Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1856-05-24
THE CoNGREss CEMETERY.
We find in letter to the Philadelphia
Inquirer the annexed interesting notice
of the Congressional Cemctery:

Inquirer the annexed interesting notice
Of the Congressional Cemetery:
WAsuINoroNs April 10, 1856
I have devoted part of day to a visit
to the Congressional Burial Ground,
which is one ofthe objects of interest to
strangers in Washington. The dispose
ton to visit cemeteries and other resting
places of the dead istmiversal, and is in
itself an internal evidence of our own i'm
mortality, or at least, of our convictions
OF future existence 1t is notthe mere
indulgence in romantic notions or the
effects of a mawkish sensibility that i'm
pei us to visit these cities Of the dead. 1t
is perhaps natural enough that each in
dividual should cherish the spot where
reposes all that was mortal of his loved
and lost ones but we must look beyond
this, and far beyond the mere gratifying
of morbid curiosityrto find the reason
why almost all classes of mankind are in
sensibly led to wander among the habi-
tations of the departed.
The Congressional Burial Ground at
Washington does not compare fayorably
with the cemeteries of note in various
parts of the country. It lies near the
Eastern Branch Of the Potomac, rather
more than mile east Of the Capitol, and
contains about ten acres of ground. 1t
dates back to the year 1907. Its surface
is conveniently arranged for burial pur-
poses, but it presents none of that diver
sity of hill and dale and variegated see
merry which render Mount Auburn and
Greenwood soattractive Its chiefmerit
is its sequestered location, rendering any
future disturbance of its sleeping tenants
improbable.
The first objects that attract the eye of
a visitor are the small plain cenotaphs
erected in memory of those members of
Congress who have died at Washington.
These are arranged in double rows, and
number one hundred and twenty-eight
in all. In some instances the graves be-
meath them are tenantless, as in the cases
of Henry C1Sy, John Quincy Adams, and
others, but i ~ Of them have not been
disturbed sipSWthe remains Of the great
men of the nation were deposited there
The inscriptions on these cenotaphs are
uniform, and gives simply the names of
the dead, the States from which they
came, and the dates Of their DEATH
| shall have space to notice few of
the most interesting and striking monu-
ments to be found here, and must do that
briefly.
The remains of Henry Stephen Fox,
nephew of the celebrated Charles James
Fox. and for many years British Minister
to this Government, are enclosed in q
plain massive marble sarcophagus, near
to the Congressional cenotaphs.
The monument erected to the memory
of Major General Alexander Macomb con-
sists Of beautiful marble shaft, with APP
propriate military cmblcms, surmounted
by a helmet with the vizor down. The
epitaph is from the General Orders Of the
War Department, and is most expressive
1t runs as follows: 1T were but small
tribute to his memory to say that in you'll
and manhood he served his country in thu
profession in which he died, during pc
riod of more than forty years, withou
stain or blemish upon his escutcheon."
A plain but graceful granite shat
marks the resting place Of Abel Parker
Upshur, formerly Secretary of the Navy
, and afterwards of State, and also of Capt
Beverly Kennon, Of the Navy, who were
killed on the 2Sth of February, 1874, b.
{ the bursting Of the greatcannon on board
the Princeton. They were warm friends
in life, and were buried together.
Major General Jacob Brown, who died
in 1923, lies under a massive broken
marble column, erected by order Of Con
gress.
One Of the finest, perhaps the most at
tractive, monument here is the one cree
ted to William Writ. Tits constructed
Of white marble, AMI has a door Of en-
trance in the massive base, with a grace
full shaft above. There is very little Or
4 namental work about it, aud but few in
,tions.
Commodore Charles w. Chauncey,
who died in Mexico in 1s47, has a light
and graceful marble shaft, with appropri-
ate emblems and inscriptions
One Of the handsomest In the grounds
is tall spire Of white marble, slender and
tapering, like Clcopatra's needle, rising
over the grave of the late John w. Maury,
Of this District, who died only about
year ago The inscription, which is said 10
have been well mcrited, II as follows:
" His character was blended with all
that can elevate or adorn, and his life
was bright example Of the nobility and
power Of virtue"
- 0ne-of the prettiest designs is. an in
verted cannon, in marble, standing on
three cannon balls, (also Of marble. }
erected TO the memory Of Lieut.. John T.
Mclaughlin, late Of the United States
Navy; another to the memory Of Lieut..
George Miliin Bache, Of the coast sur
yey, and the officers and crew who per-
ishcd under him in the brig Washington,
which was lost in the Gulf Stream IN
1916, represents the broken mast Of
vessel, and the sculptor has beautifully
initiated the splinterng Of the timber
Capt Geo. w Taylor, the inventor
Of the submarine armor, reposes under
little plain marble slab, not moro than
three feet long by eighteen inches wide,
laid carelessly on a pile of unsightly
bricks, few inches above the ground
The most elaborate monument is that
Of the family Of Jacob Gideon, beneath
which are deposited the remains Of his
Jooo,aod xy;fa IN tho uv,r,.r ,,art 81 tha