The National tribune., 1909-04-08
MEMORIAL DAY.
The Commander-in.ChiefI Issues Orders
1or Its Observance; Also for Flag Day
and Mothers, ~!

Inc Chief Issues Orders
Tor Its Observance; Also for Flag Day
and Mothers Day.
Headquarters G. A. r.,
| Red Bank: NJ ID, March IS, 1909.
General Orders, No.e6
l.: MemoriaioDays4-In 1858 Gen. John
a a; Logan, at.ithat time CommanderIn-
Cniei OF the Grand Army OF the Re-
Pupiic, promulgated an order TO the
Strand Army Iof the Republic, calling
upon al comrades to observe the 3oth
DAY OF May as Decoration Day-to seek
out every comrades grave and to deco
rate IL with the choicest blossoms of
carry Springtime Since that time by
legislative enactment the 30th day OF
May has become legal Holiday, under
the title of Memorial Day. This year
the 30th day of May occurs on Sunday,
and the 31st of May will be observed as
Memorial Day. Should there be Posts
who have already engaged speakers and
MADE arrangements TO hold public SER
vices on Saturday, the 2sth of May,
tney may do so if they cannot change
without great Inconvenience.
For 40 successive years the Grand
army OF the Republic has observed this
day by visiting the silent camping
ground where sleep our comrades, the
Nations dead, and honoring their mem
ory by garlanding their passionateless
mounds with Flags and flowers and
teaching the lessons of patriotism to all
who may unite with them and to the
generation growing up around them.
Let us this year do our full duty to
those who died that the Nation might
live, and with tender hearts and loving
hands honor their memory.
Upon Department and Post Com
manders the duty rests of attending to
the fitting observance of the day. l
earnestly hope and desire that should
Confederate grave be found in any
camping ground visited by the G. A. r.
that his grave may not be passed by
but that a Flag and flowers be placed
upon it. The war is over and peace
reigns and the Old Flag oats over all,
and tho he fell in the Lost Cause, were
he living to-day he would be found fol-
lowing the Flag. Let us forgive, as the
Nation forgave, his comrades who sur
vived him.
Department and Post Commanders
are reminded of the fact that their
memorial exercises should include at
tendance upon Divine service in body
Sunday evening" May 80, and that all
allied organizations be invited to attend
with them whenever practicable. This
custom has prevailed for a number of
years, and the Commander-in-Ch Chief
trusts that it will continue to be OBJ
served.
Department Commanders will direct
Post Commanders to invite all schools
in their respective localities to hold pa
triotic services on Friday afternoon pre-
ceding Memorial Day, and that COM
rades from each Post cooperate with
the teachers in this work.
Posts located upon oceans, lakes and
rivers will. whenever possible, join with
the Auxiliary Corps and allied organ
iZations in memorial service to the
sailor dead. (which memorial service
will be found on pages 233 and 234 of
the Journal of the 22d National Con-
vention of the Woman's Relief Corps,
and on pages 3SSEand 3S9 of the Jour
nal of the 3Sth National Encampment
of the G. A. r.
The address ofnPresident Lincoln at
Gettysburg, Nov. 10. 1863. shall be read
at all Memorial Day exercises.
The Woman's Relief Corps, the La
dies of the GA. r., the Daughters of
Veterans, the Sons of Veterans and
their auxiliary Veterans of the, Spanish
American War and the Society of the
Army of tho Philippines. the schools
and all citizens shoeld be invited by the
Post in their locality to join and par
ticipate in Memorial Day exercises with
the Grand 'Army.sv
q. Flag Day.-At the 39th National
Encampment,sG. AZ r., held at Denver,
ed as follows: .f
The National Encampment hereby
recognizes the 14th day of June as Flag
Day, to be observed by all members of
the G. A. r. annually in the display of
the United States Flag to commemo-
rate the birthday of the Flag on the
date of its adoption by Congress, June
IA, 1777.
All comrades must see to 1t that Old
Glory is thrown to the breeze. at his
home June IA. Invite your friends and
neighbors to do the same. Posts should
exert themselves with those in authority
to have Old Glory float from every
that day in every Department of the
Grand Army of the Republic.
3. Mothers Day.-Thru the instru-
mentality of Miss Anna Jarvis, of Phila-
delphia. Pa, last yea..zthe second Sun
day in May was observed or set apart
as Mothers Day, and services were held
in many churches, and between five and
six millions of persons thruout the
United States celebrated the festival.
On the second Sunday in May this year
the day will be observed universally
thruout the land and will be a univer-
sal fete day for flial worship. The white
carnation has been selected to be worn
in memory of mother Comrades, there
is no class of men living whose mothers
were as patriotic, loyal and heroic as
your mothers from '61 to '65. No moth
ers ever made such sacrifices as your
mothers did, and the Commander-in-
Chief requests you on the second Sun
day in May to wear in the lapel of your
coat white carnation or other white
flowers to honor the memory of your
own mother, If deceased, and in rever-
ence for her if living.
By order of
Henry NJ. Nevius,
-Commander-in-Ch G. A. r.
Official: