The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1902-06-05
TO THE CONFEDERATE DEAD.
dwelling Of the Monument in Forest
Hill Cemetery.

K.C. star. sIst.
Among the graves of the unknown
Confederate dead in Forest Hillceme-
terry, who fell in the battle of West
port, a great crowd Of people stood
for two hours yesterday afternoon
listeningto speeches and songs ofthe
Southland. The monument they
had come to dedicate to the memory
Of these soldiers who died for the
Lost cause" stood in their midst
like sheeted. ghost, its tall shaft
and bronze statue swathed in white
canvas. And after the Speechmaking
and the singing thirteen little girls,
the grandchildren of men whofought
for the South in the greatest civil
war of all history. marched ont in
row, all dressed in white. carrying
, upon their shoulders n long streamer
Of interviewer smilax and red and
white carnations These thirteen
children each picked up from the sod
theend of white ropeand altoeeth-
er they pulled. The white canvas
sheeting was rent apart and fell to
the ground and the monument, that
had been n moment before a hooded,
non descript thing, stood out tall
shaft OF wondrous symmetry and
beauty and upon its top Southern
soldier in bronze, upon guard, his
right foot forward, rifle grasped for
action, his head thrown back, the
front OF his broad brimmed hat turn
ed upward, seven.foot figure OF
soldierly bearing and full OF life and
dash.
REBEL YELL GREETED THE UNWILLING
At this very moment when the v"'
OF white fell from the statue and
monument the sun, that bad boon
yelled with clouds all the air-ru "rl,
shone out clear and bright, the
mighty band struck up Dixie, that
stirring air to-the- strains OF Which
many thousands marched to death
and glory, and the old soldiers,
standing among the graves, lifted
their eyes and grizzled faces to the
figure surrounding the shaft and
then there burst out that shrill zip
yipping cheer that was known thirty
eight years ago as "The Rebel Yell y
1.-THE foot OF the monument rested
a large wreath OF Southern palm. \
woman in white tied it to the end OF
a cord that hung from the top OF the
monument. To the wreath she tied
one end OF the long streamer ofgreen
leaves and red and white carnat ons
and hoisted it to the summit. Then
the thirteen children, holding to the
lower end OF the streamer, walked
around and around until the column
OF granite from summit to base was
entwined with the flowers.
Confederate veterans had come
from places miles and miles away to
see the unwilling and dedication OF
this first Confederate monument in
Western Missouri. They crowded up
around it. felt of the granite sides,
read the Inscriptions upon it and
wept in sorrow for the days and the
things, long gone and lost, that til is
shaft OF stone stood for
LEST WE FORGET" THE KEYNOTE.
Upon one side of the monument, in
letters of bronze, stood out these
words Of kiplings:
Lord God of Hosts be with us yet
Lest we forget! Lest We forget
This sentiment Lest we forget,
was the keynote of the speeches made
by ex Confederates at the unwilling
of the monument Yesterday.
JUDGE GANTTs ADDRESS.
Judge James B. CAN'T OF the Mis-
souri, suprem' court, Confederate
veteran, said in his speech:
There are people who object to thu
erecting If a monument to the mem
DRY of the Confederate dead. The.
say it only serves to keep alive tn
embers of sectional discor.I and strif'
in what ought to be united coun
try. 1t is to combat that idea tina
speak here to-day. Mankind in al
ages has recorded It's great deed
generally by monuments designed I,
last. The pyramids Of Egypt are tn
best testimony to day OF the civiliza
ton that once graced the Nile. Th
Southland, from the Gulf to the Pott
,,,oo f,or, tho Pic Gro nde tn III