The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-10-08
The Marriage Of General Sherman's
Daughter.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1.
Lieut. Thos. w. Fitch, Of the Engineer
Corps of the navy, was married today to
Miss Maria Sherman, eldest daughter of
Gen. W. Il. 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 bride;
Miss Phillips, of Cincinnati; Miss Fanny
Marcy, daughter of Gen. Marcy, United
States Army; Miss Alice BARLEY, OF
Washington; Miss Maria Patterson, 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, near 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. Shcr-
man, and met the bride near the sanctu-
ary, 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 a special
blessing was given, and the ceremony
ended.
Before the mass Archbishop Purcell
read portions of the Scripture relating
to the sacrament of matrimony and then
addressed the congregation. lie 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 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. tie
then referred to the sanctity OF the mar
riage tie, and said when the marriage
union was consummatcd under such aus
pices as were witnessed today there was
every reason to believe that Almighty God
would bless the couple. The Archbishop
next spoke of the family Of the BRIDE, re-
ferring to her grandfather and grand
mother, Judge and Mrs. Ewing, and the
noble traits Of their characters. He again
spoke of the sacrament about to be ad-
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 q niche containing bust OF
Gen. Sherman, under a canopy Of flowers
draped with smilax, from which also was
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 10Th.