The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1913-05-24

MY2 WI - =
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ESl{SNY5 C.9IHT HInaWLzEaZE
nVf3I IAT AlAZWG12T
= the pamy days of democratic Athens
" b the bones OF every citizen who had per
:: e: : :
I,gI Er | shed In the service OF his country
IS1 L<4 brought home to be buried in the
EEN Fl Ceramicus day was appointed IN
tet1 | ~ winter when military operations were
- S.fsI suspended, for the funeral. One OF
->0 the noblest oratons OF antiquity-that
attributed by Thucydides to Percles-
delivered such occasion,
Modern nations build stately mausoleums for
their great generals, but usually content to
allot only the hasty trench ditch to the com
soldier The bones of British soldiers. for
example are scattered the world around. Says
kipling:
Walk wide O the Widow at Windsor.
For alf o creation she owns;
We ave bought er the with the sword an
the flame
An we've sated IT down with bones,
tPoor beggars, It's blue with our honesty
To this rule OF Indifference to the final rest
Ing place OF obscure heroes the United States
forms shining and honorable exception, There
are today eightyfour national cemeteries, which
contain the graves of over 900 American sol
diers and sailors. These cemeteries are among
the grandest and oveliest Gods acres" in the
world They lavshy adorned by nature and
art and guarded by the starry flag, Treasure
has been expended upon them without stint. and
they cared for by large corps Of superin-
tendents. overseers and gardeners
The national cemeteries mainly result OF
the Civil In September 1861, the secretary
of by general order directed accurate and
permanent records to be kept Of deceased sol
diers and their places of burial The work
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
the guns that 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
action taken under the law.
Following the battle of Gettysburg, Governor
Curtin OF Pennsylvania inaugurated 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 The cemetery dedicated by
Lincoln November 10 1853 in that perfect tribute
to the "honored dead" who there gave the last
full measure of devotion" The cemetery was
subsequently taken over by the nation.
The cemeteries 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
largely the result OF the activity of
Gen, George n. Thomas, In charge of the depart
ment. II Is related that when the work of rein
terring the dead was proceeding question
as to whether they should be buried together
cording to the states from which they came.
We have heard enough about states and states
rights lately said Thomas. who. though Ntr-
gnian, had remained loyal to the Union. Let
mix them up and nationalize them little.
Other cemeteries sprang up by mere accumu-
lation Of interments about military centers, hos
pitals, prisons, etc At Andersonville, for exam
pie, the dead wore buried by parties OF their
comrades. who. Notwithstanding the horrors OF
their own lot took pous to keep accurate
records, and even erected many rude headboards.
From first to last about 10000 men were con
fined at Andersonvie. In August, 1864 there