Antietam Dedication
Summary
A detailed and extremely critical report on the dedication of Antietam National Cemetery. The paper discusses the disproportionately large role given to Marylanders, the 'egoism' of Govs. Swann and Bradford, and the seats given to former rebel officers. Governor Bradford's speech eulogized both Union and Confederate soldiers, a strange thing to do when only Union dead were in the cemetery. However, Bradford's son had joined the Rebel cause. When President Johnson spoke, he, like Bradford, eulogized soldiers from both sides. The governors from Northern states were effectively ignored and those states' roles in establishing the cemetery were as well. The paper suggests that the Trustees of Antietam Cemetery ought to take cemetery management out of the hands of the people who allowed this kind of dedication ceremony to take place. Finally, when Swan, Bradford and Johnson were finished, the throngs of people clamored for an address by Gen. Geary. "So ended the day of mismanagement and failure."
Article Source
Newspaper: The Herald and Torch Light
Publication Date: September 25th, 1867
Page/Column: 2A
Town: Hagerstown, MD
County: Washington
Subjects
- Battles / Military
- Other
