St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-08-13
The Great Soldiers Burial.
Gen Grants Magnificent National Funeral
in New York.

great to be estimated. The occasion
was without parallel in history and
| tile demonstration was most imposing.
procession were in great demand. In
various places stands had been bnilt
| for the convenience of those who could
afford to pay for seat. The average
price for even a standing place was 50,
while $50 and 500 were given for
windows. The number of men in line
has been estimated at $4,000. Follow
ing is an account of the obseqnies, be-
ginning at the point where the last is
| sue of The CaledOnian left them:
| AT ALBANY.
On arrival of Gen. Grants body at
! Albany last week Tuesday afternoon,
| it " as escorted to the capitol by the
most imposing procession ever seen in
Albany. Tuesday night the casket was
| opened. and line was formed to view
the remains. 1t extended through the
entire length of the capitol, and down
the street six blocks. The line passed
by the casket rapidly, and all night
!
mated that II 900 people viewed the
| remains.
ARRIVAL IN NEW YORK.
On Wednesday at 1890 p. M. the
funeral train left Albany for New York,
while guns were being fired and bells
tolled. AS the train pulled out of the
city the tracks were lined with boys
who had placed pennies and nickels on
the track to have them flattened for
keepsakes. On the roofs of the houses
in the vicinity hundreds witnessed the
start, and as the black train rumbled
across the long bridge of the Hudson
it was between two dense lines of peo-
pie who filed the foot paths on either
side. At all the stations on the route
the funeral train pushed itself through
respectful thrOngs. On arriving III
New York, the remains We're borne to
the city hall escorted by procession
over mile long. When preparations
We're being made for taking the coffin
from the funeral car, solemn dirge
was played. A detachment of IL men
from the Brooklyn o.. S. Grant Post
:}27, tenderly lifted the coffin from its
resting place and bore it to the steps.
The procession passed into city hall
and beneath the catafalque the men
laid down their burden. Col. Fred
Grant, Ulysses S. Grant and Jesse
Grant followed the body into the hall.
| Then came the committee of 100, the
! legislative committee, members of the
common council of Albany and others.
At the request of Col. Grant, Lieut.
| Col. ClarksOn placed upon Gen. Grants
: breast the decoration of the Royal Lee
giOn of Honor, and SeniOrNice Com
mander johnson fastened by its side
| the medal of the Grand Army. A few
minutes after o'clock the coffin, with
the lid removed, was again placed on
the catafalque and the iron gate was
swung open and the public allowed to
enter.
The casket covering was. bare but
for one simple wreath formed in the
shape of the letter "G." This wreath
was made of oak leaves plncked by Jul
liza Grant, the generals little grand
daughter, and Josie Douglas, the
young daughter of his faithful physi-
clan, from the forest of Mt. McGregOr.
All the time that the body lay in state
in City hall, for public view, the black,
endless stream of humanity moved up
the stone steps and on by the casket.
Young and old, rich and poor, women,
babies, barefoot boys, tramps, and all
the rest who constitute mankind, and
who got in the endless line and were
able to walk, were admitted to the sa
cred presence of the dead. The pace
at which the police kept them moving
enabled 100 to pass the bier in each
minute, so that i'll each hOur 5000 saw
the dead warriors form, and in an en-
4. 1 Il 4 A 10,
adieu to the figure that has been so
conspicuous in their cOuntry's history.
At 10 minutes past | o'clock Saturday
morning the last end of the black line
of people passed by the casket, and
soon the remains of Gen. Grant were
forever closed from view. 1t is esti-
mated that 100000 people viewed the
face of Gen. Grant in New York be-
tween Wednesday evening and one
o'clock Saturday morning, when the
doors ut City hall were closed.
Before the clocks upon the towers
near by had struck the hour of 9 the
sweet sounds of Schubert's "Song of
the Spirits chimed out upon the quiet
air. The movement in the crowd ceas-
ed they listened with rapt attention
to those strains rendered by hundred
to be transported from the shores of
practical America to the home of the
idealists of Germany aud Italy. 1t was
the German Liederkranz come to pay
a graceful tribute to the dead. The
Pilgrim Chorus from ''Tannhauserf
followed, and then the singers quietly
DISAPPEARED as silently as they had first
appeared.
THE FUNERAL PROCESSION.
1t was at 9.35 in the forenoon that
the imposing funeral car, drawn by "a
iet-black horses in black trappings,
was halted on the plaza directly in
front of City hall steps. Soon the re-
mains were borne out by the twelve
pail bearers designated by President
Cleveland and taken to the funeral car.
Soon the signal was given and the vast
procession, led by Gen. Hancock, was
soon under way. First came the many
military organizations, then the cata-
falque, followed by guards, pail bear
ers, family and relatives and dis
tinguished persons, they in turn follow
ed by veteran organizations, orders of
various kinds, militia, political organi-
cations, etc, to a great number.
The procession was of great length !
and very imposing, both from the fact
that many distinguished men in high |
positions were in the line, and the mil |
itary organizations which took part |
About 800 carriages were in the pro-
cession. President Cleveland's was I
drawn by six black horses, and imme-
diately behind followed six other open
carriages carrying the Vice President
and members of the Cabinet. Behind |
these followed carriage drawn by
four horses. in which were seated ex-