The Springfield herald., 1913-05-23
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kCUIYTN- of national, official sympathy with
U8 the bereaved who have lost, sons,
brothers and sweethearts 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 its
accomplishment is the story of tribute paid to
one of the noblest sentiments that has ever been
lodged in the breasts Of a 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 on the borderlands
of civilization these headstones have gone.
This Memorial day they offer themselves to
scattered multitude as fitting places for the be-
stowal of floral wreaths. The unmarked graves.
through the efforts of the government. are grow
ing fewer.
In the national cemeteries alone there are 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 futil-
ity 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 men with the
handsomest monuments. The unknown are being
reinterred In sacred ground, their graves are
being kept green and great monuments are 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-
ton 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
a 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
perpetuaton 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-
ial 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 over the remains of the
Confederate soldiers who died in the northern
prisons and hospitals during the Civil war.
Wherever any dies for whom 1t can be
shown that he ever served in the United States
army or navy. the Federal government stands
ready to furnish for his grave a headstone of
marble neatly inscribed with his name and indi-
eating his military service The government has
a large contract with firm in Massachusetts, to
furnish these headstones. Under the contract
10000 such headstones were delivered last year.
An average of $4,000 a year have been SO deliv-
cred for the last score of years. Since this pol
icy of marking the graves of the military dead
was inaugurated in 1873 there have probably
been 100000 stones that have gone forth and
which are today standing over the graves of
men who fought for their country. The ma
tion is willing and anxious to continue their dis
tribution 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 are some so such cemeteries with a total
of 300, 900 men buried In them But Of this great
aggregate of assembled dead Of the military there
are $4,000 buried beneath the slab OF the 'un-
known" There acres and acres of these
white headstones that mark the graves Of soldiers
whose identity was never established. At Fred
erlcksburg Va, there is another 12,e00 graves OF
men whose mothers never knew where they rest
ed There are 5000 of them at Memphis; $4,000
at Salisbury, N. c.; 5000 at Richmond; 1000 at
Nashville and similar and smaller numbers scat
tered over the country whole. At the great
est of the national cemeteries that at Arlington.
opposite Washington. D. c., there Is 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 nationai
cemeteries is to be prevented from largely In
creasing.
Today when man is inspected for active duty
a metal tag of Identification is a part OF his