Evening Star Newspaper, May 31, 1931, Page 78

¥ pr— - = I8 Mrs. John A. Logan, widow of the dis- tinguished Senator and soldier. u | BY JOHN CLAGETT PROCTOR. ] NOTHER Memorial day has just passed and the beautiful custom of strewing the graves of our departed ‘soldiers with flowers has again been witnessed by a grateful people.” Over at Arlington, where lie many thou- sands of patriots, who gave their all in de- fending the grand old fiag, elaborate exercises were held as usual, and at the other cemeteries throughout the District where soldiers are buried memorial services were held as usual, but none more inspiring than at Brightwood, where the men and women of the future—now mere tots of the Nation—took part as usual in decorating the graves of those brave men who died in defending the Capital, the exercises themselves being presided over by John M. Kline, a member of the 6th Army Corps, which was rushed to Washington and arrived just in time to take part in the battle of Fort Stevens, July 11-12, 1864—and suceeded in repulsing Gen. Early’s army. To many the presence of a real veteran upon such occasions means little. It seems we still have too many of them among us to excite that veneration which is due those whom we are still pleased to honor as survivors of a great conflict. Perhaps, when the 90 men of that great war still with us in Washington shall have dwindled to 10 or a dozen, we will then awaken to the privileges of honoring the last survivors, just as the people 75 years ago hcnored the veterans of the Rev- olutionary War who were still with them. Scarcity of numbers in this respect, as in many others, is what awakens in us a real appre- ciation for the service performed by the men who have fought America's great battles, and won its great wars. FEW people realize that the idea of our Me- morial day, for the purpose of strewing with flowers the graves of departed soldiers, originated here in Washington, and that the order to the members of the Grand Army throughout the entire country was signed by Gen. John A. Logan, then commander in chief of that organization, and countersigned by Gen. W. P. Chipman, adjutant general, and was issued from the Grand Army headquarters in this city. Though you possibly heard this order read vesterday, yet its national impor- tance no doubt will justify its repetition. It is as follows: »“Headquarters Grand Army of the Republic, “Washingion, D. C., May 5, 1868. “General Orders No. 11. «J. ‘The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpese 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 and hamlet church- yard in the land. In this observance no form or ceremony is prescribed, but posts and com- rades will, in their own way, arrange such fit- ting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit, “We are organized, eomrades, as our regula- tions tell us, for the purpose, among other things, ‘of preserving and strengthening those kind and fraternal feelings which have bound together the soldiers, sailors and Marines, who united to suppress the late rebellion’ What can aid more to assure this result than by cherishing tenderly the memory of our heroic dead who made their breasts a barricade be- tweén our country and its foes? Their soldier lives were the revellle of freedom to a race in chains and their deaths a tattoo of rebellious tyranny in arms. We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance. All that the consecrated wealth and taste of the Na'ion can add to their adornment and security is but a fitting tribute to the memory of her slain defenders. Let no wanton foot tread rudely on such hal- Jowed grounds. Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond fnourners. Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming general that we have forgotten as & people the and undivided republic. “It other eyes grow dul #lack, and other hearts THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., MAY 31, 1931, Logan Launched First Memorial Day = 8 Established Here by One of War Leaders - When Commander-in-Chicf of G. 4. R. Garficld Delivered Oration at First Exercises— Unveiling Logan Statue. trust, ours shall keep it well as long as the light and warmth of life remain in us. “Let us, then, at the time appointed, gather around their sicred remains, and garland the passionless mounds abcve them with choicest flowers of Springtime; let us raise above them the dear old flag they saved from dishonor; let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us a secred charge upon the Nation's gratitude—the soldier's and sailor's widow and orphan. “II. It is the purpose of the commander in chief to inaugurate this observance with the hope that it will be kept up from year to year, while a survivor ¢f the war remains to honor the memory of his departed comr:zdes. He earnestly desires the public press to call at- tention to this order, and lend its friendly aid in bringing it to the notice of comrades in all parts of the country in time for simultan- eous compliance therewith. “III. Department commanders will use every effort to make this order effective. “By command of: “JOHN A. LOGAN, ; “Commander in Chief. “N. P. CHIPMAN, " “Adjutant General” EN. LOGAN first came to Washington as a Representative in Congress from Ninois in 1859, and served there until hie resigned April 2, 1862, to enter the Army, having been commissioned colonel of the 35th Exterior of Gen. Logan’s Ilinois Infantry September 18, 1861. He left the Army in August, 1865, and returned to the House of Representatives on March 4, 1867, where he remained until March 3, 1871, when he took his seat in the Senate, and served unite with their fellow citizens in paying a fitting tribute to the memory of the brave men whose remains repose in the national ceme- teries, the President directs that, as far as UST what they did at the first Memorial day celebration 63 years ago was a ques- tion the writer could not ancwer, but he knew wher2 to look to find out, and so he turned to The Star of May 30, 1868, and found the fol- lowing account of the exeicises: - “The decoration of the Union soldiers’ graves at Arlington Cemetery, over the Long Bridge, took place tcday at 1 o'clock and was a very impressive affair. Yesterday afternoon and this morning, the committee were busily en- gaged in receiving and arranging flowers and evergreens at the Foundry M. E. Church, cor- ner of Fourteenth and G streets, which were contributed by ladies and gentlemen through- out the city and from the public gardens under Gen. Mickler, the Bo'anical Garden, under W. R. Smith, esq., and the President’s conserva- tory and Treasury gardens. Hundreds of bouquets, wreaths and caskets were beauti- fully arranged and conveyed to Arlington by ambulances. During the morning hundreds of all kinds of vehicles were passing over the Long Bridge, and by 1 o'clock the crowd of residence, Calumet Place. duced and delivered the oration, which was very apprcpriate and listened to with marked attention. The lateness of the hour prevenis point_concluded witi ya solemn dirge by the 44th Infentry Band. ° VT HE procession was then formed as follgws: Children of Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphan Maj. Gen. John A. Logan. and the Committee on Decorations with Mrs. Senator Trumbull, president of the Soldiers’ and Saliors’ Orphan Asylum, assisted by a large number of ladies and gentlemen, deserve great credit for the excellent manner in which all ar- rangements were made and executed. The celebration was in all respects a most solemn and impressive one.” |T is probable that memorial services were not conducted upon this occasion at any of the other cemeteries in this eity, for no men- tion was found to this effect. However, a wreath was placed on the Lincoln statue at the sug- gestion of Mrs. E. A. Kimball who wrote the mayor, on behalf of the Committee on Decora~ tions, as follows: “Honored Sir: “Feeling sure that no higher respect could be paid by us to our Union dead today than by making our first offering by love and respect to the memory of Abraham Lincoln, their well beloved commander-in-chief, we most respect- fully request you to have the accompanying laurel wreath placed upon the monurent that your zeal was so successful in erecting.” The Lincoln statute in front of the Court House had then been put in position but a short while, and Mayor Wallach gave the matter prompt attention, and forthwith ordered Chief Engineer Sessford to put the wreath in position, which he did by ordering the Hook and Ladder Company’s truck to the front of the City Hall, and about noon one of the ladders was put in posi’'ion and the wreath was placed on the brow of the statue. Just to think! This was the statue that only & few years ago several prominent cities en- deavored to appropriate to themselves through peculiar legislation, while everybody scemed to be fast asleep. But that was one time that the District woke up in time and successfully fought back, and recovered and reinstalled what it had bought and peid for many years ago. But it was not so easy a job, then, to place a wreath on Lincoln's head as it would be now, for at that time, and up to a few years ago, the statue stood on a high shaft, while today it stands on a pedestal not far from the ground. HAT attracted the writer’s attention most when he read The Star’s account of the first Memorial day was the part taken in the exercises by the orphaned children upon that occasion, since a somewhat sinilar part is al- ways taken at the Battle Ground Cemetery by the school children of the neighborhood. Of course, at that date—1868—that feature would fit in well with the exercises at Arlington, for it is probable the interments up to that time did not exceed a thousand or two, while today the number will probably mount as high as 30,000, and consequently it would be quite impossible to include this feature in the same way now. The number of interments at Battle Ground National Cemetery includes but 40, and no burials have taken place there since the period of the Civil War, while at Arlington the number is always increasing. How interesting, too, that Garfield should have been the orator upon that occasion. A major general in the Civil War, he was then a mem- ber of the House of Representatives. Both he and Logan, through their long terms in Congress became almost Washingtonians, and, indeed, both were thoroughly interested in the District of