The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-06-07
Grateful People Pay a POr-
ton With EulOgies.
SANG PAEANS OF PRAISE
Impressive and Beautiful Ceremonies
Mark the Observance of Memorial
Day; Program Carried Out.
From Thursdays Daily.

From Thursdays Daily.
Memorial day this year will go down
into local history as cool and cloudy
threatening to rain, but dry, with an
east wind. The day was quite gen.
orally observed as a holiday, especially
after dinner, when many of the stores
and business places, and all of the pub
lie offices except the county treasurer's
office, were closed. Flags floating at
half mast were frequent, and many small
err ones were used for decorative pur-
poses.
The backward spring has made it diff
cult to get enough flowers to prepare
wreaths to decorate the graves of the
departed soldiers. Yet these were pre-
pared and placed upon the graves by the
committees appointed for the purpose.
Hundreds of individuals also visited the
cemeteries and placed their tributes of
love upon the graves of those who in
life were dear to them.
The parade this afternoon was an i'm
posing one, and was witnessed by hum
dreds of people who thronged the streets.
The order of formation was the same
as published by The Free Press yes
terday. and the same line of march was
followed.
The threat to rain did not deter the
marchers from going to Sibley park, and
on arriving there the usual impressive
program was carried out This time the
arrangements did not devolve upon the
old soldiers, but were made by the
younger generation, represented by the
Spanish American war veterans and the
Sons of Veterans, to whom all credit
is due.
County Attorney w. A. Plymat was
chairman of the day at Sibley park.
Rev. Peter Clare pronounced the invo-
cation. A male quartet rendered a song.
Hon. Jean A. Flittie gave a scholarly adj
dress; the state normal school giee
club gave song; Lincoln's Gettysburg
address was read; the ceremony of dec
Grating the cross for the departed SOL
diers and sailors of the last two wars was
gone through with; Company I'll fired the
customary salute to the dead; the bug
lars of the company sounded taps; the
Twentieth Century band played "Star
Spangled Banner" and Rev. b. V. Black
pronounced the 'benediction. The new
band did itself credit upon its first pub
lie appearance, both in the parade and
at the park.
Mr.. Flittie's address was as follows:
Veterans and Fellow Citizens: We
have assembled on this accession in
memory of the dead of that vast most
of men who forty or more years ago
fought to preserve the integrity OF the
Union. We have also met here to 90
honor to the slender remnant of that
tainly proper that we should do this.
For the heroic brave. living or dead,
deserve remembrance and respect;
What they did will ever. be cherished
as inspiring lessons in civic duty and
national history. Permit me, there
fore briefly to tell the story of the
civil war.
It's prologue was bloodless battle.
At the break of day on April IL, 1861,
the bombardment of Fort Sumpter be
gan; at noon on the 18th Major Ander-
had one hundred and twenty eight men
when the cannonade began, and he had
one hundred and twenty EIGHT men
when the cannonade ceased AS they
marched forth, with all the honors Of
war, they spent what little powder
they had left in salute to the Stars
and Stripes.
Six weeks before this, that remark
ably calm and remarkable man, Abra-
ham Lincoln, had taken the oath OF
office as president of the United States
and all its people. In private life, he
was kind and true. In official station
he stands alone. In the panoply OF
war, he was farseeing and just In
the morning of peace, he suffered tragic
death upon his country's altar. Let
The firing on Sumpter FASTENED Sc
cession and electrified the feverist
popular pulse. 1t intensified the al
ready tense feelings. The. stage, pro-
perties and actors, were rapidly put into
position and made ready for the rea
action to begin. And when the tori
and guivering curtain rose above the
thirty sixth parallel of north latitude
there was presented scene. perhaps
unequalled for it's scope and subsequent
bitterness. There was arming here and
drilling there. Men of the same race
and blood were preparing to to-, destroy r 9,
would have it's full measure of sorrow
full regrets.
McDowells ninety day volunteer:
forces at Bull Run and Jackson. fol
stubborn bravery, was named stone
WALL This defeat was really a bless
ing in disguise to the Union cause FOL
of the seriousness of the conflict OF
the one hand and it inspired a feeling
of ill-founded confidence in the lead
ers of the south, on the other. Hun
dredS OF southern soldiers deserted
thinking that the war was over. Con
gress voted five hundred million dollar
and a half million of men. A nav!
was built with incredible haste followed
General George b. Mcclellan for dis
tinguished fame. easily won, was callet
to command the army of the Potomac
Meanwhile the foe was not inactive
he took possession of the coast. TheI
there were the Mason and Slidell cpl
sode and the Sumpter raids. And tn