1872 The Soldiers Monument Dedicated in Hillington Cemetery

Have a look at the two pages of The Morris Chronicle linked below. In the May article details of the dedication coming up on May 30th, 1872 are given. The June page recounts the events of the day. Town Historian Gertrude Sanderson wrote about the monument also.

Soldiers Monument image shared on FaceBook by Diana Bourgeois Birdsall

The Soldiers Monument as it appeared about 1900.

SOLDIERS MONUMENT, Hillington Cemetery Dedicated at the close of the Civil War to all of the volunteers who had served and died in the war.

1974
Tarot
Designing and Printing Inc

The Soldiers Monument in November, 2012. Photo by Bob Thomas.

To see a list of the names of the 36 soldiers on the monument use the following link

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/231826707/soldiers-monument

IN MEMORIAM ,
Dedication of the Soldiers Monument
in: Hillington Cemetery, Morris, and
Decorating the Graves of Soldiers.
We bring our fresh laurels to strew where they lie:
Undisturbed by the battle of life;
Their spirits have joined the Grand Army on high, :
Where there cometh no sorrow nor strife.
The revolving year once again brings in Deco
-ration Day-a day sacred to all that is tenderest
and noblest in the heart -a day for a grand in
memoriam offering of flowers from the living, laid
reverently and with loving hands on the graves of
the fallen heroes. The old Latin line reminds us
that it is a fit and proper thing to die for one's
country, and one of the best suggestions is that
it is also fit and proper to remember those who
died for their country. Decoration Day is an em-
phatic protest against the oft repeated assertion
that republics are ungrateful. This fair day of
May when spring stands robed in radiant beauty
and reaches out her hand to the effulgent sum-
mer, Columbia has gone to the graves of each
loyal soldier that surrendered up his life that
hers might be secured, and placed upon the swell
of the green turf the graceful garniture of lovely
flowers.
No town sent a braver set of men to the bloody
field of war for the Union than Morris. On her
long roll of heroes are names of "good and true
men," who counted life not dear if by its sacri-
fice, our country could be secured.
Early in the morning of May 30th, our streets
began to fill with people from neighboring towns,
and by ten o'clock a large crowd had assembled.
About this time a very long procession headed by
the Butternuts Band came into the village, hard-
ly had they arrived, when in came the Garratts-
ville Band, heading a long procession. At 10 ½
o'clock A. M., the line moved in the order as pre-
viously published. To mar the enjoyment of the
occasion it commenced raining very gently, but
the crowd bad come to see and participate
in the exercises of the day, and a slight rain
storm was not going to drive them off. A large proces-
sion went over to Hillington Cemetery. On ar-
riving at which the following exercises were ob-
served: Rev. W. H. Harrington was introduced,
and made the introductory remarks, after which
A. S. Avery and Ed. Grafton proceeded to un-
veil the Soldiers' Monument. This monument
as most of our readers are aware, is placed near
the slope of ground, close by the Franchot fam-
ily lot. Its location is admirable. The monu-
ment is of Italian marble, nearly 30 feet high,
surmounted with a bronzed eagle, and has the
names of 37 brave men inscribed thereon. In
design it is tasty, beautiful, and gives perfect sat-
isfaction, costing $2,015. Prayer was offered by
Rev. T. H. Gullen; singing by the choir, when
Hon. H. Sturges, the orator of the occasion, was
introduced, and, notwithstanding the constant
falling of rain, he was listened to with marked
attention. His oration, as we expected it would
be, was every way worthy of the occasion. Mr.
Sturges was in one of his happy moods, and
commanded the closest attention from beginning
to end. The Band played and the G. A. R. pro-
ceeded to decorate the monument and strew the
graves of those soldiers with flowers who were
sleeping beneath the clods of the Cemetery. As
the G. A. R. was encircled around the Monument
very elegant and tastefully arranged basket of
boquets was presented to Com. D. C. Winton,
coming from the students of Gilbertsville Aca-
demy. They were presented with a neat speech,
and was received by Com. Winton with grateful
acknowledgements in behalf of Post Kidder and
our citizens. Benediction. On account of the
rain the 'exercises were somewhat mared, but
throughout were not only peculiarly appropriate,
But were of a high order of merit. The Bands
furnished fine music and they all done them-
selves much credit. Thanks to the energy and
efficiency of the different committees to whom
The arrangements for the day were entrusted, ev-
erything passed off in a perfectly satisfactory
manner. The ladies provided liberally of flow-
ers and wreaths, which made beautiful the
graves of the fallen heroes. We heard a little
Miss remark that the rain would do one good
thing, it would keep the flowers, and evergreens
from wilting, and they would retain their beauty
longer. What a happy disposition that child had.
How many older persons thought to thank God
for the gentle rain on account of the freshness it
prolonged to their work in honor of the fallen loved
ones.
We cannot close this article without here say-
Ing that among the many men and women who
done so much to raise funds and carry to a suc-
cessful building this Monument, there is none
who is entitled to so much credit as our towns-
man, A. S. Avery. And we do verily believe that
if it had not been for his untiring efforts, the Sol-
diers' Monument now gracing Hillington Ceme-
tery , which is, and always will be looked upon
with so much credit to the town of Morris, would
not at this time have been completed, and we
are glad that our people are willing and disposed
to give the credit to whom it belongs.
The following is a correct list of the names and
Places of death, inscribed on the Soldiers' Mon-
ument:
[see Inscription section to read the list]
The above text is as it appeared in The Morris
Chronicle, Morris, NY on June 5, 1872.

Inscription
N. Y. S. V.

HENRY TRACY 121 REG'T
Killed at Salem Church, Va. May 1863.

SAMUEL FENTON 121 REG'T
Killed at Fredericksburg May 1865.

EDWIN W. LEWIS 121 REG'T
Killed at Sailor Creek April 1865.

CHAUNCEY COLTON 121 REG'T
Killed at the Wilderness, Va. 1863.

ZEPHENIAH FOOT 121 REG'T
Killed at White Oak Church 1863.

CHARLES CAMP 121 REG'T
Killed at White Oak Church 1862.

EDWARD W. PEARSALL 121 REG'T
Wounded at Cold Harbor Died July 1864.

GEO. L. DAVIS 152 REG'T.
Killed at Cold Harbor June 1864.

Col. FRANCIS M. ROTCH
of Governor's Staff. Died Dec. 1863.

ABEL CARD 152 REG'T.
Died in Andersonville Prison June 1861.

STANLEY G. SERGEANT 152 REG'T.
Died in Andersonville Prison 1864.

ADELBERT ELDRED 152 REG'T.
Died in Andersonville Prison 1864.

GEORGE REEVES 152 REG'T.
Died in Andersonville Prison 1864.

HENRY ROGERS 152 REG'T.
Died in Andersonville Prison 1864.

WILLARD KIRKLAND 152 REG'T.
Died at Brandy Station Jany. 1864.

JOHN RADLEY 152 REG'T.
Missing at Deep Bottom 1864.

JAMES KELSEY 152 REG'T.
Missing at Spotsylvania May 1864.

F.A. RIPLEY & J.A.MILLER 152 REG'T.
Died in Andersonville Prison 1864.

LIEUT. GEORGE KIDDER 152 REG'T.
Killed in the Wilderness May 1863.

DAVID W. LEWIS 152 REG'T.
Killed at Cold Harbor June 1864.

CHAUNCEY KELSEY 152 REG'T.
Killed at Boynton Plank Road, Oct. 1864.

SAMUEL G. PARCELL 152 REG'T.
Wounded and Died at Cold Harbor June 1864.

ALVIN KINNEY 152 REG'T
Wounded at Cold Harbor Died June 1864.

DANIEL MILLER 152 REG'T.
Wounded and Died at Washington1864.

LEVI McINTYRE REG'T
Killed 1864

RICHARD BENNETT 121 REG'T
Killed at Cold Harbor June 1864.

CHARLES L. KENYON U.S.N.
Died April 2nd 1865

WILLIAM D. ADAMS 8 REG'T CAV.
Killed at Beverly Ford Va. June 1863

WALLACE W. JACKSON 114 REG'T
Killed at Winchester Sept. 1864

ALEXIS GOODRICH 176 REG'T
Killed July 1863

AARON A. PARCELL 176 REG'T
Died at New Orleans July 1863.

WILLIAM E. GREENE 2nd REG'T
Died at Point of Rocks, Va. 1864.

JOHN S. SCUDDER 20th REG'T
Died in Salisbury Prison 1864.

JAY BANCROFT 121 REG'T
Killed at Spotsylania May. 1864.