The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-05-31
HONOR OF
SOLDIER DEAD
Annual Memorial Services in
Bennington.
MEMORIAL SUNDAY
In Spite of Rain Yesterday Exer-
ciSes and Parade We're Carried
in Usual Manner.
MEMORIAL SUNDAY

Memorial Sunday was one of the
pleasant Sundays of the year, and the
result was that the memorial services
for the day were fully carried out and
attended by larger number of people
than they have been for several previ.
GUS years.
Early in the morning, comrades A,
NJ. Downs and c. Henry Sibley drove
to the Towslee cemetery and decorated
what graves there are there of old vet
erans. Others went to the chapel Gem
etery and performed like duty.
Inthe afternoon the united comrades,
auxiliary organizations and friends
went to the Hinsdilville cemetery VIII ere
memorial services were conducted and
the graves there decorated. Following
were short talks from c. II Peck of
North Bennington and several of the
comrades. Vocal selections were Civ
en- by male quartette composed Of
| Messrs w. G. II. Cushman, Delakof,
Bottum, Jones, Harry White, Hatha-
way, Loomis and Durham.
In the evening the Methodist church
was filed by an audience gathered to
hear the memorial sermon preached by
Rev c. w. Rowley, pastor of the
church. The audience room was pret-
tily decorated with flags, ferns, etc.
In addition to the Grand Army and
other auxiliary organizations, were
present, veterans from the Soldiers
Home, Company X, First Infantry,
V. N. G, The music of the choir was
especially good.
The sermon of DIR Rowley was unus-
ually good and attentively listened to.
The following is partial resume:-
Thirty-nine years ago this very
month of May there marched over
Pennsylvania avenue in the city OF
Washington the mightiest army of cit
izen soldiery that ever trod the soil OF
this planet. Tattered flags waved over
their heads Sherman, Sheridan, Lo-
gan, Thomas, Slocum and that quiet
man whose military skill and bull dog
persistency had brought the war to d
victorious closing; were in the ranks.
When we think of that mighty army
we imagine we see the forms of others
who fell on the field of carnage and we
review those days at the beginning OF
the struggle when that honest, anxious
man in the White House looked to the
north for help and from the Pacific
coast, the prairies OF the West and the
granite hills of our New England, the
response to the call for arms came;
"We're coming, father Abraham,
Three hundred thousand strong"
Then followed battle after battle and
our soldier boys passed out their blood
like water for home and fatherland.
At last at Appomatox, Lee surrender.
ed and the war was over.
Why are we gathered here in such
large numbers tonight, and why will
we tomorrow again be called together
by fife and drum to listen to the re
hearsal of the gallant deeds of these
brave men of 81 to '65? What good
in keeping alive the memories of thai
struggle and observing Decoration
Day?
L., 1t intensifes the love and respect
of the New Englanders for their sector
OF this country. We shall never cease
to be proud of the fact that the lead
ers in the discussions against slavery
and those who lead the forces for free
dom at the beginning of the strife were
New Englanders. Hale, Sumner
Phillips, Wilson, Greeley, Lovejoy
Hamlin, Butler, etc., we're great lead
ers. Ason of New England sent soutl
that famous dispatch, "If any maj
dares TO haul down the American flag
shoot him on the spot"
1t was Butler who hurled back tn
foul lie at the naughty southerners a
} the Charleston convention, that tn
north would not fight for her rights
You know who kept the railroad opel
to Washington till force sufficient t,
J save the city was there. You knov