Le Mars Semi-Weekly Sentinel, June 1, 1899
DECORATION DAY
With all its Hallowed Memories Duly Observed.
LINE OF MARCH A LARGE ONE
Warm and Beautiful Weather Prevailed and the Parade was Unusually Large—The Roster of Those who Fought for Their Flag.
Decoration day of 1899 brought with it the same hallowed recollections and tender memories of former years. The sad difference is marked alone by the yearly increasing number of dead to whose memory this day are observed as sacred. Sad thoughts are prone to rise on this occasion as those who lived loved and endured and still survive the glorious outcome of those terrible years, see year by year more of those gallant men who went forth in those dark days to offer their lives for their country's flag gathered surely and certainly to the great majority. The younger generation take a pride in the observance of Decoration day and look with reverence and respect on those survivors of the most terrible strife ever known to the modern world.
There are few indeed in whom the patriotic impulse is not stirred on days as grand as these, for the most, if too young to have taken part in that great tragedy, have relatives and friends who did their share nobly and perchance died on southern battlefields, in hospitals or returned home broken in health only to succumb to fate a few years later.
The observances in LeMars were characterized with the fealty and beauty that has always been prevalent, on this glorious day of memory. The parade which formed in front of the G. A. R hall on Main Street under the direction of the marshal of the day, Dr. M. Hilbert, was an unusually large one. The LeMars band headed the procession preceded by the standard bearers of the national colors. Then followed the members of Mower Post, with the commandmant, W. S. Freeman, supported by his aides-de camp, at the head.
The veterans numbered some eighty. They were followed by a few young men who took part in the late Spanish-American war. The civic societies came next and then a battalion of firemen. Several wagon loads of children and the members of the flower committees with a profusion of flowers followed. The ladies of the Relief corps and aged members of the Grand Army came next in carriages. After these the city officials and a large turnout of citizens in carriages and on horseback completed up the largest parade that has been seen for several years in LeMars on Decoration Day.
Corporal Farlow, late of the 22nd infantry, and Privates Clagg, Mohan and Cox, Iowa volunteers, had charge of the corps of children and put them through their facings and several difficult evolutions.
The parade marched up Main street to Third street and then east to the city cemetery. At the monument erected to perpetuate the memory of the unknown dead the services were held. Webb Freeman, commander of Mower Post, and A. A. Alline, chaplain, read the impressive ritual reserved for the occasion. Prof. J. S. Shoup delivered a short address replete with feeling and grandeur. A male quartet and a number of ladies sang some beautiful numbers and the school children with flowers went through appropriate exercises.
Squads were detached who lavished tributes of flowers, on the different graves. The procession reformed and then repeated the rites and exercises in the Catholic cemetery, marching from there to the G. A. R. hall where they disbanded. The names of those who fought for the flag who are interred in LeMars and whose graves were decorated are as follows:
E. Higley, N. Slocum, D. Clay, H. March, H. Manderville, H. C. Westcott, R. H. Jacobs, D. U . Chamberlin, J. C. Kelly, C. Myers, J. C. Ball, H. Rose, A. F. Brown, H. C. Coville, A. J. Rifflle, T. S. White. S. W. Potter, F. Wood, Wm. Love, Robert McGee, Geo. Hamm, E. Mead, A. Dresser, J . H. Brown, Frank Amos, Wm. Dixon, Robert Ramsey, Chas. Young. Dennis Morley, Chas. Johnson, Geo. Rathbone, Frank Brown, Col. Clarke, Jas. Britt, A. Schrool, M. Lewis, Clem Hausman, Nic Tritz, John Conroy, John Tovey, Dr. Baker, Jas. McDougall, Owen Murphy, Joseph Foser, H. Woolworth, West Armfield, C. F. Beauttemueller, D. Tucker, J . Balsinger, L. M. Doty.
In addition to these the graves of Louis Brick who laid down his life at Chickamauga and Wm. Shields who served five years in the Fifth United States calvary were remembered with floral tributes.
The city was decorated with flags and streamers of the national colors and the business places closed in honor of the dead.
It was the general opinion that the day was better observed and a larger parade held than for a great number of years which is as it should be in honor of the illustrious dead.
The ladies of the W. R. C. served dinner at the hall at noon and hundreds partook of their good cheer.
~Submitted for posting by volunteer, Mary Holub
