Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-10-18
THE FUNERAL OF LEE.
An Immense Gathering Of the
Friends of the Dead Hero. =.
The Ceremonies at Lexington
on Saturday-Impres-
azt sive Scenes. r.rF


ton and the surrounding country began to
arrive, and up to 10 o'clock the Poop
continued to pour in until there was
despite the fact that the washing away OF
bridges cut off many of the people who
would most gladly have been here-the
largest crowd ever assembled in Licking
ton. .- ,..--..-..,'
All classes come TO do honor to our lost
hero. His old soldiers who followed him
30 cheerfully in the darkest hours of the
Confederate struggles, the Professors of
the college whom he ever treated with
such marked consideration; the students
to whom he was in every sense loving
father and unexampled guide, the Faculty
and corps of cadets of the Virginia Mill
tary Institute, in whose welfare and sue
cess he ever manifested so lively an
interest; the sovereign representatives of
his native, loved Virginia the citizens of
the town and country, whom he honored
with his last days; 10 fact every class,
ysung and old, rich and poor, white and
black, turned out to do him honor-for
ne was the friend of all--with punctu-
atty which would have been pleasant to
the great hero, if living.
The following was observed as the order
of the procession: ri
Music, escort of honor, consisting of
officers and soldiers of the Confederate
army, chaplain and other clergy, hearse
and pall-bearers, Gen. Lees horse, the
attending physician, trustees and faculty
OF Washington College, dignitaries of the
State of Virginia, visitors and faculty of
virginia Military Institute, other represen-
tative bodies and distinguished visitors.
the alumni of Washington College, citi-
.zens, cadets of the Virginia Military In
stitute, and the students of Washington
College as guard of honor.
AT 10 o'clock precisely the procession
was formed on the College grounds, in
front of the Presidents house, and
moved down Washington street, up
Jefferson street to the Franklin Hall,
thence to Main street, where it was
Joined, in front of the hotel, by the
Representatives of the State of Virgins
and other representative bodies in their
order, and by the organized body of the
citizens in front of the courthouse. The
procession then moved by the road to the
Virginia Military Institute, where it was
joined by the visitors, faculty, and cadets
of the Virginia Military Institute, in their
respective classes The procession was
closed by the students of Washington
College as a guard of honor, and they
moved up through the Institute and Col
lege grounds to the chapel. a
The procession was halted in front of
the chapel, when the cadets of the Insti-
tute and students of Washington College
were marched through the college chapel,
past the remains, and were sfterward
drawn up in two bodies on the south side
of the chapel. The remainder of the
procession then proceeded into the chapel,
and were seated under the direction of
the marshals. The gallery and side blocks
were reserved for ladies. AS the process
sion moved off to solemn dirge by the
Institute band, the bells of the town be-
gan to toll, and the Institute battery fired
minute guns, which was kept up during
the whole exercises. In front of the Ma
tional Hotel the procession was Joined by
the Committee of the Legislature, con-
sistiug of Col. W. H. Taylor, Col. Ed.
Pendleton, w. l.. Reddick, Maj. A. NJ.
Kelley, George Walker, s. S. Turner, H.
Bower, T. P. Jackson and Marshal Har-
ger; the delegation from the city of
Stanton, headed by Col. Bolivar Chris
tian, and other prominent citizens, Col.
G. A. Vensble, Chairman of the Faculty,
and committee of students from the
University, and perhaps others.
1t is OF course understood that there
would have been large numbers of other
delegations but for the known inaccessi-
bility of our town, now rendered much
more than usually so by the breaking up
of railroads and the washing away of
bridges on our country roads, and the
short notica which the country had of the
funeral. Gen. Bradley T: johnson was
in command of the soldier guard of honor,
aided by Col. j. K. Edmonson, Col. r. T.
Maury and Maj J. B. Dorman. Capt J.
J. White, Professor in the college, was
chief marshal. 1t was remarked that the
different classes which Joined in the pro-
CessiOn mingled into each other, and that
among the Boards of Professor of the
Institute, the faculties, students and
cadets, the Legislative Committee, the
delegations, and even the clergy, there
were many who might with equal pro-
priety have joined the soldier
guard of honor, for they, too,
had followed the standard of
Lee In the days that 'tried mems souls. !"
Along the streets the buildings were all
appropriately draped, and crowds gathered
on the corners and in the balconies to see
the procession pass. Not a flag fioated
above the horizon, and nothing was seen
that looked like an attempt at display.
Old soldiers wore their ordinary citizens
dress, with single black ribbon in the
lapel of their coats; and Traveller, led
by two old soldiers, had the simple trap
pings of mourning. The Virginia Mill
tary Institute was the very last draped.
and from its turrets hung at half mast and
drsped in mourning the flags of all of the
States of the late Southern Confederacy.
When the procession reached the Insti-
tute and passed the corpse, the cadets,
drawn up in line as the guard of honor,
presented arms as the heroes passed.
When it reached the chapel, where an
immense throng had assembled, the stu
dents and cadets, about six hundred and
fifty strong, marched into the left door
and aisle, past the remains and out by the
right aisle and door to their appropriate
place. The rest of the procession then
filed in, the family appropriately joined
by Drs. Bartin and Madison, the attend
ing physicians, and Col. w. H. Taylor,
and G. s. Venable, members of the Gen.
erals staff during the war, occupied seats
Immediately In front of the pulpit and
the clergy, of whom a number were
present. The faculty of the college and
the faculty of the institute had places on
the platform. The coffin was literally
covered with flowers and evergreens,
while the front of the drapery thrown
over it was decked with crosses of ever
greens and immortelles. s..
Rev. Mr.. Pendleton, the long intimate
personal friend of Gen. Lee, his Chief of
Artillery during the war, and his pastor
for the past five years, read the beautiful
burial service of the Episcopal Church.
No sermon was preached, and nothing
said beside the simple service, in accord
ance with the known wish of Gen. Lee.
After the funeral services were concluded
in the chapel, the body was removed to
the vault prepared for its reception, and
the concluding services were read by the
chaplain from the bank on the southern
side of the chapel in front of the vault.
The psll-bearers were Judge F. T. An
derson, David E. Moore, senior Trustees
of the College; Commodore NJ. F. Maury,
Capt J. NJ. Brooks, Prof. ]. Randolph
Tucker, Professors of Washington College;
William M. Prather, Edmund P. Clarke,
students of Washington College; Capt. ].
c. Bonde, Capt. ]. P. Moore, soldiers
Confederate States Army; William G.
White, James G. Steele. citizens of Lex
ington. There was sung in the chapel
the 1 Oath HYMN of the Eniscnnal cnllec-