Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-10-15
The Fitch-Sherman Wedding.


WASHINGTON, Oct. T.
Lieut.. Thos. w. Fitch, of the Engineer
Corps of the navy, was married to-day to
Miss Maria Sherman, eldest daughter OF
Gen. ". I. Sherman The ceremony
took place in ST. Aloysius (Catholic)
Church. The marriage was solemnized
by Archbishop Purcell, Of Cincinnati,
assisted by clergymen from New York
and Brooklyn and the resident priests of
the District.
The bridesmaids were Misses Lizzie
and Ella Sherman, sisters of the brides
Miss Phillips, of Cincinnati; Miss Fanny
States Army; Miss Alice BARLEY, of
st. Louis; Miss Ella Ewing and Miss
Bessie Smith, of Cincinnati
The groomsmen were Charles Rae, OF
the Engineer Corps; Lieut.. Hunter, Pay
master Cochrane, Edwin Wells, of the
Engineer Corps; Lieut.. Wood, United
States Navy; Lieut. Russell, of the Ma
rine Corps Thomas E. Sherman, brother
of the bride, and Mr.. G. Alvin, of Boston.
The bride leaned upon the arm of her
father The groom stood within the
sacristy, hear a door leading to the
sanctuary, and as the bridal party APP
preached the altar he passed through the
sanctuary, leaning upon the arm of Gen.
Hugh Ewing, the brother of Mrs. Sher-
man, and met the bride near the sanctu-
airy, where he received her from her
father.
The entire party then approached the
altar railing, and, after kneeling short
time, took the positions assigned them.
All being in readiness, the Archbishop
entered the sanctuary from the sacristy,
and proceeded with the marriage cere
mony.
The bride and groom first received the
holy communion.
At the conclusion of mass special
blessing was gwen, and the ceremony
ended.
Before the mass Archbishop Purcell
read portions of the Scripture relating
to the sacrament of matrimony and then
addressed the congre cation. He said
that the marriage ceremony had never
before been performed in the United
States under more interesting circum-
stances than the present. He was told
that among those in the church was the
ruler of the great Republic, the greatest
nation of ancient or modern times. Here
also was the father of the bride, who had
achieved such fame as a soldier and was
most devoted patriot. There were
other brave officers and Generals pres
ent who had gained the admiration and
respect of every nation of the earth.
He then referred to the sanctity of
the marriage tie, and said when
the marriage union was consum-
mated under such auspices as were
witnessed to-day there was every reason
to believe that Almighty God would
bless the couple. The Archbishop next
spoke of the family of the bride, referring
to her grandfather and grandmother,
Judge and Mrs Ewing, and the noble
traits OF their characters. He again
spoke OF the sacrament about to be adj
ministered, and said marriage is essen
TALLY religious ceremony, and not
mere civil contract. 1t had been raised
to the dignity of sacrament by the
Savior of the world He congratulated
the vast assembly in attendance upon the
good order maintained, by which was
shown respect for the house of God and
for our divine Lord here present, as well
as His Excellency the President and the
bride and groom.
The ceremony over, the bridal party
returned to Gen Sherman's residence
and received their friends from one to
four o'clock~-the bride and groom in the
back parlor, while Gen. and Mrs Sher-
man occupied the front parlor The
bridal party received congratulations in
the front of niche containing bust of
Gen. Sherman, under canopy of flowers
Grapcd with smilaX, from which alsowas
suspended marriage bell of snow-white |
flowers. During the reception ceremony
the Marine Band stationed on the grounds |
west of the parlor, played appropriate
airs.
The newly-married couple left in the |
evening for bridal tour North and West,
intending to reach st. Louis, their future |
residence, about the 18th.