The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-06-04

Last acknowledgements Day
was observed in Oakland with the
usual ceremonies, when large crowds
of people gathered in the Silent Cities
to pay a mark of befitting gratitude
and reverence to the heroic departed
by strewing their graves with boun-
teous blooms of sweet scented flowers
from the fields and woods.
The ceremonies were under the di-
rection and charge of Crook Post No.
80, Grand Army of the Republic, Col.
A. g. Sturgiss commanding who had
as his adiutant Capt. James A. Hay
den.
The Post assembled at its headquar-
tiers, Sturgiss' Hall, and preceded by
the Oakland band, marched to the
cemetery to the music of muf1ied
drum beats. In the procession were a
nu mber of school children carrying
fl overs who were in charge of DR.. f.
j. M. Button of the Naval Veterans.
The Knights of st. John, under COM
mand of Capt. w. E. Broderick and a
few of the members of Garrett
Lodge, Knights of Pythias, made up
the procession.
Arriving at the cemetery detach-
ments of the Grand Army were sent
in many directions and decorated
the graves of their deceased comrades
in arms while the school children
performed like service. The Knights
of Pythias placed cut flowers upon
the graves of their dead brethren.
After having decorated the many
graves the old soldiers gathered at
point in the cemetery where the
ritualistic services, after a selection
rendered by the band, were gone
through with.
Adjutant Hayden read the address
delivered by President Lincoln at
the Gettysburg Battlefield in 1864
which was as follows;
"Fourscore and seven years ago our
fathers brought forth ON this CONT
nent new nation, conceived in liber-
tY, and dedicated to the proposition
that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in great civil
war, testing whether that nation or
any other nation so conceived and so
dedicated, can long endure. We are
met on great battlefield of that
war. We have come to dedicate
portion of that field as a final resting
place for those who here gave their
lives that that nation might live.
1t is altogether fitting and proper
that we should do this.
But in a larger sense, we cannot
dedicate-we cannot consecrate-we
cannot hallow-this ground. The
braye men, living and dead, who
struggled here, have consecrated it
far above our poor power to add or
detract. The world will little note
nor long remember what we say here,
but it can meyer forget what they did
here. 1t is for us, the living, rather,
to be dedicated here to the unfinished
work which they who fought here
have thus far so nobly advanced. 1t
is rather for MS to be here dedicated
to the great task remaining before us
that from these honored dead we
take increased devotion to that cause
for which they gave the last full
measure of devotion; that we here
highly resolve that these dead shall
not have died in vain; that this nation,
under God, shall have new birth of
freedom; and that government of the
people by the people, for the people,
shall not perish from the EARTH
Commander Sturgiss had Rev.
Miller, of the Presbyterian church, to
read the following poem, composed
by Prof. J. g. Robinson, of Baltimore,
which we publish below. The poem
breathes many sentiments highly be-
fitting the day:
OUR DEAD HEROES.