The Columbus weekly dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 1902-1905, 1903-05-07
Decoration Day Exercises.

ing was pleasant and agreeable
andthe long tramp to the city
of the dead was relieved of many
of its hardships and inconven-
fences. Early in the day the
streets denoted that an unusual
occasion was at hand The old
soldiers with their families and
friends from all sections of the
county began to arrive and the
streets and stores began to fill
up with people. The Gross of
Honor" was in evidence and was
revered on all hands. Children
with beautiful flowers, vehicles
decorated with patriotic colors,
gay uniforms and the sounds of
martial music all told of the love,
the loyalty, the devotion, the
gratitude which the people of
Colum bus and Lowndes county
feel for the cause of the Confed-
eracy and its followers, living
and dead.
At half-pas nine o'clock the
parade began to form in front of
the Court House. The various
commands were under the di-
rection of Col. c.. H. Lincoln, as
marshal of the day, with Capt. W.
D. Prowell and Capt. T. A Egg
lesion as aids. The members
of Isham Harris on Camp,
the members of E. @. Leech
Camp and many old soldiers who
do not belong to Camps gathered
to join in the service of memo
rial to their comrades who sleep
in that last long sleep. Many
were the greetings of old friends,
who are separated only to meet
upon this day; many were the
recitalS of hardshipS endured,
battles fought and victories won
on the part of the few who are
| living as monuments of an era
which is fast passing into the
history of the past. The num-
| Der of veterans in the parade
| this year told the melancholy
truth that they are getting fewer
and fewer with the returning of
Decoration Day and that it will
not be many years before in the
long procession to the cemetery
a space will be left to mark the
marching places of heroes who
march no more.
At half past ten the command
was given for the procession to
march and the course was down
Market street to Third Avenue,
thence west to Fourth street
and thence south to the Gene
terry. At this point the process
sion entered the cemetery at
the north gate and marched to
the monument of the COnfeder-
ate soldier in the southern sec
ton of the grounds where the
exercises were held. The pro
cession was led by Gen. Lee and
Col. G. L. Lincoln and all of the
old soldiers marched. Following
the Veterans came the A. and NJ i.
Cadets, the Columbus Rifemen
under command of Capt. B. "A.
Lincoln and then followed the
citizens in carriages.
The stand was located just
east of the soldiers monument
and here beneath the shade of a
spreading magnolia the beauti-
full exercises occurred. Gen.
Lee was master of ceremonies
and he made a short, fervent
talk in which he expressed the
hope that the women of the
South and their children would
continue for all time the touch
ing custom of holding memorial
exercises for the departed Con
federate soldiers. Following
Gen. Lee Rev. Dunbar Hunt Og-
den was introduced and offered
an eloquent invocation Ia which
he asked Heaven s blessings upon
the old soldiers and the cause
they represented. A number of
potriotic songs were sung by
the children after which Miss
Rosa Mathis recited effectively
The Land Of Lee" which was
received with unstinted applause,
after which the exercises were
concluded with the benediction.
After the ceremony the graves
of the old heroes were stl ewn