The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1913-05-23

foremost military lead
ers of the Union army, but was ex-
EXCEPTIONALLY popular with his soldiers,
enough of whom are still living to in
sure lavish offerings of flowers on
each recurring holiday, without any
dependence whatever upon expressions
of gratitude from a rising generation.
However, there is yet another incen-
Rive. quite aside from this common
patriotic impulse, which goes to ex-
plain this exceptional floral tribute to
General Logan. and which makes it
seem especially appropriate. This is
found in the fact. all too often over
Hooked. that General Logan was he
founder of Memorial day, as We OBJ
serve it in the present era. The claim
Us made, apparently with perfect war
rant, that the fundamental dea of
Memorial day originated in the south,
where a number OF kind-hearted wom-
en- inaugurated, Immediately after the
close of the war, the prictice Of devot-
ing some chosen day in the spring to
the decoration with flowers of the
graves of the fallen soldiers-Federal
and Confederate alike.
To General Logan, though. belongs
the credit of establishing Decoration
day in May as a definite, fixed, annual
event of uniform observance in the
great majority of the states of the
Union. There had been no general
celebration and no fixed date until in
1865 General Logan. then acting as
commander-in-chief of the Grand Army
of the Republic, took the initiative and
Issued an order fixing May 80 as the
date for the annual Memorial day ex-
ercises and calling upon every G.. A. r.
post in the country TO engage in fit
ting ceremonies and scatter tokens of
regard over the last resting places
of their former comrades in arms.
1t Is predicted that ere many years
there will be general adoption through
out the country of the practice, already
introduced In some places, of reading
in connection with every Memorial day
program the original order of General
Logan instituting this event. which has
become such an important n on our
calendar. Such a plan would, of course,
follow the example of the general Gus
tom of reading the Declaration of In
dependence in connection with Fourth
OF July exercises. For the present
however. General Logan's recognition
in this connection consists in special
services at his tomb. and. as has been
explained. an exceptional profusion oil
Mowers. many of the latter in the form
of elaborate designs suggestive Of
notable events in his military career
The last resting place of General Lo
gan is admirably chosen with refer
ence to opportunities for keeping
green the memory Of this fiery war
rior. The body of General Logan lie:
in a handsome private vault, occupying
the most prominent place in the ma
tional cemetery connected with tn
United States Soldiers home, nea,
Washington, d. c. Among the thou
sand inmates of the home are a mum
Der who fought under General Logan
and naturally il is a work of love 70
them 10 see TO it that his tomb bear,
evidence OF the u2dying admiration
of his boys" of half a century ago.
4 the Soldiers Home cemetery tn
veterans do most OF the scattering o
flowers on Decoration day, there no
being sufficient children on hand. as
rule. to place blossoms on so man,
graves. But the posies which III
soldiers carry 10 the Logan tomb ar
by no means the only one that com
thither on this festival of remen