The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-04-27
W. a. Ri0unt, Jr., De-
Hvered an Eloquent
and Appropriate
Address.
CONFEDERATE MONUMENT IN r.
E. LEE SQUARE WAS oEcKED
WITH FLOWERS BROUGHT BY
LOVING HANDS IN HONOR OF
DEPARTED HERoEs-MEMBERs
or c. A. R. JOINED IN oRsERv-
ANcE OF THE DAY.

Memorial day, in honor Of the he
roes of the Confederacy. was observed
under particularly memorable circum-
stances in Pensacola yesterday. In
addition to the regular features of the
occasion, there were present from the
battleships now in the barbor a num-
Der Of officers high in command and
they occupied seats of honor while the
exercises at the monument in r. E.
Lee square were being carried out
The Confederate monument in the
square was richly decorated with the
choicest Of floral emblems, prepared
by the Ladies Memorial Association
and the Daughters of the Confederaey,
and the base of the stately shaft was
completely buried beneath the wealth
OF floral tributes By which their love
for the heroic dead was attested.
II The veterans tft rselYes, gf
haired, bent of form, and sadly thin
ned in numbers since the time they
were wont 10 assemble in such
strength on similar occasions, formed
at the court house and there. in CON-
pany with the members of the local
G. A. R. Post, marched to the square.
Seated upon the stand, with the 9TH
ers, were the following officers from
the fleet now in the harbor: Admiral
c. H. Davis, Admiral Royal B. Brad
ford, with their aides; Capt Raymond
P. Rodgers, of the Kearsarge; Captain
Benz. F. Tilley, of the Iowa; Captain
W. S. Cowles of the Missouri; Captain
Edward ID. Taussig of the Massaenu-
sets; Captain H. G. o.. Colby of the
Olympia.
Rev. Percival H. Whaley presided
during the exercises and introduced
the speakers Prayer was offered by
Rev. Fred Jones, and the orator of the
day, Mr.. w. A. Blount, Jr., was then
introduced. This was Mr.. Blount's
first effort of the kind before a Pen
sacola gathering and ne acquitted him
self most creditably. His address was
an elegant effort and it won him ap-
plause on every hand.
At the conclusion OF Mr. Blount's
address, DR.. Whaley made a brief adj
dress in which ne referred most elo-
quently to the naval officers, exempli-
flying as it did the feeling of good viii
that now existed both north and south.
He then introduced Admiral c. H.
Davis who, in beautifully chosen Ian
guage, presented to the members of
the Ladies Memorial Association a
lovely wreath of flowers from Admiral
Robley d. Evans, to be placed with
the other floral tributes on the monu-
ment.
the benediction was pronounced by
by Rev. j. S. Sibley. The Confederate
Veterans and the members Of the G.
A R, with the high naval officers be-
tween them, were then photographed.
MIR. BIounts Address.
Mr.. Blount's address was widely
complimented as one of the best ever
delivered on similar occasion n
Pensacola.
Mr. BIount spoke as follows:
Ladies of the Memorial Association,
Confederate Veterans, fellow Ameri-
cans:
We are met together today to COM
memorate and perpetuate the memory
of those who from 1860 to 1865 fought
so bravely in defense Of this, our be-
loved southland.
-AHAS OCCdSiOu mas al the SOlemuIIy
of funeral rites without their sadness.
We meet not at a newly opened grave,
but meath the shadow OF yonder s1aft
erected by loving hands and garlanded
today with fragrant blossoms in homo
of those who wore the gray and who
are now no more. Nature also has
paid her glorious tribute to the dead,
for around the monuments base kind
~ grasses nestle, warmed by the
genial sunlight and wet by the gentle
rain, while about its summit the but
terfiy, ancient symbol of immortality,
takes its delicate fight
Surely we could gather in no more
fitting spot than this one, consecrat-
ed by that column to the memory or
/ the uncroWned heroes OF tne southern
i confederacy. And certainly into no