Evening star., 1945-05-27

use every eHort TO make this order ef-
fective.
by command of
JOHN A. LOGAN,
Commander in Chief
N. P. CHAPMAN,
Adjutant General"
Decorating the Graves
OF course, the writer does not intend
to convey the impression that Gen.
Logan originated the custom of placing
flowers on the graves of the worlds
noted dead, for that would not be true.
In all ages men have come with flowers
and song and praise to mark the graves
and honor the names of their deceased
heroes. But Logan, by his order of
May 5, 1868, to the Grand Army of the
Republic. did begin a custom in this
country of decorating the graves of our
departed soldiers annually, on May 80
custom that will no doubt be kept
up for ages to come.
Mrs. John A. Logan, who naturally
took much interest in this matter, never
claimed that Gen. Logan originated the
idea OF decorating burial places of the
dead with flowers and in her "Reminis-
cences OF Soldiers Wife" gives the fol-
lowing account of how the general got
his idea which prompted the issuing of
the order. Mrs. Logan says:
After a trip with Col. Charles L.
Wilson, editor of the Chicago Journal,
accompanied by his niece and his
f1ancee, Miss Farrar of Boston; our
daughter Dallie and baby son, John A.
Logan, jr., in churchyard near Peters,
burg, we saw hundreds of graves of
Confederate soldiers. These graves had
upon them small, bleached Confederate
flags, faded flowers and wreaths that
had been laid upon them by loving
hands on the occasion of their Decora-
ton Day. Upon our return, Gen. Logan
was much interested in our account of
what we had seen, and I remarked to
MIN L had never been so touched as I
was by seeing the little flags and the
wlthered flowers that had been laid on
these graves.
AT this, Gen. Logan said it was
beautiful revival of the custom of the
anclents in thus preserving the memory
of the dead and that he, as commander
in chief Of the Grand Army of the Re-
public, would issue an order for the
decoration of the graves of Union SOL
diers-and Col. Wilson, heartily approv-
Ing Of the plan, said he would be glad
to exploit it in his paper in Chicago
Gen. Logan sent for Gen. Chapman, then
adjutant general of the GAR, and die
tated order No. II for the first decora-
tion OF Union soldiers graves that ever
took place in the United States"
A Federal Holiday
The act of Congress establishing Deco
ration Day-as the act puts it-as pub
lie holiday in the District OF Columbia
did not become law until August. l,
1888. However, from the very first the
Government departments in Washing
ton were closed by executive action. the
first order, addressed to Gen. Chapman,
reading:
Dear Sir: The President directs me
to acknowledge the receipt of your COM
munication of the 26th instant, and to
inform you that, cheerfully complying
with your request, he has issued the
accompanying order to the heads of the
several executive departments of the
Government.
"W. G. MOORE, Secretary"
Then follows the order issued by the
President on the same day, which reads:
The chairman of the Committee of
Arrangements, having requested that an
opportunity may be given to those en-
ployed in the seevral executive depart
ments of the Government to unite with
their fellow citizens in paying fitting
tribute to the memory of the brave men
whose remains repose in the national
cemeteries, the President directs that,
as far as may be consistent with law
and public interest, persons who desire
to participate in the ceremonies be per-
mitted to absent themselves from the
duties on Saturday, the 30th instant
wv. G. MOORE, Secretary"
An Impressive Ceremony
The Star of May 3d. 1868, in speaking
of the exercises held that date. had this
to say:
THE decoration of the Union soldiers
graves at Arlington Cemetery, over the
Long Bridge, took place today at l
o'clock and was very impressive affair.
Yesterday afternoon and this morning
the committee was busily engaged in re-
ceiving and arranging flowers and ever
greens at the Foundry M. E. Church,
corner of Fourteenth and G streets,
which were contributed by ladies and
gentlemen throughout the city and from
the public gardens under Gen. Mickler,
the Botanical Garden under w. R.
Smith, esq, and the Presidents con-
servatory and Treasury gardens. Hun
dreds of bouquets, wreaths and caskets
were beautifully arranged and conveyed
to Arlington by ambulances. During
the morning hundreds of all kinds of
vehicles were passing over the Long
Bridge, and by l o'clock the crowd of
ladies and gentlemen at the cemetery
was very large.
The exercises were opened at o'clock
in front of the Arlington Mansion by
w. T. Collins, esquire, who read the
general order (GAR) designating the
30th of May as day to be observed
throughout the United States in decora-
ing the graves of the Union dead. Rev.
Byron Sunderland then offered an i'm
pressive prayer, after which an appro-
pirate hymn was sung. Hon. James A.
Garfield was then introduced and de-
livered the grafton, which was very ap-