of ''The Star
SpangIed Banner"
A notable feature of the day was the
paid to the tomb OF General I.o-
gan. At its door stood S. r. Whiteman
and Jefferson Thomas, two soldiers who
fought under Logan, and who have been
fourteen years the guards of his tomb's