Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-10-20

bhEEsE-MEhoRIAL5 5ERVTCES 0F GREGG
PosT, g. A. READINESS ny Hos. JonH
b. LISE.-The memorial services Of the
members of Gregg Post, No 05, g. A. r.,
held at the Court House, In Bellefonte, on
last Saturday evening, in honor of their
lata comrade, Capt. X. Randolph Breese,
were OF an exceedingly impressive and in
teresting character. The exercises Of the
evening were conducted In accordance
with the beautiful ritual of the order and
were marked throughout By sincere rever-
ence for the memory Of the lamented de-
ceased, and by deep solemnity that well
bedtted the occasion. An anchor compos-
cd of geraniums, spruce and ivy WAS
placed in the centre of the space in front
of the judges bench, and vacant chair
draped In mourning told Of the sad event
TO be commemorsted. The ceremonial
was open TO the public, and at the appoint
cd hour, fair audience had assembled in
the court room. At quarter past seven
the members of Gregg Post, numbering
about seventy-fve, under the command Of
the Post Commander, DIR. George f. Har-
ris, fled from the Post rooms in Humes'
block and marched TO the Court House
Entering the court room, they occupied
seats within the bar arranged in the form
OF hollow square. When the hour Of
half-past seven arrived, the exercises were
opened by the choir, consisting of Mrs.
Edmund Blanchard, Miss Lyon and Miss
orbison, and Mr. John Lyon, singing the
beautiful chant, "Come 10 me-" Col.
ID. 5. Keller, Senior Vice Commander, to
whom DR.. Harris had given command,
then called the Post 10 order and asked
for the reading OF the military record of
Capt. Breese. Adutant Benner read the
record, which vas pronounced honorable
and ordered TO be placed in the archives Of
the Post. The choir then sang the hymn
"Friend after friend departs, !" after which
Commander Keller called attention, and
the Post rose and repeated the Lords
prayer in unison. beyond the smiling
and the weeping was next sung by the
choir, after which the chaplain Of the
Post james II. Rankin, read In an i'm
pressiye manner the Goth PsAlm. "God
moves in a mysterious way" was next rem
dered by the choir, when the orator Of the
evening, Hon. John b. Linn, was intro
duced by Col. Keller. Mr.. Linn at once
stepped forward and paid an eloquent and
touching tribute to the memory Of Captain
Breese, reviewing in detail the prominent
events In his remarkable and gallant career
in the naval service Of his country. He
spoke as follows:
We have assembled once more to lay
the cypress wreath OF the grave. in the
solemn ceremonial of this evening, upon
another comrade fallen.
"And the iEoop. marched steadily. on my boys.
To the army gone befofs.
fou may hear the sOuad Of their falinE feet
Going down the river Ehsfs two worids meet,
They 40 % return no more
Yes another comrade fallen. Kidder
Randolph Breese Is no longer counted
among the living. The sun of his ex
istence has been ext;nguished just as il
had reached it's meridian and the ex.
pertinent of life is with him forever
closed. Its joys and its sorrows, its
hopes and fears, its fair visions, its
golden opportunities, its grave duties,
its vast resources, its tremendous re
sponsibilities are all over shut up and
AnI -. L.. III
grave. However plainly he may have
seen
"A hand we could ts; ses. that bsetoss,i him sway.
or heard voice Se could not hear, Ukich ssid be
not stay"
However we'll he may have realized
that for year or more he stood upon
the confines OF another world, and that
ils powers we're surely drawing him
within its silent fellowship: that death
might come in the twinkiing of an eye.
or as the lisbtning's fash; however
distinctly he may have heard the rustic,
IN The dlstaHee, of the dark angels wing,
and prepared himself brAveiy for his
approach, his comrades OF this Post did
not even dream that he stood foremost
among us, rs a candidate for the coffin
aud the shroud. To US his step was
firm. his voice vas strong, and health
seemed enthroned upon his majestic
person and IL seems as IL il could not
be possible, that his race is run, and his
strength laid low forever in the dust.
The blow has come TO us with start
ling suddenness, and we mourn the mel.
sncholy event. Although he was one
of us for only one short year, IL IL right
and proper that we should show our
grief, though bound to acquiesce 10 the
sovereign will of God as altogether wise
and good. We sympathizs with the
near relatives OF the deceased, on whom
most directly and heavily the weight Of
Gods hand has thus fallen, aud they
have right TO our tears. 1t is no com.
mon calamity they have been called to
sustain. and theirs is no common sor.
row. Warm affections and fond expec-
tations we're largely centered upon his
person he was the son Of widowed
faathar daaxtv haiovad the haarta IF