The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-01-31 00:00:00

A RUSSIAN MARSHAL'S FUNERAL.

MTh. YeetelsebeurlaigC, Zrer.eirthodiennett.?itthhuesid)lrli
laanhal Berg;—
They buried old Marshal Berg this morning. he
veteran ex-Governor bad done the State some set vice,
describe,
hwerit.thiguloomi
and the State followed Ms remains to his tomb. 'The
Marshal a few week, since travelled in the tram which
brought me to St. Petersburg, and I °two noticed, at
the Russian station, when he got out to take a turn on
the platform, how the peasants aryl railway rib tials
tried to get a peep beneath the altundaut furs in which
so noted a personage was muffled. The unnatural
weather at laat killed him, and he died quite suddenly.
Yeeterday he lay in state in the Lutheran Church
of St. Peter's, in the Nevski. Throughout the entire
day the Psalter was maid, and at int-rvals there were ,
special prayers, at which la's relsirivee and iturnediste I
friends were expected t be present. The ciba re- I
maiued open. The withered face "fif the aged soldier ,
wore a t luchinely peacefal, almost child-line, expres-
'don. There he lay in hie uniform, covered with deco- I
ration, and smothered with choicest flowers, his white,
bony hand 13 lag outside the coverlet so that his
, friends might imprint upon it A farewell kiss. On
I my way to the church at ten o'clock this morning
I I passed several Hussian funeral processions, the
high, roofathaped coffins in each case partially ex-
posed. The poorer passersby took off their hats, and
crossed thecuselvee del outly. Sledge-driver or peasant
wending his slow jdurney to market, it was all the
same • each paid a tribute of respect to the low bier.
The same;
was stopped near the church of St. Peter's,
for the streets were tilled with troops. There were
four batteries of cepitally horeed artillery, the guus,
long brass breech-loaders of light calibre. Ex
tending right and left ha front of the church was
a double line of the Emperor'e Body Guard, big,
tall fellows, in tbe long, brownieh-grey overcoats
which yen may see in any Crimean war picture,
brightly buruithed cuirasses, eagle-topped harnete,
and a portion Littlest., pretrumably carrying a
pennon somewhat like that of our Lanaers. Weile the
burial service, Cr rather a portion of it, was being read
inside the church, these Guards, at least a thousand
strong, remained like statues at their post. The six
horses drawing the Ma tshal's bier were hidden to the
hoofs in black trapptngs, according to the invariable
custom in "lassie. The coffin, now closed, was brought
from the church, and placed upon the tier, like the
humbler ones I had previously seen, partly exposed, and
heaped up with wreaths mad immortellre. The Em-
peror, pale and sadlooking, was there MI chief mourner.
His own sons and brother, were there, and our Eng
fish Princes, all, of course, in uniform. The Royal
mourner, mounted their horsey, and took their places
in the procession. The Emperor rode a magnificent
black charger, one of the favourites in his immense
stables. Toe Prince of Walee, the Duke of Edinburgh,
and Prince Arthur were mounted upon smaller
animals, almost pure-bred white Arabs. The band
of the Guards, playing a funeral march, led the
van up the Nevski; the batteries came next, and
then the military, the mourners, and the rear-guard.
All traffic was stopped, not by compulsion, but
by sympathy. Is was another procf of that out-
ward devoutness which so preeminently characterieee
the Remise. Bareheaded, in mute, reverent obeisance,
all sorts and conditions of men stood, while the dead
Marshal and the living Priucee filed slowly on through
the heaving mire. The destination of the procession
wan the NVareaw Station, from which piece the de-
ceased Marshal was removed into the country to be
buried amonget his own people.