The Elbert County tribune., 1913-05-23

u ~ a. Il ness the perfecttng OF the nations
|" l plans for honoring her military
dead. 1t will the final fruiting
kNXVVClN of national official sympathy with
ydSb the bereaved who have lost sons
brothers and sweethear;s in their
countrys service 1t will witness the final results
of the nations attempts to do all things possible
for those bereaved and for the memory of the
dead. 1t is big task, and the manner of it's
accomplishment is the story of tribute paid to
one of the noblest sentiments that has ever been
lodged in the breasts of people.
In that attempt, since 1900. for instance, the
United States government has supplied free OF
charge 100000 headstones to mark the graves OF
soldiers and sailors who have done her service.
To the cemeteries of the great cities. to those
of the quiet hamlet. to those the borderlands
of civilization, these headstones have gone.
This Memorial day they offer themselves to
scattered multitude fitting places for the be-
stowa of floral wreaths The unmarked graves.
through the efforts of the government. grow
ing fewer.
In the national cemeteries alone there the
remains of $4,000 unknown heroes who have met
death in the defense of their country. and who
must, because of the loss of their Identity be
denied individual recognition. Yet the nation has
exhausted every resource in attempting to find
the names of these heroic dead The very fulfil
fty of these deaths, from the standpoint of the
credit received by the men as individuals calls
forth sentimental appreciation of their service
that overshadows that accorded the with the
handsomest monuments The unknown are being
reinterred In sacred ground. their graves
being kept green and great monuments being
erected to them collectively.
Every effort is being made to prevent the re-
currence In the future of the tragedy of the 'un-
known" grave. At the department army
regulations have been drafted and put into execu-
tion that rigid that in the future 1t will be
impossible for the soldier who fights for his coun-
try to fail of Identification wherever he may fall.
Above all this. the government has developed
system of careful and generous disposition of
the remains of the dead soldier sailor that
offers the greatest possible recompense to the
aggrieved and the best possible chance for the
perpetuation of the memory Of the gloriously
dead, for the remains of any who dies in
the service, wherever his end may come are
transported to any other spot on the globe that
be designated by his family and there given bur-
iai with military honors. All this is at the ex-
pense Of the government, for the glory of the
dead and the consolation of his family.
Finally, the government is marking the graves
and placing monuments the remains of the
Confederate soldiers who died in the northern
prisons and hospitals during the Civil war.
Wherever any man dies for whom it can be
shown that he served In the United States
army navy. the Federal government stands
ready to furnish for his grave headstone of
marble neatly inscribed with his name and ndi-
eating his military service. The government has
large contract with a firm In Massachusetts, to
furnish these headstones. Under the contract
10000 such headstones delivered last year.
An average of $4,000 year have been deiv-
cred FOR the last score OF years. Since this pol
Icy of marking the graves of the military dead
inaugurated In 1878 there have probably
been 100000 stones that have gone forth and
which today standing over the graves of
who once fought for their country. The ma
tion is willing and anxious to continue their dis
trfbution of monuments free of charge. with
freight paid to any point. 1t is hoped that event
ually every grave of every soldier will be marked
with stone that will survive forever.
The graves OF all soldiers and sailors who are
buried in national cemeteries are SO marked
when the identity of the individual is known
There some so such cemeteries with total
of 100000 men buried In them But of this great
aggregate Of assembled dead OF the military there
$4,000 buried beneath the slab of the 'un.
known. There and of these
white headstones that mark the graves of soldiers
whose identity never established. At Fred
ericksburg Va. there is another 12, 900 graves OF
men whose mothers never knew where they rest
ed. There 5000 of them at Memphis; II. .00o
at Salisbury. N. c.: 5000 at Richmond 1000 at
Nashville, and similar and smaller numbers scat
tered over the country as whole. At the great
est of the national cemeteries. that at Arlington
opposite Washington. D. O.. there is a single great
monument that marks the burying place of 2.111
unknown soldiers whose remains were gathered
from the battlefelds of Virginia.
But the unknown population of the national
cemeteries is to be prevented from largely in
creasng.
Today when is inspected for active duty
. metal tag of Identification is part of his