Putnam patriot., 1913-06-06
Memorial DaY

The dead heroes of the Civil war
were honored last Friday, Memorial
Day, by ceremonies that surpassed
those of recent years. The men who
fought to preserve the union, the dead
and the living, were landed for their
patriotic service for their country. In
this city aud its environs, the speak
ers were listened TO with deep inter
est by hundreds who assembled at the
various cemeteries, where fresh flow
ers were tenderly laid upon veterans
graves as silent tokens of the whole
peoples remembrance of those who
gave, or volunteered to give, their lives
for their country.
The ranks of the soldiers are thin
ming fast, but the ranks of those who
live TO do them homage is increasing
yearly as generation upon generation
will remember and honor those that
have gone to rest. The school chill
dren are taught to reverence the day
and its significance and each year are
given larger part in the memorial
exercises.
The exercises were carried out ac-
cording to the committees well laid
plans. The day was an ideal one.
Hon. George A. Hammond was the
president of the day, and William b..
Whittemore, marshal. The graves at
the Catholic cemetery were decorated
in the morning. A lunch was served
by the ladies at noon, and the line then
formed and marched to Grove street
cemetery Rev, James b. King of
Eastford delivered the address iof the
day, and il was pronounced one of the
best ever heard in Putnam.
In introducing Mr.. King MIR. Ham,
mend said:
Comrades of the Grand Army, the
Ladies' of the Grand Army, the Sons
of Veterans, the members of the Wo-
mans Relief Corps and Friends: | do
not feel called upon, nor Is this an APP
proprate time TO make an address as
we have with us an orator who was a
Boy among the Boys, "the man be-
hind the gum" who | am glad to have
with us today. ] think we old SOL
/ diefs feel on such days as this as If we
would prefer TO be lockers on simply
while our friends should have charge
and do the speaking. This time hon
ored custom is dear to the hearts of
the surviving Civil War soldiers to
whose comrades the day was first ded-
! icated, when flowers were placed on
every grave in every cemetery where
| they are buried.
| Memorial Day was first intended for
| soldiers of the Civil war and May 30
| was made the day, supposing to be the
| date of the discharge of the last man
from the service after the war. But
the sentiment of such day appealed
to men and women and the day has
J now become one of tenderly opening
the pages of the book of memory by all
classes of people. Not only will the
graves of soldiers be strewn with tlow-
| ers, but blossoms of spring will be
placed by the people generally on the
| mounds under which loved ones sleep,
a beautiful custom.
| 1t is estimated that of Connecticut IS
fifty thousand original volunteers
there are living barely Ave thousan d,
| and they are passing over the divide at
| the rate of more than one each day.
| Four hundred have crossed the mystic
rious river since the last State en-
campment.
| There are vacancies in Connecticut IS
original Grand Army posts, and many
remaining have few more than enough
able bodied members to fill the officers
chairs. 1t fills the fast dying veterans
with gratitude to see the patriotic
work which is slipping from their fee
BILE fingers, taken up and carried on by
| the Sons of Veterans, the Loyal Lee
gion, Daughters of American Revolu-
ton, the Colonial Danes, the churches
and the millions of school children.
| This picture while il shows no lapse
| or pause in the ceremonial of homage,
is pitifully pathetic. | am proud of
our local camp of Sons OF Veterans,
named after the worthy captain of Co.
| G., oath Connecticut Volunteers, my
! own company. We old veterans
must soon join the great majority, but
| you will continue the work.
At the conclusion of the exercises
| the procession returned to the square
and was disbanded.