The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-06-03
OBSERVANCE OF
MEMORIAL DAY
TEXT OF THE FIRST MEMORIAL
DAY ORDER
Appropriate Exercises at the Valley
Church and Cemeteries Twelve
Graves Decorated by Fourteen
Soldiers.


The G.. A. r. Memorial exercises
at the valley Presbyterian church
were well attended. All of the mem
bers OF Silas Casey Post were pre-
sent. A more perfect day could
hardly be imagined for the beautiful
services with which for thirty-seven
years the survivors OF the giant war
for freedom have honored the mem
ory of departed comrades, whose
ranks are far greater in number now
than the ranks of the living.
ION flames eternal camping ground
Their silent tents are spread,
And GLORY guards with solemn round
The bivouac of the dead.''
The exercises in the church opened
with song by large choir, fol-
lowed by prayer by Rev. c. G.
Pratt and the reading of the "Gen-
eral Orders by the adjutant of the
post, John L. Blair. Lincoln's i'm
mortal address at Gettysburg was
read by Rev. G. G.. Pratt and the
impressive song dropping from the
Ranks, )" by Mr.. Lampard, whose
deep bass voice is splendidly adapted
to it. Mr. Blair then delivered the
address of the day, touching upon
the motives which actuated the sol
diers and upon their conduct and
achievements after the close of the
war, especially in the settlement and
development of the great west. He
paid a well deserved tribute to the
bravery of the southern soldiers and
touched none too strongly upon the
traitOrOus actions of rebellOuS Of
fcials of the war department in send
ing great stores of government arms
and ammunition to southern forts
months before the outbreak of the
war.
At the conclusion of the exercises
in the church the old soldiers present,
thirteen veterans of the civil war
and one of the Spanish war, marched
out and decorated the graves of the
ten soldiers buried in the Protestant
cemetery and two in the Catholic
cemetery.
The first official observance of May
80 as day for the decoration OF the
graves of the Union dead followed a
proclama ton issued from the head
quarters of the Grand Army of the
Republic on May 5, 1868, by General
John A. Logan, commander in chief.
This order read:
s'The 3Oth of May, 1868, is desig-
mated for the purpose of strewing
with flowers or otherwise decorating
the graves of comrades who died in
defense of their country during the
late rebellion and whose bodies now
lie in almost every city, village, ham
let and churchyard in the land. In
this observation no form of ceremony
is prescribed, but posts and COM
rades will in their own way arrange
such fitting services and testimonials
of respect as circumstances may per-
nit.
1--WE are organized, comrades, as
our regulations tell us, for the pur-
pose, among other things, of pre-
serving and strengthening those kind
and fraternal feelings which have
bound together soldiers, sailors and
marines who united together to sup
press the late rebellion.
ssWhat can aid more to assure this
result than by cherishing tenderly
the memory of our heroic dead, who
made their breasts a barricade be-
tween our country and its foes!
Their soldier lives we're the revelIle
Of freedom to race in chains and
their deaths the tattoo of rebellious
tyranny in arms. We should guard
their graves with sacred vigilance.
| All that the consecrated wealth and
taste of the nation can add to their
adornment and security is but q fit-
ting tribute to the memory to her
slain defenders. Let no wanton foot
tread rudely in such hallowed
grounds. Let pleasant paths invite
the coming and going Of reverent
VISITORS and fond mourners.