Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1881-10-20
Gun DEAD PRESIDENTS.
B'ief Record of Their Deaths, and
the Scenes at Their Funerals.

AtH Ltlstg lNoFts HI DOeNlu JpuIuHlsl
George Washington died at Mount
Vernon. Of infammatory quinsy, Dec.
II, 1893. His coffin was of lead, in.
closed in mahogany shell, with orna-
ments inscribed, " Surge adj judiciurn "
and 4" Gioria Deo," and silver plate,
on which was engraved General
George Washington, departed this life
on the 18th of December, 1899 4dIt. S."
There was an escort composed of ca7al-
ry and infantry, with band of music
next was led the Generals horse, with
his saddle, bride and pistols; then
came the body, on bier, with Coils.
Simns, Ramsay, Payne, Gilpin, Mar
steller and Little as pall-bearers the
Freemasons followed, bearing the great
er aud the lesser lights. and citizens
closed the procession. When the pro-
cession moved, minute-guns were fred
from a vessel at anchor in the Potomac.
On approaching the family vault the
cavalry halted, the infantry marched to
the door, halted, opened ranks and
facet inward the clergy and the Ma
sonic brothers preceded the remains to
the vault and the funeral services were
performed. The infantry then fired
three v9lley, and eleven pieces OF artil-
lery near by paid the last tribute to the
ex-President and General of the army.
Washington had directed in his will
" that a new family vault should be
built Mt Mount Vernon at the foot Of
what is called the vineyard inclosure
This request was not complied with I'M
til 1881, when a new tomb was erected.
of brick, arche,l, aud with stone panel
over the door, inscribed: 81 am the
resurrection and the life. He that be-
lievt tn in me though he were dead, vet
shall he live" A brick wall, twelve feet
high, surrounds the vault, with an iron
gate opening in front of tho vault door.
flanked with pilasters and smmorated
by cornice. Over the gateway is in
scribed: "Within this Enclosure rest
the remains of Gen. George Washing
ton. In 1897 a Philadelphia marble
worker was permitted to furnish a sar-
cophaglts, cut from Pennsylvania mar
bic, with q cover of Italian marble, on
which the arm, of the United States
we're cut in relief. The leaden coffin
containing the remains Of the illu. trious
hero was placed in aais sarcophagus,
and the remnants of the mahogany shell
were distributed among those present.
The body of Martha, the wife of Wash
ington, is incased in another sarcopha-
gus, aud they occupy the right and left
sides OF the entrance to the tomb and
are visible through the iron gateway.
Congress proposed Mt one time to have
Washington's remains removed to the
crypt prepared for I'm beneath the ro-
tunda f the Capitol, ut the Legislature
OF Virginia protested.
John Adams diea at Quincy July
4, 1926, of old age. having lived al
most niuety-one years An immense
conconrse If people attended his
funeral and cscor.ed his remains
to their resting place beneath the Uni
tartan Church. SooA afterward, when
the society was abotit to erect stone
portico to its churchi John Quincy Ad-
ans received permission to construct a
vault beneath it and to erect a monu-
ment within the building at the side of
the pulpit. The reu4ains of John Adams
and his wife were p. ICED iii the vault in
safcophagi of stone. and the monument,
which bears long and illsome lnscrip-
ton, was surmounted with bust of the
deceased President by Horatio Green
ough.
Thomas Jefferson died at Mont.
cello, his Virginia homsteead of
complication Of diseases attendant
upon old age, on the 4th of July,
1926, the saWe day on which John Ad-
ans expired. 1t was his wish that his
interment should be private, and accord
ingly 10 public notice was given of the
fine of his funeral. His body was borne
on a bier down the mountain side by his
slaves, and followed by his relatives, to
the family burial ground, where his wife
reposed. On arriving at the grave it
was found that a concourse of his neigh
bors had assembled, although the rain
poured in torrents. and the burial serv-
lee Of the Episcopal church was reld. A
monument was erected in accordance
with driving found among his papers,
with an inscription in which ne styled
himself Author Of tie Declaration of
Amc.cn Independence, the Statute Of
VI pinia for Religious FIeedOm and Fa-
thor of the University of Virginia" His
monument was gradually carried away
bv relic hunters until but little of it re.
NAMED, and Congress last year made an
APPROPRIATION to replace it, Tie marble
slab which marked the grave of Mrs.
Jefferson has disappeared. and the small
hurial place has dilapidated, neglected
appearance.
James Madison died at Montpelier, ;"
his rural home, at the base of the Ale
gheuy mountains, 1877 miles southwest
from W shington, at the advanced age
of 81 years. on the 23d of June, 1886.
lie had u large funeral, and he was in
TERED ia private burial ground on the
estate. with naurht but tradition to
mark the spot. After repeated unsuc-
ceSsfnl efforts to raise, by subscription,
n sum for the erection of monument,
some gentlemen Of Orange county col
'ccfeJ 500 in 1887 1t was with some
difficulty that the exact location of the
grave was identified, but in digging for
suitable foundation the coffin was
found 1t was Of black walnut, in per-
feet preservation, and the interior was
nearly filed with a species Of moss,
amid which we're the skull and a few of
the larger ana harder bones.
James Monroe, Revolutionary soldier.
diplomat, S>uator, Secretary of State
aad President. ditd poor man, at the
house of his son-iu-law, Postmaster
Gouveneur. in the city of New York,
july !. 1881. aged rs. There was an
imposing mineral. old Gen. Jacob Nor
ton commanding the military escort, and
the remains were deposited in a small
cemetery IN Second street, just below
Tbigd avenue, IN the vault of Thomas
pi5lotsou. III 1858 the State II Yirginii
made ..n appropriation Of $4,000 90 de-
fray the oxpeus at teEoNi Z tie re-
mojns If the ltlgstrioUs N.r-5li4n to
Hollywood Cemetery, near Richmond
and for the cree ion OF 2 monument over
them. Some Of tie New York merchants,
chartered a steamer, on which the re-
mains were taken to Richmond, escorted
by the Seventh regiment, then com
manded by Col. Letferts. The military
sltoss were received with great hospi-
tallty. although tae enjoyment Of the
occasion was marred by the accidental
drowning Of Private Hamilton. a grand
son, ii remember night, ct The great
hnancisr. The only monument erected
over the grave when was last at Holly