Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1910-06-09
CUSTER HON0RED
EQUESTRIAN STATUE is UNvEIL,
ED IN MONROE, MlCH.-cERE-
MoNY is IMPRESSIVE.
PRES. TAFT is present
Chief Executive Among the Speaker:
Widow of Heroic Soldier Par
ticipates In the Impressive
Ceremony.

Monroe, Michigan,-Fitting re
spect was paid by the state of Mich
igan today to one Of her noblest sons
when fine equestrian statue Of Gen
George Armstrong Custer was un
yelled in this town where that war
rior spent five years of his youth, and
where later he was married. The oc
casion was made doubly notable by
the presence of President Taft, Sen
ator William Alden Smith, Governor
Warner and other distinguished men
and Mrs. Elizabeth Custer, widow OF
the hero, came from New York to I'm.
veil the statue.
The ceremony attracted to Monroe
throng that taxed the accommoda.
tons of the town. 1t included many
veterans Of the Civil war, especially
the survivors of the Third Cavalry di,
vision which Custer commanded in
that conflict There were also detach-
ments of the Michigan National Guard
and hundreds of civilians from all
| parts of the state.
Otto Girchner, vice chairman of the
local committee, presided over the ex-
ercises, which were opened with an
invocation by Rt. Rev. John S. Foley,
bishop Of Detroit. The report of the
monument commission was read by
Col. George G. Briggs, chairman, and
then the sculptor, Edward c.. Potter,
of Greenwich, Conn, made brief re-
marks on his work.
Mrs. Custer now stepped forward
and pulling the cord of the flag which
draped the statue, unveiled the figure
Of her husband. AS Old Glory slipped
down from the figures of man and
horse, band struck up the strains
of 'The Star Spangled Banner" and
the First battery, Field artillery, M
N. G., fired II gun salute. The great
crowd cheered and cheered again and
the tears trickled down the face of
the aged widow of the man who had
devoted his young manhood to saving
his country; and had died fighting it's
savage enemies on the Little Big
Horn.
Taft and Smith Speak.
When the tumult had subsidized
President William H. Taft was intro.
duced and was given an ovation. He
spoke briefly, but feelingly, Of the
man who was being honered, and OF
his inestimable services to the country
and devotion to duty
The Grafton of the day, delivered by
Senator William Alden Smith, was
next on the program. This was fol.
lowed by remarks by Maj. Gen. D.
Mem Gregg, commander Of the Sec.
ond division, Cavalry corps, Army of
the Potomac, and Brig Gen. Edward
w. Whitaker, who was acting assist.
ant inspector general and chief OF
staff under Custer, at the close Of the
war. A poem by Will Carleton, writ
ten for the occasion, came next.
Gov. Fred M. Warner made the for.
NAL presentation of the statue, the re.
Spouse being by Jacob Martin, mayor
OF Monroe. after which the band
played America"
Laurel Wreaths For the Hero.
Then came one of the prettiest fea-
lures of the program. William o. Lee,
president of the Michigan Cavalry
bearing in his arms number of laurel
wreaths, and as he laid them at the
base Of the monument, a chorus of rs
voices sang "The Old Brigade" The
ceremonies came to an end with a
benediction pronounced by Rt. Rev.
Charles D. Williams, bishop of Michi.
gan.
The Custer monument stands in the
public square of Monroe, close to the
Presbyterian church, in which the
general was married 1t cost s25, 900
and was paid for by the state.