glass icons

Some of the colors of the Scottish stained glass have faded. The Memorial Chapel remembers the Union dead, but it was also built in the centennial of national Independence. This triple window is called "Centennial Anniversary of American Independence". It has General Washington in the center lintel, flanked by Abraham Lincoln, and Oliver Hazard Perry. People forget about Perry now. He was the hero of the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813. His battle flag "Don't Give up the Ship" is part of this window. His words are underneath his portrait, "We have met the enemy and they are ours". Both statements à propos for the then recent war. Before, Cleveland had its Union Monument for the Soldiers and Sailors of the Union on Public Square, a statue of Perry was there. It is now on Lakeside Avenue.

The opposite triple window is of the Sanitary Commission and Soldiers' Aid Society. In between, in front where the altar would be, is a large window dedicated to Colonel Lewis P. Buckley. The local Grand Army of the Republic post is named after him.

Chapel for the Union Dead

Glendale Cemetery Akron Ohio has a memorial chapel for the Union war dead. The ground was dedicated on Memorial Day 1875, and the formal opening was on the next Memorial Day. It is a beautiful building, inside and out.

There is a statue for the unknown dead.

The news has much on confederate memorials now. The United States Union survived the war, the rebellion was put down, the insurgents lost. We should consider and honor those that died to preserve the country. A previous post [click] was especially poignant, concerning the deaths of two local boys.

The window pictured supra is dedicated to Henry N. Smith who died at the Confederate Prison Camp Andersonville Georgia, and to Eugene D. Smith who "died from the effects of war" in 1868.

The left window below remembers three Voris Brothers who died, one in service, one from exposure as prisoner, and one of starvation at Andersonville. The right window is for the first Akron soldier that died in the war, William Palmer Williamson.

Benjamin F. Weary

There is a beautiful War Chapel built in 1875-6 in Akron's Glendale Cemetery for those that died from Akron and nearby. This is for the Union dead.

There are several windows from Scotland. Some colors are faded. There are symbols, portraits, and script. This is an incredibly poignant and sad story. The story is that like a novel, or a movie; something similar to All's Quiet on the Western Front. Two brothers-in-law are memorialised. One, Virgil J. Robinson, died at the confederate prison camp at Andersonville. Andersonville was a hideous destination where men wasted away from starvation. The other soldier, Benjamin F. Weary, was the first volunteer from Akron. Robert E. Lee surrendered on the 9th of April 1865, at Appomattox Court House Virginia, to Ulysses S. Grant. Later that day, Weary was shot dead.

I spoke to a friend about what i read that day on that window. He said, "that's war".  I said, "No, that is murder".