The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1913-05-20

ers of the Union army, but was ex-
ceptionally 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 rising generation.
| However, there is yet another incen-
tive, 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
looked, that General Logan was the
founder of Memorial day, as we OBJ
serve it in the present era. The claim
is made, apparently with perfect war
rant, that the fundamental idea of
Memorial day originated in the south,
| where number of kind-hearted vom-
/ 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
1 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
1868 General Logan, then acting as
commander-in-chief of the Grand Army
of the Republic, took the initiative and
issued an order fixing May so 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. !.
Il is predicted that ere many year:
there will be general adoption through
/ out the country of the practice, already
introduced in some places. of reading
In connection with essry Memorial da!
program the original order of Genera
! Logan instituting this event, which ha,
become such an important one on ou
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 specia
services at his tomb, and, as has beer
explained, an exceptional profusion 0
| flowers, many of the latter in the form
of elaborate designs suggestive O
! ~ - IN, u, TO,
| The last resting place of General Lie
gan is admirably chosen with refer
enee to opportunities for keepin
green the memory of this fiery wal
rior. The body of General Logan lie
| in a handsome private vault, occupyin
the most prominent place in the na
tional cemetery connected with tn
United States Soldiers home, nea
Washington, d. G. Among the thou
sand inmates of the home are nun
Der who fought under General Logan
| and naturally it is work of love 70
them to see to it that his tomb bear
evidence of the undyfng admiration
of lis "boys" of half century ago.
At the Soldiers Home cemetery tn
veterans do most Of the scattering o
flowers on Decoration day, there no
being sufficient children on hand, as
rules 60 place blossoms on so man,
graves But the posies which tn
soldiers carry to the Logan tomb ar
! by i.o means the only ones that com
: thitAer on this festival of remem
bra,ce. Floral designs are sent iron