The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-11-03
Our DEAD PRESIDENTS.
Brief Record of Their Deaths, and
the Scenes at Their Funerals.

6I1eI RECORD OF Ih61r OeatnS, anu
the Scenes at Their Funerals.
[Ben: Percy Poore, in Boston Journal]
George Washington died at Mount
Vernon, of inhammatory quinsy, Dec.
IA, 1899. His coffin was of lead, in.
closed in a mahogany shell, with orna-
ments inscribed, I" Surge od .j1diciuns
and st Gloria Deo," and silver plate,
ON which was engraved: General
George Washington, departed this life
on the 14th of December, 1893 Kt. g."
There was an escort composed of caval-
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.
Simms, Ramsay, Payne, Gilpin, Mar
steller and Little as pall-bearers the
Freemasons followed, bearing the great
er and the lesser lights, and citizens
closed the procession. When the pro-
cession moved, minute guns were fired
On approaching the family vault the
the door, halted, opened ranks and
faced inward the clergy and the Ma
sonic brothers preceded the remains to
the vault and the funeral services were
performed. The infantry then fred
three volley, 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 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 un-
frT II ruoS Cd
of brick, archel, and with stone panel
over the door, inscribed: "I am the
resurrection and the life. He that be-
ieveth in me. though he were dead, yet
shall he live." A brick wall, twelve feet
high, surrounds the vault, with an iron
gate opening in front of the vault door,
by cornice. Over the gateway is in
scribed: "Within this mclosure rest
the remains of Gen. George Washing
worker was permitted to furnish sar-
cophagus, cut from Pennsylvania mar
bic, with cover of italian marble, on
which the arms of the United States
were cut in relief. The leaden coffin
containing the remains of the llustrious
hero was placed in this sarcophagus,
were distributed among those present.
The body of Martha, the wife Of Wash
ington, is incased in another sarcopha-
gus, and they occupy the right and left
sides of the entrance to the tomb and
Congress proposed at one time to have
Washington's remains removed to the
crypt prepared for them beneath the ro-
Inv 10 81 fhaH 1fn1 fIaT o1o @,,,,o
of Virginia protested.
John Adams died at Quincy July
4, 1926, of old age, having lived al
most ninety-one years. An immense
concourse of people attended his
funeral and escorted his remains
to their resting place beneath the Uni
tartan Church. Soon afterward, when
the society was about to erect stone
portico to its church, John Quincy Ad-
ans received permission to construct
vault beneath it and to, erect monu-
ment within the building at the side of
the pulpit. The remains Of John Adams
and his wife were placed in the vault in
sarcophagi of stone, and the monument.
which bears q long and fulsome inscrip-
ton, was surmounted with bust of the
deceased President by Horatio Green
ough. 49,,
Thomas jefferson died. at Monti.
cello, his Virginia homsteead, of a
complication of diseases attendant
upon. old age, on the 4th of July,
1926, the same day on which John Adj
ANS expired. It was his wish that his
interment should be private, and accord
ingly no public notice was given OF the
time of his funeral. His body was borne
on 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 1t
was found that a concourse of his neigh
bors had assembled, although the rain
poured in torrents, and the burial serv-
ice of the Episcopal church was read. A
monument was erected in accordance
with drawing found among his papers,
with an inscription in which he styled
himself " Author. of tho. Declaration OF
American Independence. the Statute OF
Virginia for Religious FIeedom and Fa-
ther of the University of Virginia" His
monument was gradually carried away
mained, and Congress last year made an
slab which marked the grave of Mrs.
Jefferson has disappeared, and the small
burial place has dilapidated, neglected
appearance.
James Madison died at montpelier,
his rural home, at the base of the Allie
gheny mountains, 127 miles southwest
from Washington, at the advanced age
of 81 years, on the 23d of June, 1886.
He had large funeral, and he was in
tered in private burial ground on the
estate, with naught but tradition to
mark the spot. After repeated unsuc-
cessful efforts to raise, by subscription,
a sum for the erection of monument,
some gentlemen of Orange county col
lected 500 in 1887. It was with some
difficulty that the exact location of the
grave was identified, but in digging for
a 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 were the skull and few of
the larger and harder bones.
James Monroe, Revolutionary soldier,
diplomat, Senator, Secretary of State
and President, died poor man, at the
house of his son-in-law, Postmaster
Gouveneur, in the city of New York,
July 4, 1881, aged 73. There was an
imposing funeral, old Gen. Jacob Nor
ton commanding the military escort, and
the remains were deposited in small
cemetery in Second street, just below
Third avenue, in the vault of Thomas
Tillotson. In 1858 the State of Virginia