Bellows Falls Times

Decoration Day in Springfield.

Saturday, the 29th day of May, was observed in this town as the Second Annual Commemoration of the departed heroes of the rebellion. The celebration was under the management of the Grand Army of the Republic, and the exercises of the day were creditable to them and to all who took a part in them.

A procession was formed at 11 o'clock, A. M. and marched through the principal streets to the cemetery in the following order:

Springfield Brass Band, Grand Army of the Republic, the officers in uniform, the soldiers of 1812, the Good Templars in their regalia, children of the public schools, and citizens generally.

At the cemetery the graves of all soldiers were decorated with flowers, and a monument was erected on which were inscribed the names of those not here interred, who died that their country might live. Beneath those honored names appeared in bold letters, "Antietam," "Gettysburg," "Wilderness" and "Petersburg." The monument was ornamented with wreaths of flowers and evergreens.

Prayers were offered by Rev. Messrs. Cobb, Cox, and Farnsworth. A "Decoration Hymn" was finely sung by a chosen choir led by Prof. Lawrence.

The great feature of the day was the oration by Rev. D. A. Mack, of Royalton, former chaplain of the 3d Vt. Vol. It was a noble effort and did equal honor to the orator and the heroic dead whose patriotism it commemorated.

A national salute was fired at sunset, and the army of the dead was left to its silent bivouac.