Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-05-30
bOYSOF '61PAY
TRIBUTE TO DEAD.
Continued from First Page.]


And it needed no reveille to start
the day for them. Most were up and
about at sunup; and early this morn
ing headquarters of the three posts
presented scene, that, save for the
informally might have gone back to
enlistment days in the sixties. Yet the
old warriors still kept up. if less
tensely, the military order, system and
dispatch that they had learned when
the observance of such things meant
life or death, battle lost or won.
Exercises I'm Cemeteries
This morning the posts conducted
exercises in the various cemeteries as
announced, Post 5S going to Paxtang,
Post lie to East Harrisburg and Post
500 to Lincoln Cemetery. Simple ex-
ercises and brief patriotic services
marked the observance. The veterans
then returned, many to their homes
for a needed rest; for at l o'clock they
were due again on "the firing line to
take their places in the march, to
stand again in the cemeteries and once
more to carry flowers down the green
carpeted aisles to the spots where
their comrades lie.
AT noon came the minute for
memory, precious period to many.
| The city generally Joined in this, and
after IL there was a hush as though
the garments of twilight were trailing
over the city A hush like that which
came after the cradle-song long ago
when the veterans crept up to their
mothers knees in the days only q
little before they We're brown faced
lads and thought that war was q fine
, thing. with drums and gold lace and
| fierce charges against an enemy that
always yielded.
Memories
But to-day, pausing for that one
| minutes memory they know better.
/ For the memories of comrades now
dead are mingled with shrieks and
roaring guns and gutted homes. bloody
earth, strewed with bowels and bones,
long vigils, shivering, fevers, fear
brave conquest of fear-marches,
aching feet-yes, yes, poor old Jim,
he was always troubled with corns.
Above all, to close the minute of
memory. old glory appears waving out
of the mists.
Dinner time. No: it's mess to-day.
The Blue Lines Form
Then to headquarters. Again to
greet the laughing comrades The
three posts marched down at 1 o'clock
and took their position in line. With
them the n. G. P. and the veterans
of younger generation from the
Spanish war, the Sons of Veterans
and the City Grays. At 2 o'clock the
parade moved down Second to Mar
/ ket, out Market to South Fourth, over
the Mulberry street bridge to Thir-
teenth and thence to the cemetery.
Joseph L. Leonard was the chief
marshal and B. }. Campbell was chief
of staff. The assistant marshals of
the parade were w. r. Miller, John NJ.
Major, A. ]. Pugh, Robert Dougherty,
William HI. Hertz, G. L. Sellers, David
Stevens William Dixon, j. A. Simp-
son, Paul Harm and George F. Lumb
At Thirteenth street Post So left
the main division of the parade and
marched to Lincoln Cemetery where
tribute was paid to the colored soldier
dead.
Cemetery Services
Arrived in the cemetery the assem-
bly, was sounded by Miss Irene Wag-
ner following which a dirge was
played by the band. Prayer was of
fered by the Rev. DR.. Silas c.. Swal-
low. Philip S. Meyer, attorney, deliv-
cred the oration of the day. After
the grafton came the procession to the
burial plots. William Higgins, chap
lain of Post 5S, offered prayer Will
| liam L. Bishop, of Post 116. delivered
an address. Noah A. Walmer read
General Logans orders. William H.
Moore delivered Lincoln's address. Me-
mortal readings by A. J. Pugh, George
L. Sellers and George w. Rhoads pre-
ceded the saluting of the dead by
guards of Post No. 58 and Camp 10,
Sons of Veterans. Following bene-
diction by the Rev. DR.. Swallow
came,-
Taps.
Then the flowers were strewed on
| the graves.
/ Thousands of peonies from the city
nursery were among the floral trib-
utes.
Philip s. Meyer said in part:
Forty and more years ago General
chief of the Grand Army of the Repub-
| lie, issued orders to the members of the
! Grand Army to observe the 30th day of
May as Decoration Day now gener-
ally observed as Memorial Day. The
order was in these words: For the pur-
| pose of strewing with flowers or other
who died in defense of their country
during the late Rebellion, and whose
| bodies now lie in almost every city, VIII
| lage or hamlet church yard in the land
To the Blue; to the Gray
Memorial Day. my friends, though
always filled with rare and tender SEN
| timents. can not mean the same to all
| of us. Its meaning is quite a relative
one. To you members of the Grand
Army this day comes with different i'm
port than it does to me. To the heroes
| of the Blue 1t brings certain precious.
kindred thoughts and memories, to
those heroes of the Gray others, to the
| gallant veterans of later and recent
struggles still others. and to the gem
GRAFTON of to-day which has risen since
| that time of civil strife it brings still
other. and far different, thoughts and
meanings.
| n half century has passed since the
great Rebellion: and thoughts of IL.
] perhaps. but seldom come to YOU who
gave 1t your best services and sacri-
hees. You hear ougie. In clarion