Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1914-05-26

/ Ne NAty Stealing each name
| and the legend
/ n Give their proud
| story to mem
| ory's keeping,
flushed are their battlefields, ended their
marches,
| Deaf are their ears to the drum beat
of morn;
Rise from the sod. We fair columns and
Tell their bright deeds to the ages un.
bornl
Emblem and legend may fade from the
| portal,
keystone may crumble and portal may
fall;
They were the builders whose work is
Crowned with the dome that is over us
all! 81
f||lLIVE,R WENDELL HOLMES,
| HtlCkIrElH the poet of occasions, wrote
VESsNIb this lyric for the ceremo-
INgDGHH MES attending the laying OF
| HHStCJIB the corner stone OF Har-
wards great Memorial hall,
Civil war. Grandsons of the under
graduates who heard it when it was
first read have since been born, and
have passed under the stately roof OF
the Memorial hall on their way to the
lofty dining hall of the old college,
To them and to their children the
grief which had ceased to be heart.
lyfn -rh1 JAIv Sc
poem, is no more than a reverenttal,
idealized and ennobling sentiment.
Yet thirty-four states will by fiat OF
their respective legislatures observe
Memorial day as day consecrated to
memorial services for those who
served in the wars of this country.
And to most of US this means the sol
diers Of the Civil war, though in truth
recent visit to Arlington cemetery
brought home the truth that the war
with Spain demanded its toll of the
nations manhood.
But the custom OF placing flowers
on the graves OF soldiers on a certain
liked day devoted to services COM
memorative of their patriotism came
into practice at the close of the Civil
war, and Memorial day is still most
intimately associated with the men OF
that war, most Of whom have passed
into the land of memory, though q
comparatively small number OF its
veterans still survive to march in the
procession which is part OF the
days observance.
The first Memorial or Decoration
Army of the Republic recall each year
was not, as it lis now in most OF the
states and even in Alaska and Porto
Rico, legal holiday. 1t came as the
result of an order issued by Gen. John
A. Logan. national commander OF the
Grand Army of the Republic, then
yoang organization. 1t was in May,
1868, that Adjutant General N. p.
Chysman conferred with General Lo-
gan concerning the matter of having
the Grand Army inaugurate the Gus
tom of placing flowers on the graves
of Union soldiers at some uniform
time. Following this conference Gen
eral Logan issued an order setting
aside May 80, 1868, for the purpose
of strewing with flowers or otherwise
decorating the graves OF comrades
who died in defense of their country
during the late rebellion and whose
bodies now lie In almost every city,
village or hamlet churchyard in the
land"
Chicago had the first celebration OF
a Decoration day under the auspices
of the Grand Army organization In
1868. Two years before this, in a let
ter which was printed March IL, 1866,
In the columns of the Columbus
Times, southern woman. Mrs. Mary
Ann Williams Howard. widow of
confederate officer, Maj. John H. How
ard of MilledgeviIle, Ga, had suggest
that April 26 of that year be set aside
as the date ito wreathe graves OF our
martyred dead with flowers" The
suggestion was followed and that
date, April 26. Is now observed as
Confederate Memorial day, and set
aside as legal holiday, as is May 80
in other states, in four southern
states, Louis;ana, Alabama, Georgia
and Florida. Mrs. Williams was great
" beloved iD the south. During the
war she was as active in doing all she
could to serve the southerns side as
her husband and was the moving spir-
1t In putting into operation what were
known as ''wayside houses" in which
care was given soldiers en- route to
battlefelds. When she died at Co
lumbus, Ca, in 1874, she was buried
with military honors-
Two southern states. North Carolina
and South Carolina, observe May 10
as their memorial day. In New Mex
leo 1T is left to the governor TO ap-
point the day. AS every state is IN
dependent In its legislation. traditions
and customs, every state has power to
appoint its own holidays, bit. despite
these variations, a spirit of centraliza-
ton or the growth of a national spirit.
IL you wish to call IL that, has aided
In bringing about an approximate uni
forInity of date for Memorial day IN
most of the states. ,rhirty-four states
and Alaska, Porto Rico and the Dis
trict OF Columbis. deserve the 5oth or
May al, legal holiday dedicated to
the memory OF soldiers. Four south
ern states, as has been said, observe
the df.y on April rs. two on May 10.
1t is a good custom this. which
teaches each successiing generation to
honor ,he courage. patriotism and loy-