The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-05-05
MEMORIAL DAY

ries and a people without memories
is a people without a history" 1t IS
very true and in this day we should at
lesat be willing and make an effort
n keen the fires of memory burning
brightly. The south has great MS
tory, and while the union is now one
nation. and we are one people, 1t be-
booyes the descendants of the brave
men who barred their breasts to Une
enemy in cause they belived to De
right, and who exhibited the hlghest
courage and the greatest fortltude
known to history, to keep alive the
memory of those men, and to that
end the state of South Carolina many
wears ago passed an act making the
tenth day of May each year legal
holiday. and to be known as memorial
day in the state.
The good women of Newberry ana
the descendants of these men OF the
sixties have annually for many years
provided suitable exercises to COM
memorate the day, and in addition
have provided an annual dinner Tor
the veterans and their wives and ther
widows on the occasion. And 1t mas
been a great day for the old vets
Thew meet together and have great
pleasure in talking over the days OF
long ago. Many pleasant events are,
recalled and many of the stores OF
tbs hardships of the march and the
camp and of the battles are. recount
Cd with pleasure by these veterans.
And then in addition the good Wo-
men take pleasure at this time IN
placing garlands and wrea5hs OF love
v,fIowers upon the graves Wnere
those who have gone over the river
post under the sod. This was done
this wear on the Sunday preceding
Somehow we like the former custom
of appointing committees for all tne
cravevards and having the decora-
tions placed on memorial day, and IN
fact setting apart and dedicating that
ontire day to recalling and honorlng
these brave heroes of many haro
foneht field. And We don't like max
ing another day take the place OF
the tenth of May, unless that day
should fall on Sunday, because that
is the day set apart for these memor-
ial exercises and, to change the date
because some other event is TO take
nlaee looks like making this memorial
exercise secondary. Of course no
such thing was intended.
The average age of those who were
here on Tuesday was about II years
according to a calculation made ny
Adjutant Buford. We can recall
about seven who are beyond eighty
years. Mr.. Geo. Mayer is 49, Mr.
Jacob Crouch is S3, Mr.. Robert l.
Stoudemayer is 81, Mr.. Monroe Har-
ris is 80, the commander OF the
James D. Nance camp, DR.. j. +. j.
Caldwell is IS, and to tell the truth
not one of them looks to be more
than rs, they are hale and hearty and
get about like young men. Mr.. }. D.
Shealy will be 80 in few days. And
there may have been others, and we
know there would have been many
more if the day had not been such a
bad day for any one to be out.
Captain W. W. Riser who is not
far from the 80 mark says he is the
only man living in Newberry at this
time who heard the first gun at Fort
Sumter and the last one at AveryS-
boro, N. c., IN that great struggle.
The other two from Newberry county
who were present at both places are
CAPTAIN Gus Dickert now dead and
Mr.. John Riser who is now IN eastern
part of the state living with his son.
The dinner and the exercises in
cluded the veterans of the world war
which was entirely correct, and IN our
opinion should have included also the
veterans of the Spanish American
war, because that was just as much a
war as any,of others, and there are
not a great many of these boys in
Newberry, but they answered the call
of their country just as the others
and upheld the flag and they were all
volunteers, and we opine they feel
just little slight that they are not
included in these memorial services
though we have not heard a murmur
of complaint.
We hope the time will never come
when the descendants of these heroes
will fail to honor themselves by hon
oring their forbears, because If 1T
.Lo,,lJ - will he ho6 for tho f;1rTre