The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-05-31
Thousands Strew Flowers in the
National Cemetery at Jef-
ferson Barracks.
LADIES BEAUTIFY STATUES.
Old Soldiers March in Parade in
Honor of Those Who
Fell in the Civil
Strife.

Three steamboats,, carrying several hun
dred veterans of the Civil War; moored TO
the landing at Jefferson Barracks yester-
day afternoon. While a salute of seventeen
guns was fired. these old veterans. with
heads uncovered, marched ashore, to deco
rate the graves OF their comrades.
The salute seemed like the greeting of the
army of the new generation to the army of
the old. and 6,o1o persons witnessed the I'm
pressiye sight
Those old soldiers made an interesting
picture as they marched to the officers
headquarters at the Barracks. Some of
them were minus an arm, others had but
one. nearly all of them were gray, and all
We're bent in form and wrinkled in feature.
Yesterday was ideal Decoration Day.
A soft breeze blew during the afternon and
the trees and the grass in the National
Grams arrived sympathetic persons had
placed flowers on the graves of the departed
many veteran as he looked at the hun
dreds and hundreds or graves and recSlled
the bitter struggles
ORATOR LAUDS OLD SOLDIERS.
The ceremonies at Jefferson Barracks
proved an attraction for thousands of per-
sons.
Only one speech was delivered The orator
was Rabbi Leon Harrison. His subject was:
Remember the Days of Old" In part. he
said:
I'VE remember the days of old as we gaze
upon you, bstt!e-scarred warriors who have
calmly faced disease and devastation, whose
baptism of fire has consecrated you as the
national champions of liberty and union,
now and forever. one and inseparable. We,
the later-born, to whom your grim expert
passed through the fiery hail of shot ami
shell and deemed mutilation and death a
cheap price to pay for freedom Of the slave
and the salvation of the country.
Yes. we gaze upon you. whose hair is
whitening. whose ranks are thinning swiftly
now, and all the past comes back to mind; /;
the days of fierce alarm, of burning indigna-
uon when a coDvulsion rent the land
asunder and the columns of the Temple II
Liberty tottered on their foundations. The
days when fond mothers sent their unreturn-
Ing sons away, when wives We're widowed
and children were orphaned, and stream
ing eyes wept for the Hon-hearted ones who
We're not t6 return All, their young lives
were quenched, but not the glory of their
sacrifice, not the unfading splendor Of their
fame that thrills and inspires us when We
remember the days of Old
brance, to enshrine anew in your hearts
and ours these immortal ones who have
fallen at the post of duty. The nation halts
Memorial Day stiffness broods, the pulse
OF commerce does not beat, the hammer and
anvil are silent, the giant wheels of In
pie are steeped now in the poetry Of recol-
lection. With fragrant blossoms shall be
covered the peaceful couches Of those now
and forever noncombatants. The colors OF
the flowers replace the bars OF the flag
above their heads.
DID NOT PERISH IN VAIN.
They have perished not in vain. Their
lives have not been a fruitiess sacrifice.
Your struggles on the great dwelling ground
of colossal combatants have not been vast
ed You have achieved more than mil
itary triumph, more than a passing glory.
The nation undivided and undivisible, in
bond. and the Republic vindicated at last
by freedom enjoyed alike by ALL"
gae sna at ,b
the regulars formed in procession and pre-
ceded the old soldiers to the National Gem
etery: There. besides the speech OF Rabbi
Military Band. a prayer by the Reverend
samuel j. Niccols. reading Of the G. A. r.
National and State Department orders by
Thomas B. Rodgers. reading Of charges
from the G. A. r. ritual by Martin Sclierer.
reading of President Lincolns address at
Gettysburg by Ford Smith, and benedic-
negro veteran, Of Shaw Post
Following these exercises the bugle call
was sounded, the command was reformed
and the veterans went TO the main division
Of the cemetery. where the graves Of the
dead were decorated with flowers.
VETERANS FORM IN LINE.
From sunrise until noon the national nag
was kept at halfmast at Jefferson Bar
racks. and at u o'clock the national salute
OF twenty-one guns was fired.
At o'clock parade of the veterans was
formed on Washington avenue, marching
east to Broadway, south on Broadway to
Olive street and thence east to the river.
The staff in charge of the ceremonies in
cluded: John 5. Gondolfo, Chief; Jerry F.
GSras GSSqns FcKs Astant Edna GsnsTal Ls%s kSep
Fritz. Louis Schaeperkoetter, Allan j.
Showers, William Alexander. Joseph Lite
de-camp; Martin scherer, Jr. Philip schu-
macher and Major A. A. Marquardt, serv-
isemen 1s;n of the Spanish War; Major Nicholas
Oliver c. Yogel, William J; Knoke, Cap
tain E. H Schuermann. Captain ]. {.
George and Robert Eritton. representing va
The women VINO assisted in the cere-
aS,.l and other .s eems,sries were: Mrs Euniee
Gammeter, Mrs Louisa Heinemann. Mrs.
aTine aIie Mueller; Mrs, Mrs. Katherine Helirich.
Bradbury. Mrs. Scott, Mrs. Hetty B. Knoll
enberg. Mrs. Gertrude Fritz. Mrs. Julia
HHeng{slsberg, Mrs; Mary T: Baekof. Mrs:
Tillie Sennewald. Miss Rose Benke. Mrs.
Lulu Carter, Mrs Susan A: Fuller, Mrs: NJ.
Alice Hamn Mrs Msry g. Mrs
Mrs, w. R. Schmidt. Miss Helen Kalb. Mrs
Sarah V. Stringer. Mrs. Sue Hulsart, Miss
Tiilic Zesch and Miss Stella WuIsch.
Ceremonies appropriats, to the day were
held at several places. The statue of Cen
eral Grant was decorated by the members
of the woma:i's auxiliary societies.
Blair Post and Porter Camp had charge
of the decoration Of the Blair monument In
Forest Park, as well the ceremonies at
Bellefontaine Cemetery.
The Lyon Monument in Lyon Park was
decorated by members of the post which
bears the name Of the distinguished hero of
the Civil War.
Hassendeubel Post decorated the grave of
Colonel Francis Hassendeubel in Bellefon-
taine Cemetery, and Colonel Frederick
Hecker's monument in Benton Park.
Ransom Post decorated the monument Of
it's first commander, General William Te-
cumseh Sherman. at Calvary Cemetery.
The grave OF Colonel Theodore Meumann.
in Bellefontaine Cemetery, was decorated
by Meumann Post
Charles F. Vogel acted as chairman Of the
general committee on ceremonies He also
presided at the meeting in the National
Cemetery.
ELKs HOLD MEMORIAL SERVICES,