The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-08-14
THE CLOSING CEREMONIES.
beautiful and impressive Services at
the Tomb.

Amid bugle calls and the rapid shouting of
orders, the rattle of musketry. the roll of
drums, the prancng of horses, immense bod
les of troops deploying into line and into col
umnss long rows of bayonets glisteniug like
streaks of FURNISHED silver, the boom and
smoke of cannon rising from the river great
display of uniformed soldiery was soon
massed around the tomb. 1t was
a sight that those who saw it will
never forget. The various regiments and
bands, moving here and hating there, formed
kaleidoscope of the most brilliant colors.
The Seventh regiment skirted the bluff
facing the tomb, and the Twenty second con-
tinued in an even line beyond them The
marines mi, fringed the flrive, and crept up the
filled up bend in the plain to the
right. The regular infantry got behind
the trees on the highest point of land in the
park, where there is some talk of putting the
permanent tomb. The veterans filed in va
can't places as close as they could conveniently
get to the tomb and yet leave room for the
distinguished civilians and mourners. Gem
eral Shaler and his staff, General Hancock's
aides, and numerous others on horseback drew
up within easy hearing of the vault and ad-
ded by their soldieriy bearing to the magnif-
cent spectacle.
Meanwhile the catafalque had come to
halt close by the tomb, and the most promi-
nent men in the country were getting out of
carriages to bid great hero farewell Drs.
DOu5ldS, SUTdQy anu Suuus SuOOQ Wltlln
twenty feet of the bier of him over whom
they had watched SO many anxious hours
The Rev. DR.. Newman and the little group of
clergymen of various ceeeds who had been
invited to participate by their presence
waited, with uncovered heads, close at hand
President Cleveland and the members of his
ca binet, Presidents and ex-cabinet officers,
distinguished generals, judges and diplo-
mats, governors of States, heads of depart
ments, and mayors of great cities, were all
dividing of into groups and drawing closer
and closer around the tomb.
Soon after the black horses somewhat dusty
from their long journey came to a halt some
members Of the u. S. Grant Post ascendel
the cloth-covered steps to the top of the cata-
ialque and reverently lifted down the purple
coffin. while the immense crowd looked
silently on with heads uncovered. path
was voluntarily opened through the groups
Immediately surrounding the vault, while
the pail bearers stood reverently around the
red cedar casket in this order:
General William T. Sherman, United
States army
Lieut.. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, United
States Army
Admiral David D. Porter, United States
Navy.
Vice-Admiral Stephen c. Rowan, United
States Navy.
Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, OF Virginia.
Gen. Simon B. Buckner, of Kentucky
Joseph w. Drexel of New York.
George s. Boutwell,, of Massachusetts,.
George w. Childs, of Pennsylvania.
John A. Logan, of Illinois.
George Jones, of New York.
Oliver Hoyt, of New York.
There was hardly sound, except the roll
of drums in the distance and the tread of APP
proaching troops, while the coffin was lowered
into the case and the undertaken screwed on
the lid Then the wreath of oak leaves that
the dead generals grandchild Julia and DR..
Douglas little daughter made in the woods at
Mount McGregor was placed upon it. This
wreath, with Others put On afterward by the
Meade Post, went into the tomb with the
body.
There was another pause aud another open
ing in the groups minute later when the
members of General Grants family walked
very slowly from their carriages and halted
near the pail bearers at the head of the coffin.
Very few expected that tine ladies of the
family would bs present, and their manifest,
although not at all demonstrative, grief at
the hour of final parting touched the hearts
of thousands who witnessed it,
A cluster ofclouds tempered the fierce rays
of the sun from the barred heads OF those
gathered around the coffin as the Meade Post,
| OF Philadelphia, joined the group near the
coffin and began the beautiful ritual of the
Grand Army of the Republic. The entire
Post had expected to participate in this, and
there was great disappointment when
General Hancock decided to allow only
twenty members TO come near the grave
Forming in open order around the body, the
post took position, with the commander at
the head of the coffin, the chaplain at the
foot, the officers and past commanders in
the rear of the commander, and the post in
the rear of the chaplain, and the colors were
brought to the front. After a prayer by the
chaplain and a dirge by the band, Com
mander Reed said:
Zone by one, as the years roll on, we are
called together to fulfill the last sad rites of
respect to our comrades of the war.
The present, full of the cares and pleasures of
civil life, fades away, and we look back to
the time when, shoulder to shoulder, on many
battle fields or around the guns of our men
of-war, we fought for our dear old flag We
may indulge the hope that the spirit with
which on land and sea hardship, privation,
and danger were encountered by our dead
heroes may never be blotted out from the