The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-03-12
Funeral Of the Late postn aster Gen
era1.

General Aaron Y. Brown took place In wssbI ugto,
on Thursday last The occasion was ono ef gres
solcmnity, as will be seen from the following In
terestipg account OF Il in the States.
A little after niue this morning the u,a,,iar. a
the cabinet, headed by The venerable Secretary O
state--a mourning group-proceeied to the lat,
residence Of the ianeuted deceased, to aocoInpan,
laid out in state ~ " '"
Tie body having been borne to the White uous,
in d plain hearse, the doors were ciosesi and Nh,
arrangements for laying out In state having bee,
ansae % I'D tbe east room, In the presence OF thos,
"ho accompanied il there. The doors vera throwr
open little after 10, aud the public wers admit
tsd' Under the main chandelier, in tho centre O
Tue room. and with its head TO the west, Law tn,
Voihh' resting on platform about two feet high -
~ Was covered with black cloth, richly laden with
saver itiuge, aud over it were two pals one O
hoeat black velvet, the dark silk fringe Of which
rested on the floor; the other Of black cloth
"niCh hnng down not quite so far as the velvet
one aod was bound with a silver band about ar
ineh VIDE, and had in the corners the America a
eagle 10 solid silver. On the coffin, ciose to tn,
siass frame through which the features were yisi
oie, was touquct of white flowers emhlems o.
purity and across the centre of the cofn was laid
iobg wreath OF white roses ana rarest flowers
WIN ooWs oil white satin ribbon attached TO itbsl
end, and on the colin was a silver plate with tbe
nd: notds: aaron Vale Brown, Postmaster General
born August 10, 1896, died March g. 1859"
At hs too', on the North side, a coiored female
servant, dressed in mourning, sat silent and still
aud OF the other, or south side was a small table
~uh oible on 10, open at the page containing the
-oin chapter of Pslams, and commencing with the
soieHn words, Judge me, Oh Lord" The fea.
lures OF the departed had q calm and nlacid look
the lips we're closely compressed but the cheek
nsd 'nat wasted look which ever characterjzs ths
iearfai disease of which he died. Around those
wasted cheeks were placed, in clusters beautiful
howers, plncked from the living stem, az he had
nSeu piucEe1 from lite and 70 fad
aud ashes with him
Around the bier were placed in an oval form.
'hroe rows of plain chairs, the mirrors were cover
ed with white muslin. the bright colors Of m.
rich carpeting we're hidden from view by a COW
erng OF white,the heavy curtains fell in darkening
iolos over the Windows, and through few panes
fn the centre window on the north side the sun.
hght entered, falling on the coffin, if fsuratve
OF bright Immortality for him who lay 10 it, No
change had been made ia the furniture of the
room, except what We have described above: but
the suodued light, the dark pail, the shades
thrown over the mirrors, and the deep silence
which reigned, gave the room the appearance of
the interior Of some grand mau solemn.
As the hour for the funeral services approached.
large crowds came 20 witness them. Among
them were many distinguished people. Sneators,
ez Senator'S and many dignstaIies Of the bench
aud bar. At half past eleven O'Clock the clerks of
the Post Office Department, headed by First As
sis'ant Postmaster General King, Second Assis
tant Dundas, and Third Assistant Zsvely, to-
gether with the Sixth Auditor ard his clerks
marched in formal procession to the White
House, ard there passed around the remains of
their departed chief They were then arrsyed on
the east side of the room to the number OF two
hundred.
Officers of the army and navy Of the United
states and the diplomatic corps then entered and
were arranged on the north side OF the East Rocm
On each side Of them there ere heads of bureaus
and other government officials. The pressure be
came so great within and without at this point,
that the doors were temporarily closed. At the
| south end OF the East Room the clergy of this
and adjoining cities were seated in semi-circular
rows OF chairs, in the rear OF the officiating cer.
| gymen.
On the east side Of the room, Senators and Mem.
peTs OF Congress were seated and on the south
were seated the Judges of the Supreme Court, and
United States Marshal Seden, who entered the
room few moments before II O'Clock.
On the north side of the room, the Mayor and
member of the City Council, with their Presidents
were seated and the Senate of the United States
| accompanied by their President aud Sergeant at,
| Arms. were seated on the left.of the coffin.
| AT II O'Clock the President of the United States
accompanied by Secretaries Case Floyd, Toucey
Cobb, Black. and the new Postmaster General
Holt, entered the room through the reception par
| lors, aud took their seats near the clergy. The
| Rev Dr. Hall. of the street Episcopal Church
and Rev. j. q cranberry, the officiating ciergyme
then took their positions at small table in front
of the coffin. Quiet having been restored, the Rev
DIR. Hall then read the solemn and impressive fa-
neral service Of the Episcopal Church. In copclu
| ding, he introduced Rev. MIR Cranberry, who pro,
ceeded to make a few remarks; after which the
cortege formed, including all the diguitaries o
State, and marched down Fifteenth street to Penn
| sylvania Avenue, and thence to the Congressional
Cemetery. The church bells were toled as the
procession moved through the city, while tho sts
were lined with crowds of people. When the pro
cesson arrived at the Congressional Cemetery, the
burial services were completed, and the remains
were placed in vault until the time appointed
for their removal to Tennessee.