The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1913-05-22
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Modern nations build stately mausoeums for
their great generals, but are usually content to
allot only the hasty trench or ditch to the CON-
mon soldier The bones of British soldiers. for
example, are scattered the world around Says
Kipling:
Walk wide O. the Widow at Windsor,
For 'af O. creation she owns
We ave bought er the same with the sword an
the fame,
An we've salted 1t down with our bones
(Poor beggars! It's blue with our bones0
To this rule of Indifference as to the final rest
ing place OF obscure heroes the United States
forms a shining and honorable exception There
today eighty-four national cemeteries, which
contain the graves of over 100000 American SOL
diers and sailors. These cemeteries are among
the grandest and loveliest Gods acres IN the
world They lavishly adorned by nature and
art and guarded by the starry flag. Treasure
has been expended upon them without stint, and
they are cared for by large corps Of supertn-
tendents. overseers and gardeners
The national cemeteries mainly result of
the Civil war. In September, 1861, the secretary
of war by general order directed accurate and
permanent records to be kept of deceased sol
diers and their places of burial. The work was
assigned to the quartermaster generals depart
ment. That department already had charge of
the burial of officers and soldiers, but its care
had ordinarily ended with the drifting smoke Of
che guns that were discharged over their graves.
BY act of July II, 1862, congress empowered the
president to purchase cemetery grounds to be
used for the burial of soldiers who shall die
in the service of their country" Such was the
intensity of the great that for some time
no action taken under the law.
Following the battle of Gettysburg. Governor
Curtin of Pennsylvania inaugurated a movement
whereby several states purchased seventeen
acres of ground embracing the center of the
Union line and caused to be reburied there the
bodies of the soldiers who had been buried out
side this area. The cemetery dedicated by
Lincoln November 49, 1868, in that perfect tribute
TO the "honored dead" who there gave the last
full measure of devotion" The cemetery
subsequently taken by the nation.
The cemeteries at Antietam, Murfreesboro,
Chattanooga and other places were begun like
wise by states or by federal troops acting under
orders of their commanders. That at Chatta-
nS0ga was largely the result of the activity of
Gen George Fl. Thomas. in charge of the depart
ment 1t is related that when the work of rein.
terring the dead was proceeding question arose
as to whether they should be buried together ac-
cordng to the states from which they came.
eve have heard enough about states and states
rights lately said Thomas who though Vr-
ginian. had remained loyal to the Union. LET us
mix them up and natonalize them little"
Other cemeteries sprang by mere accumu-
iation of interments about military centers. hos
pitals. prisons, etc. At Andersonvle, for exam.
ple the dead were buried by parties of their
comrades who notwithstanding the horrors of
their own lot, took pious care to keep accurate
records. and even erected many rude headboards
From first to last about $4,000 men we're con-
aned at Andersonville In August, 1854 tAsre