Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-11-17
DEDICATION
OF MEMORIAL
iowANs ARE MODEST in THEIR
APPEARANCE ON l,E vicKs-
BURG Battlefield
CAPT. MERRY PREsIDEs

| As Chairman Of iowa Commission and
Prime flover in Setting Aisle
Grounds For Memorials He Makes
| Introductory Address.
vicksburg, Miss. Nov. 15-The Iowa
state memorial in the Vicksburg
National Military park was dedicated
this afternoon by Governor Cummlns
| The absence of military pageant was
| the notable feature of the dedication
program, only two military companies
participating. A party Of Iowa cttl
zens, band school children occupy.
ing symbolic floats, officials both OF
Iowa and Missouri are carrying out
the exercises. The memorial is not
yet completed, but is dedicated at this
time along with monuments to Iowa
soldiers in other parts of the south.
Reception to Governor.
From the moment when salvo OF
artillery greeting the governors spec
ial at 1920 Wednesday morning, until
adieus were said today, everything
connected with the dedication OF
Iowa's memorials in the Vicksburg
National Military park proved a grand
success. The first formal event was
the reception rendered the governor
and staff and the Iowa commission
and visitors on Wednesday evening.
This was attended by the elite OF the
CITY and proved an exceedingly pleas
On 1,,ol1 brilliant affair
The dedicatory exercises took place
at 100 D. m. today. A stand directly
in front Of Iowa's beautiful state me-
mortal held the official party and the
Iowa guests generally, and when the
four huge flags from which the struc-
ture had been yelled rose together and
floated from as many sixty foot flag
stats, to the music Of national sa'
lutte fired by the Warren light artillery
the sight was most inspiring and the
great throng of people cheered to the
echo.
Speeches Delivered.
The program was then followed
with great credit to all participants
Colonel Rood, the commission secre
Itary. made his report. The chairman
Captain Merry, in the fittest OF words
presented to the governor the wori
of the commission; then Governor
Cummins in turn presented to Genera
Dodge, representing the secretary O.
war whose speech Of acceptance was
a gem Colonel Clark's exceedingly
fine Grafton and Major Byers' great!
admired poem, with singing by thu
Vicksburg school children, completed
an exercise that no one who wa:
present will remember save will
pleasure.
Captain John F. Merry Of Manches
ter, Iowa, chairman of the Iowa com
mission, delivered the following ad
dress before introducing Goyerno
Cummins:
Captain Merry's Address.
Some years after the memorabl
and amicable conference betwee
General Ulysses s. Grant and Genera
Robert E. Lee at Appomattox, whe
the question of establishing common
orative battlefield parks was being di!
cussed, General Grant was heard
say that If any one of the events {
the Civil War was more worthy {
commemoration than another. 1t wa
Of the campaign and siege of Vicksbur!
,it No one acquainted with Generi
o. Grant would charge him with selfis
he motives in giving expression to sue
Ut sentiments simply because Vfcksbur
an was the place where he won his fir
ne great renown. 1t was simply becaus
as he was acquainted with every deta
"a of that terrible conflict and apprecia
On ed then what so many have sine
he that the bravery and valor of evel
sw soldier who participated in the car
an paign and siege of Vicksburg, wheth
he wore the blue or the gray, was e
titled to everlasting remembrance
Men From Iowa.
Engaged in that campaign we
a 227 Confederate and 260 Federal {
40. CARNATIONS, 80 of which were col
posed Of men enlisted from the prair
ph- homes of the new but intensely r
ell triotic state OF Iowa. We do not clal
that Iowa soldiers were superior to
an all other occasions that they were t
equal of any, and nowhere during t
er. civil war was their bravery more &C
The spicuous than IN the assault on V1ci
burg, May o. 1863. Since that d
md OIL carnage iowa ilas ny eaeeu ~ y,
on. ulation until today it has more tn
at 100000 of the happiest and me
prosperous people on the face of t
earth It's commercial, Industrial, et
cational and agricultural developme
es. has been phenomenal, but amid
md these material changes the citizens
ure Iowa have never forgotten the p;
her troops had in making it possit