St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1861-09-19
st. Charles City, Iowa, Sept. 10, 1861.
The Funeral of Gen. Lyon.

The last sad offices of the living for
the dead were performed on the 5th
inst, for the lamented patriot and sol
dier, General Nathaniel Lyon, at East
ford, CT. 1t is said that great con-
course of people was present, number
ing some fifteen or twenty thousand.
Eastford was the native place Of Gen.
eral Lyon. The exercises took place
in front of the village church, where
a platform was erected for the pur-
pose. The body of the deceased lay
in the village church, during the cere-
monies. Ex-Governor Cleveland of
Connecticut presided. Judge Carpen-
ter of Connecticut read an address
upon the life and character Of the de-
ceased, with whom he enjoyed long
and intimate acquaintance The mod
esty of Gen. Lyon, he said, was equal
to his bravery as a child he was
strictly obedient, with no question
ings-certainly fit material for a SOL
dier. His love for his mother amount
ed almost to passion, and her death
was one of the scverest blows of his
life. AS an officer he was careful and
tender to his men, for he could fully
sympathize with them, having been
himself accustomed to hardships. lie
was man of action rather than of
words. ...
After this address, Hon. Galusha
A. Grow of Pennsylvania, Speaker
of the U. S. House of Representatives,
who is native of Eastford, delivered
an eloquent oration, Of which we copy
the following sketch from o report in
the Boston Post:
Mr.. Grow, in commencing, said:
Ladies and gentlemen-Oncc more
upon my native heath and my name
is Macgregor. At this sad hour we
come to mourn a nations loss and
drop tear at the grave of one who,
though cold in death, still lives. The
soil that contains the ashes Of Put
nam. Hale and Lyon, will for all time
be cherished by the votaries of exalt-
ed worth as hallowed ground. Mans
life is short and soon passes away,
but the principles that he may devel-
op are eternal, and his example lives"
The speaker then traced the pro-
gress Of civilization in its relation
toward the development of liberty,
claiming, after tracing and describing
the various links in the chain, that
Columbus, Luther and the Pilgrim
Fathers oil stood god-fathers at the
baptism Of our country and at the
birth of Washington. Affections were
necessary for national as well as for
human strength all nations had them
and were we to be exempt? I? A ma
ton had first 10 work out its exist
ence second, to maintain it against
the world third, to show that it was
strong enough to protect itself against
itself. We were to-day passing thro'
tho third stage, and we were called
upon to prove that we could maintain
our government against treason.
A nation could not be punished in
the next world, and it consequently
must be in this. 1t was not well for
a people to think that their career was
to be one of unbroken prosperity.
War was not the greatest calamity
that could befal a nation-degration
and loss of national manhood were
the greatest, for their influence extern
ded through untold generations, car
rying misery and woe in their train.
We were called upon to-day to defend
a principle of government against a
world in arms. To-day our townsman
falls, and to-day the flag which was
wet with our forefathers' blood is dis
honored on the soil, and by men who
were born, within the shades of Wash
ington and we were called upon to
vindicate our national existence by all
the obligations to our Maker and to q
common humanity.
The boom of cannon on the plains
Of Lexington shook continent and
bore an obscure militia colonel from
the shades of Mount Vernon to the
highest pinnacle of earthly glory, to
stand forever on that proud pedestal
peerless among men, while it called
Stark from his granite hills, Putnam
from his plow, and Green from his
blacksmith's forge, to immortal fame.
The iron hail beating against the
walls Of Sumpter again shakes the
Continent, and the genius of history
is recording the names Of those who
were born not to die
| Let the bier pass on, mourn not for
the dead
| s'Since to all men on this earth
l Death cometh or late,
| How, then, can a man dire better
| Than facing fearful odds,
l For the ashes OF his fathers
And the temples Of his 6odi"
No man lives in vain or for himself
or dies too soon, who falls defending
the liberties Of his country or the
rights of mankind.
So long as the Mississippi rolls
from the mountains to the sea its
waters will murmur requiem to the
| departed And though his ashes sleep
1 4 Al 4 :. A.