Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-05-31

known grave" In memory OF the soldiers
OF the union army buried in unknown
graves somewhere in the southland, was
observed this morning at Prospect Hin
cemetery by Grant Post No. 10 and Grant
women's Relief Corps No 1Oi. a large
delegation from both organizations was
present and the ceremonies were deeply
impressive.
A like ceremony was performed by Crook
Post No. 1859 and Crook Woman's PRelief
Corps No. IS at Forest Lawn cemetery at
tho Soldiers monument and Soldiers cir
Gle, in conformity with the Grand Army
ritual. Tho post and corps formed at the
cemetery entrance and marched to tho
monument, which I'm the meantime had
been draped with flags. The ceremony was
carried out about 1880 in the presence OF o
large number OF spectators.
The Ladies OF the Grand Army Of the
Republic, Garfield and Gettysburg circles
over the graves at the Soldiers circle, i'm
modiately following the Grand Army and
carried out their ritual decoration services
Relief Corps services. company Of little
girls dressed in white, with scarfs of rcd,
white and blue, gave flag drill under the
ddirection Of Miss Millman and Mrs. Lizzie
Metcalf, with appropriate songs, and then
marched by the graves and strewed
wreaths OF flowers on each, as the ritual
continued.
This form of decorating the graves is
peculiar TO the Ladies of the Grand Army
of the Republic and was first instituted by
the Ladies' Soldiers Aid society during the
early days of the Grand Army of the Re
public, when General John A. Logan was
it's second commander. Immediately upon
the formal assumption the title OF THE
Grand Army OF the Republic" the Ladies'
Soldiers Aid society, consisting of the
mothers. wives, daughters aud sisters of
the veterans assumed the title of Ladies
of the Grand Army of the Republic. This
was in 1865, and It was during this year
that General Logan formally instituted
the observance of Decoration Day" and
recommended that 1t be made perpetual.
The Ladies Of the Grand Army did not
seek to be made an auxiliary to the Grand
Army Of the Republic, as their blood re-
lationship was a sufficient credentlal.
Hence tho Ladies of the Grand Army of the
Republic adhere to the old plan of decora-
ting the graves OF their dead by enlistng
the offices of children in the actual oere-
mony Of strewlns the flowers
| A detail consisting OF Mrs. Dunn Mrs.
Brewer and Miss Grace Berger was ap-
pOlHlou ny pTeSlueHI OI Lne
Ladies of the Grand Army OF the Republic,
to scatter flowers over the isolated graves
Of soldiers not to be found In the Soldiers
| Circle
| Mrs. Carrie vroman and Mrs. Carrie
Peters were made special detail to strew
flowers over the graves Of the five con-
federate veterans buried in Forest Lawn.
These graves are located over In the north
east part of the cemetery grounds These
graves will be looked after in future as
will two others located in some part Of
the cemetery, the exact location Of which
has not yet been determined.
Custer post No. T. and Custer Women S
Relief Corps No. 50, held their ritual serv-
ices in Fraternity hall, Eighteenth and Har-
ney streets. These organizations had been
assigned to Holy Sepulcher cemetery to
carry out the ritualistic work, but on ac-
count of canonical objections, 1t was de-
cided to hold the services in the hall OF
the post and corps.