The Washington herald., 1907-04-13

At Arlington Cemetery yesterday after
noon was dedicated with appropriate
/ ceremonies, the monument to the Rough
Riders who fell in the war with Spain
Theodore Roosevelt, President Of the
United States and colonel Of the First
United States Volunteer CavaIrv, as the
Rough Riders were officially designated.
was the chief speaker He was ably sec
onded by the Rev. D. ]. Stafford. rector
OF St Patriekis Church.
The shaft. erected TO the memory Of
the Rough Riders who fell in Cuba, is a
simple shaft Of rough granite, bearing
on one side the names Of those gallant
soldiers TO whose memory It viii remain
in perpetuity, and on It's front a bronze
tablet designed by Majs. Faison and
Knight bearing this inscription
/ In memory Of the deceased members Of the
| First L. S. Volunteer CEvaiy in the spanish
American war Erected b the membeEs ard
the friends q the regiment.
The monument stands in the new por-
/ ton OF Arlington Cemetery, on the edge
| OF one Of the driveways. In front OF it
| three stands had been erected, two of
| them for spectators and one for the Presi-
dent and for the specially invited guests.
These were rooted over with canvas,
| fortunately, as at the time the exercises
| began the rain. which always seems TO
| be gentle and kindly ia the city OF the
dead" was falling.
sea OF Umbrellas.
There was a large throng Of spectators.
who crowded the grounds in front OF the
! speakers stand. At first it was d sea of
umbrellas but afterward when the sun
/ came out, it was a sea Of faces turned
! expectantly and eagerly toward the
stand, anxious 10 hear every word Of the
| Presidents able speech.
/ The crowd began TO gather carly The
exercises were set for 4:3o. but long before
that hour ali the available space in front
of the speakers stand was occupied The
military arrangements were in the hands
OF Gen George II. Ha1ries, D. c. NJ. and
assisting him in receiving guests on the
/ Presidents stand was Mrs. Allyn X. ca
prom, president and treasurer Of TIE
/ Rough Riders Monument Association. 10
whom much Of the credit OF the days
! success must he given. II was Mrs.
Capron. widow Of the Capt. Capron who
/ led the advance al Las Quaslinas and
1 who was killed there, who was the prime
/ organizer of the movement looking 10 the
/ erection OF this monument; who did much
/ to raise the necessary money, and WHO
was the principal mover in yesterdays
! ceremonies.
/ 1t was she. who. after the invocation of
! Chaplain H y. Brown. L. s a.. late
4 chaplain OF the First United States Vol
unteer Cavalry. and while the band was
playing Nearer Ny God. to Thee.
/ grasped the halyards 10 which was at
/ tached the large American flag drapinE
the monument and raised the flag to the
breeze, amid the cheers of the thrOng.
Beauty of the Scene.
Arlington Cemetery never looked more
/ beautiful than il did yesterday afternoon
( under the haze of the gently falling rain.
| Even the threatening weather could not
/ Keep the people away. and every car from
| every direction toward the cemetery
/ brought its loads Of people Most Of
/ them entered at the gate where. just in
/ side, lies the broad plain dotted with in
/ Vulnerable small stones. each bearing the
name of some soldier-simply his name
and uumber-one OF the countless thou
sands who lie buried there, whose lives
I were given FOR the glory Of their coun-
/ try
| All about them the grass was emerald
! green. beneath the kindly rain; somber
and heavy hung the cedars of Lebanon.
/ here and there. in spite Of a backward
season. was blossoming tree. the falling
rain beating the soft petals eaFthWard.
Here, where so many brave lie, sleeping
their last sleep, many Of the curious Wis
itors halted to read blazoned on a board
set firmly in the turf:
The ueighing troop the flashing blade
The hugle's stirring blast.
The charge. the dreadful cannonade,
The lin aud shout past
Down the pathways and across the
fields studded with many graves, some
marked by costly monuments. the crowd
took its way until it reached the line Of
sentries who, with fixed bayonets. sur
rounded the speakers stand These troops
were clad i'm Khaki and did their duty
silently under the direction of Gen. HaI-
ries. He. in brilliant uniform, was ia
! the speakers stand arranging the last
details with Mrs. Capron
salute Ends StIIlness.
Then suddenly. the stiffness of the
afternoon, which hitherto had been dis
turbed only by the song cf birds that
always haunt with their melody the acres
OF Gods ground where lie the honored
dead, was broken by the sharp insisteut
report OF a field gun, followed at regular
intervals by twenty more reports: and
slowly. in the damp air, the wreaths Of
smoke rose. 1t was the salute to the
President. and Cen. Harries, looking At
his watch said. He is twenty minutes
too soon.
But quickly the silent cemetery took on
an air Of animation. Company g. Of the
Fourth Infantry, on duty around the
stands. stood to their arms. Through the
trees could be seen four troops of the
Thirteenth Cavalry escorting the Presi-
dents carriage at a hand gallon down
the pathway, Capt. Preston's troop being
the immediate escort to the President
Behind them came two batteries' Of field
artillery: one. which had fired tie salute
as the President entered the military
zone. the other which was TO pass the
stand. take up a position on the right
fiank, and salute the President as ne re-
tired
II was glorious and inspiring sight as
the Presidents carriage approached the
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