The Holt County sentinel. (Oregon, Mo.) 1883-1980, 1916-06-02
BIvOrAC or THE DEAD.



schools and colleges, from the homes
~ the great and humble. the rich and
the poor. to do battle for thgir coun-
try. We sec them a. they bid the
loved ones goodbye. break away from
the dcarcs, tics Of kinship. join their
comrades in the village. leave the old
church and school house with all
their hallowcd associations. pass the
las, familiar land mark and they are
soon far away from the scenes OF
home and are in the enemies country.
"Thc average age Of that great army
Of more than two million men was
only about - years. So while there
were some men older than that, the
great majority of them were not much
more than boys. yet IN their teens,
and We cannot think Of them n old
men. a. We who survived the ravagcs
Of war now are.
"Thcn came those four years ~ war,
camp life. drilling. marching. on pick
IT, in iicrccs, battle. in hospital, the
wounded and the sick and some In
prisons to suffer and die.
1--WE are here. to-day, n comradc1,
D WIN F1'hHl wv Fll'hN"f WIN
! those brave men Of '6i.'G5: We arc
here ~ Sons Of Veterans, who stand
| linked To- those cvcn,ful years IN the
| history Of the nation 10y the hcrioc
deeds of our fathers; We are here n
women of the Relief Corps, n part ~
and Representatives Of the noble heart
cd women Of America. who sciapcd lint
for the wounded and prepared del.
icacics for the sick. women who stop
ped nj home and kept the lights burn
ing In the windows for the returning
loved ones aud worked and waited
in anguish Of heart for the printed
lists Of the dead, the wounded and the
missing. We arc here n citizens oi
u common country, the old, the young,
even the little children. We are all
here in these decoration day cxcr.
ciscs to pay our grateful appreciation
10 the memory Of the nations noble
dead. yes. and our dead.
General John A. Logan, in his first
general order setting apart May 3O'h
of each year as Decoration day, said
this n 10 the purpose Of such an occa'
sion: For the purposc OF strcwinp
with flowers, or otherwise decorating
the graves of comrades who died "
defense of their country during tn,
late rebellion and whose bodies nov
lie IN almost every city, village. OF
hamlet church.yarl in the land
let this order bring Us back to thu
real purpose Of the day. II Is not Q
mere holiday. but time Of most ten
der emotions ~ We recall The
memory of our fallen comrades. Al
that We can do for them now Is /,
cherish their memories and to high!
resolve to pcrpctuatc the principles
for which they died. For while tn,
day Is devoted to the memory of tn,
nations dead, the lessons of the da,
are for the living. Some one ha
said: III there Is any place within thu
bounds of the republic, where the cit
izcn can learn the lessons and feel thu
inspiration of patriotism, II Is whcr
the earth IL hallowed by dust o
heroes. who on land and sea, sealc'
their devotion with their blood. Gu
history abounds in examples whic!
afford instruction in this exalted sen
timcnt.'
"Aristotlc says that memory Is tn
) scribe of the soul. And some one ha
said: Anniversaries Lre harmOnies an,
In observing them We set history 4
music In the observance Of this an
niversay then, let the far reaching
historical events, made possible an
memorable by the sacrifices Of III
noble sons of this country, be set I
music, the most tender and pathetic
at Is now nearly fifty-one year
since the close of the Civil War, an,
we have waited for the return of on
> | comrades hut they have not returned
they will not come back. But we hav
not forgotten them and by the observ
ance Of this day, from year to yeal
we shall continue to perpctuate thci
memory. Flowers are the symbols o
tender memories of our dead, bu
these flowers will soon fade and leav
! but little evidence of their presence o
the graves of our dead comrades, Bu
not SO with a nations gratitude. Fo
how can this nation forget, when IN
blood of her brave sons speak :
; loudly Of the beneiicence Of re-unt
ed country, with only one flag dc
manding and receiving the loyal HON
age of all her people, both North an
, South, East and West.
"'Our Unknown Dead Helen Hun
J Jackson wrote thus of Decoration Day
, But, ah, the graves which no ma
names or knows,
: Uncounted graves. which never can b
, found,
Graves Of the precious missing
Q where no sound
( OF tender weeping will be hear'
Al where goes
No loving step of kindred-oh, ho'