The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1913-05-30

their great generals but are usually content to
aot only the hasty trench or ditch to the COM
mon 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 same with the sword an
the fame
An we've sailed 1t down with our bones.
poor beggars! It's blue with our bonesD
To this rule of indifference as to the final rest
ing place of obscure heroes the United States
forms shining and honorable exception. There
are today eighty-four national cemeteries, which
contain the graves of oyer 900 American sol
diers and sailors. These cemeteries are among
the grandest and loveliest Gods acres" In the
world. They are 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 superin-
tendents, overseers and gardeners.
The national cemeteries are mainly a 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 It's care
had ordinarily ended with the drifting smoke Of
the guns that were discharged over their graves.
By act Of July II, 1852, 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 war that for some time
no 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 area. The cemetery was 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 was
subsequently taken over by the nation,
The cemeteries at Antletam, Murfreesboro
Chattanooga and other places were begun like
wise by states or by federal troops acting under
orders of their commanders That at Chatta
nooga 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 a question arose
as to whether they should be buried together ac
cording to the states from which they came
1--WE have heard enough about states and states
rights lately" said Thomas who. though a Vir
glnian, had remained loyal to the Union. LET us
mix them up and nationalize them a 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 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 were con-
fined at Anderscnville. In August, 1864, there