Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-30
Where Early's Raid Was
Checked in. 1864.
PRAISE THE FALLEN
DECORATING THE GRAVES OF
THE DEAD.
Addresses by Commissioner Macfar-
land and Messrs. w. j. Lambert
and T. c. Noyes.

in humble reverence to the memory or their
departed comrades company OF gray
haired veterans gathered at the Battie
Ground National cemetery this afternoon
and listened to songs and speeches COM
memorative of the lives lost In the battle
which repulsed Gen. Early's raid on wash
ington in 1864 The cemetery, prettfly To-
Gated on the Brightwood road. was trans
formed into q bower of harmonious color.
the green Of the grass and trees the pink
and the red and the white and the blue
of the flowers, and the darker blue of the
uniforms and the brighter gold of the but
tons, all merged into one happy and beau
tiful tribute to the heroes of the Grand
Army of the Republic who lay In that
consecrated ground. The assembly was
sounded a few minutes before o'clock by
a bugIer from the National Soldiers Home
Band, which organization, under the lead
ership Of Prof. John 8. M. Zimmerman,
opened the exercises with 1.-The Soldier
Dream" Appropriate songs were sung by
st. Paul's Catholic Church choir, under
the direction of Mr.. Lucius F. Randolph,
jr.. and addresses were made by Commits
sioner H. B. f. mcfarland, Mr.. Wilton j.
Lambert and Mr. Thomas c. Moves.
In the absence of Mr.. Louis P. Shoe
maker the address of welcome was de-
livered by Mr.. Arthur Hendricks. Mr..
Shoemaker, however, sent note express
ing his regret at his inability to be present
and the interest of Brightwood in the ser
vices of the day.
The program at the Battle Ground Ma
tional cemetery was perhaps as elaborate
as that at any of the other cemeteries
The G. A. r. orders were read by MT.
Arthur Hendricks, and the invocation was
made by Rev. John l.. Brooks. Other
numbers on the program were solo by MT.
Randolph and choir chorus; chorus by the
children of the Brightwood public school,
poem read by DR.. Thomas Calver, solo by
Miss Florence Bernheimer, male chorus
with tenor obligato by Mr.. P. II. O'Farrel,
jr., and choir and benediction by Rev. W..
G. Davenport
The exercises were made more beautiful
and impressive when the little children
took flowers and greens in their hands and
distributed them upon the graves, assisted
by detachment from DR.. william Hart
DeXter's school. The old soldiers, some
with tear-filled eyes and overlooking hearts,
watched the tiny hands as they did hon.
age to the dead, and in the silence Wnlch
followed the bugler sounded the slow, SAD
notes of taps" the soldiers requiem, and
three volleys from the firing squad marked
the conclusion of the ceremony.
Commissioner Macfarland's Address.
After indorsing the project for making
national park of the battle ground ana
naming 1t for President Lincoln, Mr.. Mac
farland said:
but Abraham Lincoln stood on 1t under fire
and saw the wave of attack break and roll
back at the very gate of the national cap
ital This gives 1t unique and historical
distinction. Nowhere else did that 'iirst
American" come near the actual lighting
of that greatest of wars through which ne
led the nation to victory. Never again did
the gallant foe come so near to the city OF
Washington, the prize over which vast
armies fought and which was consecrated
the seat of government of the United
States beyond the power of change by the
lifeblood of men and the heart-tears Of wo-
men. -.'
1t is an honor to stand on this sacred
ground and to attempt to say what can
never be said by poet or orator OF the
to express what can never be expressed OF
the gratitude we feel to the men who saved
the capital and the nation for which it
stands. Forty years have gone by on the
food of time, and every year these heroes
have been remembered 50 that there seems
nothing new to be said and yet there is far
more to be said than can ever be put into
words All the deepest feelings of our ma
ture well up on this day of memorial and
in this place of association. The beauty of
the capital all around us, the memory of
the mighty sacrifice and of the men and
women who made 1t rising before US from
these graves, the glorious flag which cheer
ed our heroes in life and caught the last
light out of their eyes they smiled in the
face of death, stir with an irresistible
appeal
Easy to Idealize Them.
Let us freely idealize them" said Phil
lips Brooks in speaking of our civil war
heroes 1t is easy to do so on such a day.
in such a place as this. We see
them In all the strength and beauty
of their immortal youth. We see the glory
of their self-denial, the sDlendor of their
patriotism. the majesty. the far-reaching
significance of their achievement All that
was selfish. sordid and unworthy sinks out
of sight, and we see, as we ought to see,