The penny press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1859-1860, 1859-12-05
The Burial of Washington Irving-Im-
pressive and Solemn Scene at Tarry-
t0wn-Funeral Obsequies.


most every house mourning drapery was hung;
the bells Of the churches tolled for some hours.
From the surrounding country and from New
York and other cities, thousands Of people as
sembled In and about the church; where the
funeral services took place. A procession, more
than mile in length, followed the remains of
the deceased to the grave, whore, besides many
OF the most distinguished men of New York
City, were nearly all the Episcopal clergy, in
Guiding the Provisional Bishop Of the Diocese.
The New York Common Council and the Trus-
tees Of the Astor Library were present; and
the Historical Society was well represented.
The services in tho church and at tho grave
were conducted by the Rev. DR.. Creighton,
pastor of tho church at Tarrytown, Of which
Mr.. Irving was member.
From lengthy account in Fridays Tribuns
We eondense such particul ars Of the funeral as
We deem Of interest:
The remains were on Thursday morning,
for the first time, placed In the coffin, and were
lying In the northwest parlor Of the quantity
gabled cottage, familiar to those who have
loved to read Of Irving. To Gil was granted
long, last look at the precious dust, ere it left
forever the spot where his years were SO ripe
and lustrous. Very few were present, except
the immediate family connections, 1t being
| understood that no services were to be held at
| the house.
The body was robed In plain black suit,
| with white cravat and collar, and as the light
struck the features Of the deceased, 1t seemed
almost a. If he were sleeping-so calm and
| smooth had the touch Of death left them.
The face was thinner than we had seen it, but
there waa the same repose, and the same I'M
aginative, noble brow. At the left of tho
coffin hung the celebrated portrait by Jarvis;
by Its side were the center -table-as he left It,
covered with books--and his favorite chair,
standing In the position whore he occupied II
last. 1t seemed as if the grief Of the bereaved
ones was tempered even there and then by the
thought of his we'll rounded life, and the
euthanasy that was his lot.
AT about IL NJ. the family procession left
| Sunnyside, with the body, winding through
the lovely grounds to the east, and then two
| miles north, over road lined with beautiful
trees and mansions, to the village Of Tarry-
town.
THE FUNERAL PRocEssIoN.-About2 2 P. M.
the procession was formed to convey the re.
mains to their last resting place. 1t moved
in the following order; let. The Clergy; I'd.
PallrbearerS; Sd. The Hearse dth. Relatives
and invited guests 9th. Tho Common Coun.
Gil of the City of New York; 9th. Scholars of
the Irving Institute, to the number Of about
one hundred, on foot; 7th. Citizens in general.
The procession itself was about one quarter of
a mile in length, and many hundreds, beside,
had already gathered in the Cemetery prior to
its arrival. Moving still northward, with the
silvery Hudson and the nesting village ever
in view, it passed the Andre Monument on
the left, and so on for mile, to the lovely
hill where the Tarrytown Cemetery Is located.
The streets through which it moved were
draped with mourning, as, indeed, were the
shops and dwellings throughout the place !;
the flags at the river side were at half-mast (;
the church-bells tolling, and all business ap-
peared to be suspended for the day.
MOUNT PLEASANT CEMErERY.-This burying
ground is romantically located on bill over
looking the famous "Sleepy Hollow" where
the bridge Of the "Headless Horseman" is
still pointed cut. Near the entrance is the
old Dutch Church alluded to by Mr.. Irving in
his works. 1t was erected In 1899, by "Fred.
Phillipse and Catherine Van Courtlandt, his
wife," so says the ancient tablet. The lot of the
Irving family has south elevation on the
southwest side Of the ground, and commands
the loveliest view of the Hudson anywhere
obtainable. In II are already deposited the
ashes Of William Irving and wife-the parents
Of Washington; his brothers, Peter and Will
liam, and the wife of the latter, and the wife
and three children of General Eb. Irving, the
surviving brother of the deceased.
The BEREAvED FAMILY.--G General Ebenezer
Irving, the surviving brother of the deceased,
is eighty six years old, and was consequently
Washington's senior by ten years. He feels
keenly the shock of his brothers. death, hav-
loo, hot ~, kho &c \ -
own summons would have been TIE first. His
three unmarried daughters, Catharine, Julia
and Mary, are the nieces who have kept house
for the deceased, and tenderly cherished and
| lightened his declining ago. Another daugh-
ter, Sarah, is the wife Of William Grinnell,
Esq.,, of Havana, N. Y. His son, the Rev.
Pierre M. Irving, of Brighton, Staten Island,
was the last person to whom Mr.. Irving spoke
before his death. The Rev. Theodore Irving,
also of Staten Island, Is another son--and
there are two others whose names we did not
obtain. Pierre P. Irving, Esq, nephew Of
the deceased by an older brother, and brother
Of Mrs. Moses Fl. Grinnell, forms one Of the
bereaved family of Sunnyside.
Mr.. IRvING's LAST HoURs.-Those who
have seen much Of Mr.. Irving, for some time
past, say that he retained to the last his erect
ness Of posture and noble bearing. A few
days before his death, while suffering painfully
from the asthmatic attack which hastened 1t,
he stopped very little only, as If from weak
moss In the chest. His death was wrongly re-
ported as having taken place at O'Clock on
Monday evening. He oonverssd with his
usual spirits, and mingled In the family
amusements, until about 10 O'Clock, whom he
rose to retire, and had proceeded as far as his
bed d-chamber, on the second story, before he
fell in death.
WARRINGTON IRVING AZ CrTI2EN.--Mr. r.
wing could well abide the judgment of his fell
low-townemen. Not alone the wealthy, well-
read rssidents--who have 80 enhanced tho ma
tural beauties Of the vicinity Of Sunnyside by
their exquisite summer haunts, and revered
and loved him with an intellectual SYM
pathy--but the humble villagers and farmers,
TO whom he was so we'll known, were among
the truest mourncrs that followed him to his
grave.
The genial personnel-the broad, loving, hu-
man heart--of Washington Irving impressed
alike all classes that knew him. Many one
was heard to speak, yesterday, Of his gentle-
ness of bearing, his kindly words to the suffer-
ing, his clear grey eyes, his sunny smile.
"Sir," said one old resident Of Irvipgton, who
had greeted him almost daily for many years,
/" the poor of this vicinity have lost tho best
friend they ever had. There never was an ap-
plicant for relief at Sunnyside, whom Mr.. r.
wing know to be worthy, that went away empty
handed. He visited the sick In afliotion, and
was friend to the widow and the fatherless,