Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1885-08-15
General. Grants Funeral.


with honors that have never been
paid to any other American citizen.
The day was perfect, no rain as
was predicted, and onlysan occa-
sional cloud that obscured the rays
of the sun. Yet 1t was not so hot
as had been feared. A delightful!
breeze tempered the heat and made
an early August day as pleasant as
October. The great city was filed
as never before in it's history, yet
order prevailed.
The vast procession that accom-
panied the remains Of the illustri-
GUS dead to their last resting place
moved in admirable form. Scarce
ly an incident occurred to mar the
splendor of the occasion. The day
will live forever in the memory OF
every person who took part in the
solemn ceremonies, or WAS fortu-
nate enough to view the magnih
cent spectacle. Yet above all the
pomp and circumstance of this, the
grandest oftuneral pageants,stands
forth conspicueusly, as the chief
glory of the day, the union Of North
and Soutl, around the grave OF
Gen. Grant. An illuStriouS military
chieftain was buried with military
honorS, but it was after all a peace
spectacle. 1t was not alone Gener-
al Grant that eutered the tomb;
the bitterness oss--civil strife and
the curse of sectionaliSm was also
buried.
Who 81 years ago would have
been so mad as to predict that on
the Sth of August, 1885, General
Sherman and Gen. Johnston, and
Gen. Sheridan and Gen. Buckner
would, side by side, escort the
body of Gen. Grant to the grave?
Yet that was the feature of to-day.
North and South mourned togeth
Scther around the tomb of the man
illuStrious in war, yet whose mes
sage to the world in life and whose
lesson in death was, "Let us have
peace"
Probably On no other cccaSionin
the history of tho country have so
many illuStrious men and great Of
fcials been gathered together
There have been more imposing
military displays, as, for instance,
the tiEal review of the troops at
Washington after the war, and
there have been more interesting
civic parades, as, for instance, the
political demonstration in this city
last fall, but never has there been
in this country such a combination
of military and civilians, such an
outpouring OF the people as to day.
There was magnificent spirit dis
played. There was tremendous
crowd, and much scrambliDg and
pushing for the best places view
the pageant, and the police at times
had to use some force to keep the
crowd from obStructing the free
passage Of the procession, but on
Tue whole the best OF temper pre-
vailed. The spectators seemed to
realize that they were witnessing
not mere parade, but funeral
procession. When the catafalque
bearing the body Of the dead pass
ed scarcely man in the vast
crowd forgot TO remove his hat in
respect to the deceased. There was
much excusable curiosity to see the
great men who took part in
1.-The procession-General Hancock,
looking SO manly and soldierly III
his handsome uniform as he rode
at the head Of the pro-
cession; President Cleveland, who
was forced to ride in All open car
riage drawn by six black horses;
Generals Sherman and Sheridan,
ex Presidents Arthur and Hayes,
all being eagerly looked for and
gazed at by the crowd, but no one
made the mistake Of cheering the
living in the presence Of the dead.
At points along the line OF march
this feature of the day was very i'm
pressive. Words fail to describe
adequately the spectacle. Imagine
if you can crowd extending fifteen
miles and procession five miles
long. About $4,000 men were in
lie, and there were fully a million
spectators.
At twenty minutes to 10 a. M,
Gen. Hancock and staff appeared
at Broadway and Fourteenth street.
1t was past 8 p. m. when the last OF
the procession passed that spot.
Allowing for a wait ola half an hour
! to allow the carriages to getin line
it took tour hours and half for the
procession to move.
The men moved rapidly, but not
in unseelnly haste. The distance
was long and had to be covered in
reasonable time. The head of the
column reached the Riverside Park
at noon, but it was five O'Clock be.
fore the brief final funeral rites be
gan. This gives some idea of the
magnitude of the pageant.
The distinguished men who rode
in carriages to the grave rendez
yoused at the Fifth Avenue Hotel:
at Twenty third street, at which
point they fell i'll line, containing
the President, the Vice-President,
members Of the cabinet, Senators,
Representatives, Governors OF nine.
teen States and Territories and
their stats, two ex-Presidents, and
other prominent men without num-