May 24, 2021
#360

Thank you, Barbara Schock, for sharing your delightful tales of Sandburg and 19th century Galesburg & American history.

Dedication of Soldier's Monument - Hope Cemetery - October 7, 1896 Robert Todd Lincoln addresses the crowd.

Memorial Day 1887

By Barbara Schock

The Grand Army of the Republic was organized in Decatur, Illinois, in 1866. Dr. B.F. Stephenson of Springfield and a few other officers hoped to establish an organization to honor and benefit veterans of the Civil War. In time it became a large and influential organization.

Galesburg Post 45 of the G.A.R. was chartered July 26, 1876. Members of the post took responsibility for organizing Memorial Day events each year.

In 1887, Post 45 held a concert on May 6^th at the skating rink to raise money to cover their Memorial Day expenses. Instrumental and vocal selections were performed by local musicians. Thomas Ryan, a member of the Post, played his clarinet and The Register-Republican reported his had “lost none of his skill and power with advancing years.” Mr. Ryan was recalled by the audience for an encore. (He had served in Company G, 59^th Illinois Volunteer Infantry.)

During the intermission a solid gold Past Commander badge was presented to General P. S. Post who had just completed his term as Commander of the Illinois Department of the G.A.R. P.S. Post was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 59^th Regiment of Illinois Volunteers during the Civil War. He was brevetted a brigadier general in 1864. He was elected to four terms in the U.S. Congress beginning in 1877.

General post was surprised. The newspaper reported that the badge had cost $100. The audience was delighted with the presentation to a local resident.

At 2 o’clock sharp on May 30^th, the procession traversed Main Street from Kellogg Street to Hope Cemetery. The Galesburg Police Department, with buttonhole bouquets on their jackets, led the parade followed by the Galesburg Marine Band, members of the Illinois National Guard, the Knox College Cadets, members of the G.A.R. and its affiliated organizations and school children carrying flowers to scatter on the graves. The Galesburg Fire Department paraded all of its equipment decorated with flowers. Mayor D.W. Aldrich, the city councilmen and the speaker of the day rode in carriages. Citizens in carriages brought up the rear of the procession.

After the graves were decorated, a program was given in the Knox College wigwam. Band and vocal music preceded the oration of the day by the Honorable E.C. Conger of Iowa. The Congressman had been born in Knox County in 1843 and enlisted in the 102^nd Regiment during the Civil War.

Afterward, the Post members conducted a ritual service at the soldiers’ lot in Hope Cemetery and fired a salute.

According to the newspaper, throngs of Galesburg residents, dressed in their best clothes, were on hand to witness the parade on Main Street. All businesses were closed for the duration of the ceremonies. A shower had fallen late in the morning which cooled the air and settled the dust. Many members of the public wore white flowers on their breasts as a sign of respect.

The Sandburg family knew many of the veterans who belonged to the G.A.R. Perhaps members of the family were among those on Main Street to watch the Memorial Day parade. Certainly a nine year old boy like Carl Sandburg could not have stayed away from such a spectacle.