The sun., 1908-11-15
TAFT ATMARTYR MONUMENT.
JOINS IN TEE HONORING or
EVOLUTIONARY HEROES.

"| 49,.
To the thousands Of individually un-
recorded patriots who In the period when
this nation had It's beginning Suffered and
died as prisoners In tho British hulkB that
lay In Wallabout Bay, whore the Brooklyn
navy. yard is now. unusual honor was
paid yesterday, the President-e.eot, the
Governor Of New York, the acting Mayor
Of the city, 10000 national guardsmen
ana 40 many citizens joining In the tn
bute. A majestic Dorio column. then
unveiled. stands as memorial Of their
martyrdom.
The monument is in Fort Greene Park.
Brooklyn, and there the euloges were
spoken The bones Of many of the mar
tyrs are buried at its base-bones which
thinly buried near the bay had been re-
covered by those who worked for years
to win for the early heroes recognition
and reward of praise. Ten thousand
was the estimate of Mr.. Taft of the num-
b her sacrificed; banner that stood beside
a. him yesterday, one that was carried In
4 the parade on the occasion of the ro-
burial Of the bones in 1908, put their num-
per at 1850.
IS Brooklyn made OF the day an occasion
Of great demonstration. The War De-
partment ordered out for parade all the
forces stationed in and near New York,
leaving in the posts only enough for
guard and other necessary duties. Nearly
t4ehe entire force of the National Guard Of
she district turned out under the COM
Fnand of Major-Gen Roe who was grand
i Snarshal OF the parade. Between the army
AnAnd the guard the United States navy
Sfortned the second division OF the big
Procession with contingents from the
8 navy yard, The Grand Army, the Naval
nBMilitia. the Old Guard, the Veteran Corps
of Artillery and many other bodies added
20 the diversity Of the pageant.
4 n The procession passed from Bedford
~ and Division avenues by various streets
- 90 the great plaza below Fort Greene.
tindef the emonument. and there dispersed.
The dedicatory services were distinct
from the parade and took place on the
hilltop on which the monument rests.
Crowds lined the route Of the procession
and crowded the Fort Greene plaza.
ThopgAndB stood around the monument
Tor two hours before Mr.. Taft waa due
there and they shivered and raised UNI
lhre,las,against wet snowstorIn
Stephen " White for the Prison Ship
Martyrs Association presided. An open
ing prayer by the Rev. 8. Parkes Cadman
was followed by an ode to the martyrs
by Thomas Walsh. and Mr.. White then
presented Mr.. Taft as "a distinguished
citizen from Virginia last night. from Ohio
the day before and from all around the
world recentlv,."
With his hat in his'hand Mr.. Taft said:
fHr fhairpan-r
81 Yoiees--Put on your hat. Put on your
MIR. TaftALadies and gentlemen, am
dsiinE TO put on my hat.
Vcices-You beti Go ahead We don't
want you to get cold'
sfAlrS Taft read his address. but he de-
parted from IL 10 pay tribute to Chair
meD White. whose exertions to bring the
movement for monument to successful
issue he commended highly. mis- refer
ence TO hir. White was greeted with loud
cheerB At one side Of the speakers
table 10 the front row Of the grand stand
avacaAt chair was draped with the ma
tional flag in memory Of Mrs. White. who
died not long ago ana whose devotion to
the movement for the monument equalled
her husbands. MIR. Taft said In part:
Mr.. TAFT's sPREcH.
We are met to-day to pay nation q debt,
long since recognized but most tardily
provided for. The monument which we
dedicate commentaries the sacrifice for
their country Of the lives Of upwaAd OF
10000 Americans who were hurried more
than i25 years ago into what seemed for
years to be an In glorious oblivion. They
dibd because OF the cruelty Of their i'm
E1bdiAte custodians and the neglect Of these
who higher in authority were responsible
for their detention. They were the prison.
ere Of King George the Third. captured in
the Var of the Revolution circumstances
e1tnbined to make their fate harsh. cruel
and sordid.
Breaking generally. their identity and
pcrsonalty have not been preserved. and
We who assemble in grateful recollection
Of their patriotic self-saorifce are COM
PEELED 10 refer 10 them as the unknown
dead The significance Of this circum-
stance in itseh is great. for it showed the
laek OF system and carelessness that at
tended the custody Of the prisoners and
40 indifference TO their names and fate
harmonizing completely with their physical
treatment.
We only know Of the innumerable burials
under insufficient soil on the shores Of Long
Island near what is ow the Brooklyn navy
yard. and our estimate OF the thousands OF
dead Is mere estimate.
The chief prison ship was the Jersey.
We e~have more information In respect to
the jersey than In regard to any other and
enough TO confirm in the strongest way the
outrageous and indefensible cruelty with
which the American prisoners were treated,
resulting in the death Of large proportion
Of them. / do not wish to be understood
10 charging that these conditions were due
tothe premeditstion Of the En- glish comman-