1868

THE FIRST CELEBRATION
OF
DECORATION DAY
AT
ANDOVER, MAY 30, 1868

The services on Saturday (May 30, 1868) in honor of our patriotic dead by strewing flowers on their graves was a very informative affair, started by the teachers and pupils of Abbot Female Academy, seconded by the students of the Theological Seminary, and Philips Academy, was quite a success.  The services in the chapel of the Theological Seminary consisted of singing national songs.  Prayer by Professor Thayer who was Chaplain of the 40th Mass and reading of patriotic selections of poetry by Mr. J. N. Churchill of the Seminary.  A procession of about five hundred was formed, headed by twelve or fifteen students of the seminary, and academy, who had served in the war.  Mr. L. Bradley, Jr. of the academy who belonged to the 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery took the lead carrying the banner presented to the Andover Company by the students of Phillips Academy.  The stars and stripes were borne by Mr. John P. Studely of the Academy, who was a member of the 20th Connecticut and accompanied Sherman on his march to the sea, and Mr. James H. Giddings who belonged to the 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry.  The procession visited the chapel south and episcopal cemeteries setting flowers upon the graves of all buried therein who were known to have borne arms in defense of our country.  As the procession marched down School Street, the teachers and pupils of Abbot Female Academy joined in.  Owing to lateness of the hour and the distance to the other cemeteries, they were not visited.