Grayson County TXGenWeb
 
Dedication of the
Confederate Monument
Sherman, Texas
April 21, 1897
An Illustrated History of Grayson County, Texas by Graham Landrum, c1960 pg90-92
The monument's corner stone was laid on April 3, 1896.  The final dedication and unveiling took place on April 21, 1897 - San Jacinto Day.
The Dallas News reported that there was no formal parade but trainloads of Confederate Veterans formed into companies as their trains arrived and marched to the courthouse square.
Present, also, were the Stanley Rangers of Denison, Hemming Guards of Gainesville and the cadet corps from Austin College.  Six thousand people attended the morning ceremonies.  Music was provided by Professor Kohler's band. The invocation was by Rev. W. M. Anderson of the First Presbyterian Church in Dallas.  There was a roll call of the Mildred Lee encampment of the United Confederate Veterans.  Mayor Edmonds presented the address which was answered by Judge h. P. Teague of Denison.
At 1:45 pm, the parade formed at Pecan and Travis streets, moving south.
Recorded in the Dallas News: "The scene as it passed the courthouse square was magnificent. Every window was filled with people; the awnings were crowded, the sidewalks were so jammed that passage through them could not be effected; the streets were literally packed with a surging mass of humanity. Chief of Police Blain and twelve policemen were required to keep open the way for the moving columns."

Passing in review were:
  • Kohler's band playing Confederate tunes
  • Stanley's Rangers
  • Austin College Cadets
  • North Texas Female College
  • Mary Nash Female College
  • Mahan's Commercial College
  • One thousand public-school children, each wearing a wreath of flowers
  • Odd Fellows
  • Woodmen of the World
  • The Hemming Guards
  • The Joseph E. Johnston camp of the U.C.V. of Gainesville
  • Mildred Lee Camp, U.C.V.
  • Denison Camp,U.C.V. played "The Bonnie Blue Flag"

The veterans swept into the square and a joyous rebel yell could be heard.  Ladies threw roses and other flowers from the upper windows of stores and balconies.  Men bared their heads in honor of the boys in gray. The veterans present wept unashamedly.
Two floats carrying young ladies who were selected to read the inscriptions about the base of the monument - one young lady being from each of the Southern states.  The ladies were dressed in red and white and carried bouquets of red and white flowers.
The city fire department, in uniform, concluded the line of march. The procession traveled down Travis to King, the west and back up Crockett to the courthouse square.

At this time:
  • Will Anderson delivered an address
  • The Hemming Guard fired a salute from the base of the monument
  • Young ladies from the North Texas Female College waved bannerets and sang "The Bonnie Blue Flag".
  • H. O. Bowen delivered another address.
  • The chorus sang "Tenting Tonight" and "Maryland, My Maryland."
  • The band played "Dixie."
  • Captain Harrington, assisted by Miss Nettie Bass and Miss May Wilson, loosened the fasting of the white drapery
  • The white drapery floated slowly down revealing the monument.
  • The Hemming Guards and the Austin College Cadets joined in three more volleys.
  • The cavalry stood at present sabers.
  • The Daughters of the Confederacy decorated the monument base with garlands.
  • The band played while the crowd sang "In the Sweet Bye and Bye."
  • General T. N. Ward delivered the oration of the day.
  • Honorable C. B. Randell answered in behalf of the sons of the Confederate Veterans.
Dr. Alexander W. Acheson was a Union soldier wounded in combat.  He gave the speech below at the dedication of the Confederate Soldier Memorial on the Courthouse Square in Sherman in 1897.   Acheson was not on the program that day. His speech must have fallen in with the group described at the end of the article in the Gazetteer of April 25, 1897: "Several volunteer speeches were made by old veterans, and with a benediction by Rev. Jenkins of Wolfe city [sic], the exercises of the day were closed."~~~~ Jim Sears.












The Confederate Monument History
Susan Hawkins
© 2024

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