Staunton Spectator

The third annual memorial celebration, in honor of the Confederate soldiers who fell in defence of the South, took place here on Saturday last under the auspices of the "Ladies' Memorial Association of Staunton," of which the energetic and indefatigable Mrs. Robert Cowan is the efficient President. The weather was auspicious, and great numbers were in attendance, embracing old and young, male and female, Protestant and Catholic. Before the ceremonies commenced, the Methodist Church, the most spacious in Staunton, was found to be unable to contain more than half the number who were present, and seeking admittance.

The ceremonies in the church were conducted under the auspices of Rev. John L. Clarke, Pastor in charge of the M. E. Church, South, of Staunton.

He announced, at the request of the members of the "Ladies' Memorial Association," that the services would be of a strictly religious character, and that it was their earnest wish that no demonstrations inconsistent therewith would be made, and requested the audience to refrain from indulging in demonstrations of applause

The ceremonies were commenced by the singing of the song, "Rest, soldiers, rest," by the "Staunton Musical Association."

An exceedingly appropriate Prayer was then offered by Rev. G. B. Taylor, pastor of the Baptist Church, of this place.

Then the audience were again favored with music by the Musical Association.

Then the orator of the day, Rev. Frank H. Bowman, Pastor of the "Union Church" (Presbyterian) of this county, delivered an address which was admirably adapted to the interesting occasion,

It was marked by appropriate sentiments, correct ideas, sound principles, good style and touching pathos, and was very well delivered. It contained no chaffy fustian, no swelling bombast, no "hifalutin" tropes, no spread-eagle metaphors no tinseled rhetoric, no mock eloquence, no "sound and fury signifying nothing." Without describing the address more particularly, or attempting to furnish an abstract of it (for which we have not the space) we would say that, in our humble judgment, it was such in matter, style and delivery as was appropriate to the occasion, and reflected great credit upon the speaker. We consider that it was worthy of the interesting occasion, and that we deem the highest praise.

At the conclusion of the address, the audience was again favored with excellent music by the "Staunton Musical Association."

At this time a collection was taken up for the benefit of the "Ladies' Memorial Association," during which Maj. Horace Lacy availed himself of the opportunity to deliver a brief address, in which he paid a handsome and eloquent tribute to the ladies of Fredericksburg and surrounding country for the labors they have performed in honor and in fond commemoration of the fallen Confederate soldiers, so many of whom offered their lives as sacrifices in that portion of the State so thickly furrowed with the plough-share of war.

The collection amounted, we are sorry to say only to the small sum of $71.75.

The benediction was then pronounced by Rev. J. I. Miller, Pastor of the Lutheran Church of Staunton. After which the large procession which marched to the cemetery, in which were, we suppose, from 1500 to 2000 persons, was formed in the following order:

1st, The "Stonewall Band," which was the band of the immortal "Stonewall brigade," which accompanied, during the war, the sainted hero, christian, and martyred General—Thos. J. Jackson—and the band composed of the pupils of the Blind Institution, both under the charge of Prof. A. J. Turner.

2nd. The "Augusta Fire Company," and the Fire Company of the D. D. and Blind Institution under the charge, in procession, of Col. Bolivar Christian and Capt. Jas Bumgardner.

3rd. The Sunday Schools of the town under the charge, in like manner, of Gen. Robert D. Lilley and Col. James H. Skinner.

4th. The various other schools of the place—including the Catholic schools—under charge, in procession, of Maj. J. W. Newton and Capt. John Opie.

5th. The Ladies of the town and country under charge of Col. M. G. Harman and Maj. J. M. Hanger.

6th. The citizens generally under Col. J. D. Lilley and Col. A. W. Harman.

In this order the long procession, bearing garlands and wreaths of flowers and evergreens, marched with measured steps and slow to the "bivouac of the dead" where so many of our loved and lamented soldiers are "encamped," sleeping that profound sleep which knows no waking, and where they will silently repose till the "last trump" shall sound the rally to judgment; "for the last trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised."

On arriving at the "silent city of the dead," its narrow streets were thronged with numbers of the living, who, with loving hearts and tearful eyes, decorated the hillock homes of the dear departed with floral mementos of sincere, heart-felt affection, and evergreen tokens of undying love, honor and gratitude. The flowers placed upon the graves of the soldiers will droop, the evergreens will decay, but the flowers of love which bloom in the hearts of their living friends and the amaranthine wreaths of affection which entwine and decorate them will never know the blighting touch of decay, but will bloom perennially, imbibing and exhaling a grateful fragrance.

'Tis meet that we should pay such annual tributes to the virtues and memories of our dear soldiers who fell in defence of our rights and liberties though, alas! in vain.

They have no columns highly wrought, affection's tale to tell,

Nor marble slab nor granite shaft, to teach us how they fell,

But let this usage be observed, which we have thus begun,

And for successive ages hence descend from sire to son,

And when shaft and statue fall, 'twill honor do our braves,

When with flowers, with fair young flowers, we come and strew their graves.

When the procession was returning to Staunton, the head of it was halted at the gate of the cemetery, when Col. M. G. Harman said that money should be raised by subscription to put the cemetery in better condition—it certainly needs it—and also suggested that a fund should be raised to support the widows and orphans of the Augusta soldiers who lost their lives during the war and proposed to head each of these lists with the sum of $100. He then called upon Col. J. B. Baldwin, who, as we should have stated before, was Chief Marshal of the procession Col. Baldwin approved the suggestion and stated that all that was necessary to ensure the object was to enlist the ladies in the enterprise, and that if Mrs. Cowan would undertake it, it would succeed, for she never undertook anything which she did not make a success, and never attempted what did not deserve to succeed. He said he would contribute to the object proposed according to his ability when the subscription list would be handed around. The procession then resumed its march on its return to town. When it reached the centre of Staunton it was dismissed. The celebration was, in every respect, a glorious success.