Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1910-05-30
MEMORIAL TO
AMERICAN HEROES
Patriotic Women Give English
Church Stained Glass window.
IN HONOR OF 1872 PRISONERS
Gift of Daughters Of 1912 to 30 I'm.
vsiIed In Ancient Edifice at Dart
mouth - Society Took Up Plan
eroached by Rector Of tho Church.


In the obscure little Church of st.
Michaers, at Dartmouth, England. on
June 4 will take place a unique cere-
mony which will be of international
interest. At this time large stained
glass window, dedicated to the memory
of American prisoners of the war Of
1912 who were detained in the Dart
moor prison and helped to build st.
The window will be the gift of the
National Society Of the United States
Daughters Of 1912 and will be unveil-
ed by Mrs. William G. Slade of New
York, the sOciety's national president.
Many memorials have been erected
by patriotic societies of women anx-
ious to perpetuate the memory Of
American soldiers and sailors who
have died in the service of their coun-
try, but none, is more expressive of de-
vOtiOn to the nations heroes than this
token which is to be placed in for
eign land.
Helped Build the Church.
The suggestion of memorial to the
American men who were captured by
the English during the war Of 1872
and detained at Dartmoor, where
many of them died and were buried,
was made by the Rev. Heathcote
Smith, rector of st. Michael's church.
in an article which appeared June Z,
1908. In this the rector of the church
appealed to the American people to
honor the American sailor prisoners
who helped to build the church.
The New York State Society Of the
National Daughters Of 1912 took up the
matter and after corresponding with
the rector presented the subject to the
national board for consideration. The
plan met with approval, and on Jan. s,
1909, the board appointed national
memorial committee, with Mrs. c. b.
Whitney Of Detroit as chairman.
A design for stained glass window
was presented to the committee by a
Berlin, London and New York firm and
was accepted. The window is com
posed of six main panels, each repre-
sentin- Il scene in the life of Christ.
The coloring is rich and harmonious,
and the scenes speak the lesson of
brotherly love and forgiveness which
the presentation of the window by
American women to an English church
strikingly illustrates. The inscription,
approved by the English authorities
and the American memorial commit
tee. reads:
To the glory of God and in memory of
the American prisoners of the war of 1872
who were detained in the Dartmoor pris-
on between 1878 and 1915 and who helped
to build the church. this east window is
presented by the National Society of the
United States Daughters of 1872.
The cost of making the window,
shipping and setting 1t in place will
be $3.50
Suffered Many Hardships.
During the war of 1912 about 5000
Americans were held as prisoners Of
war at Dartnfoor and it IS said the
men suffered many hardships on ac-
count Of the cold which was extreme
on this bare and rocky shore. Many
died, and, although the bodies of some
We're brought home and laid to rest in
American soil, there are still about
21S American seamen buried in the
churchyard Of st. Michaers. The
church was built at the time the
Americans We're detained, and their
labor assisted materially in it's cree
ton. Recently the chapel, which had
fallen into a state of decay, was re-
stored and it was at the time of its
restoration that the rector made his
appeal to Americans.
The annual congress of the National
Society of Daughters of 1912 was held
in Washington April % to % when
arrangements for the unwilling cere-
mony were perfected.
The National Society of the Daugh
tiers of 1912 has for its object the
commemoration Of the period of Amer
lean history between 1874 and 1915.
1t takes up the work of honorng the
national heroes where the Daughters
Of the American Revolution leave off.
The Dartmoor memorial window will
be the most notable monument yet
erected by the organization.