The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-08-13
FUNERAL ON THE MOUNT.
The Services and Dr.. Newman's
Tribute to the Departed Hero.
Departure of the Cortege-ArriYaI at Alba
ny-The Procession-Lying In State at
the Capitol of the Empire State
"A Vast Throng.

thick aud foggy, and the misty atmos-
phe:e dampened everything with which
it came in contact.
The soldiers encamped Cd the grounds
surrounding the cottage received orders
at daybreak to prepare for their de-
parture, aud in less than half an hoar the
white canvas tents which had become so
familiar to the eye disappeared.
The family last night, Individually and
collectively, took their last farewell of
the dead, and to-day the remains will be-
come the Nations charge. This morning
the family breakfasted at the hotel, and
abandoned the cottage fer the time being
to visitors wishing to view the remains
of the departed member.
Shortly before ten o'clock General
Z Hancock and staff and number of the
more prominent visitors arrived. Among
them were General Sherman, Senators
Evarts and Miller, Joseph w. DreXel and
daughter, the latter dressed in deep
mourning.
The funeral services at the cottage
We're begun at exactly ten O'Clock, at
which nour fully fifteen hundred people
were scattered around among the trees
b, of the grove in front of the house and
packed closely in front of the piazza of
the cottage. The services opened with
the reading of the NiHtieth Psalm. This
was followed by solemn and impressive
PRAYER by Bishop Harris, AMI singlag of
the hymn "Iy Faith Look Up to Thee"
by the entire assemblage.
At the conclusion of the singing of the
hymn DR.. Newman stepped solemnly to
the front of the piazza and began deliv
erlng his sermon.
Following is a synopsis of the funeral
sermon:
'weu done, thou good and faithful SER
want, enter thou into the JOY of the Lord
/ Matthew XIV, 81
such, my brethren, is the eulogy which
! God shall pronounce upon human goodness
| and fidelity wherever found among the sons
I OF men. The accidental distinctions between
| prince and peasant. millionaire and pauper,
| commanding General and private soldier,
] are but as the dust in the balance of His eS
/ timation of personal worth; lie regards not
! the person of any man; He looks upon the
/ heart. In the intensity of this divine light,
/ | us to- day recall the character of the il
! luStrioUS man whose death a Nation so
! tend-rly mourns. And what were the ele
/ ments of that character? His was the genius
| of common sense enabling hun to conteE3-
/ plate all things in their true relations. You
are calling him the greatest of soldiers; and
| you do well. But do not degrade him to the
! level OF those famous heroes who fought for
empire and for glory. In his London speech
| i'll 1871, he said:
Although a soldier by education and pro-
fcssion, have never felt any sort of fond
ness for war, and have never advocated 1t
except as means of peace
such Il the character Ofthe true cOnquerOr.
Only such live in the grateful recolectionS
OF mankind. And where, in all the annals OF
our National life shall we find another save
he Esatr n Mnnnf Vernon u-s1s ca fr-It
a typical American: What humility amid
admiration; what meeknesS amid prONoca-
ton; what fidelity amid temptations; what
contentment amid adversely: what sincerity
amid deception; what faith. hope and char
ity' amid suffering. His integrity WIS never
questioncd; his honesty Was anove suspi-
ciOn; his private life and public career were
ut once reputable to himself and honorable
to his country. DO YOU remind me that these
ere plain, homCly, solid virtues: Yet they are
the essential elements in public usefulness
and permanent rcnOwn. such a solid,
sturdy character becomes our geography
and institutions and our destiny. AS he WAS
the typical American, should we be sur
priscd to find that his was the typical Amcri-
can home; Husband and wife were the
happy supplement- OF each other, their char
actors blending in the sweetest harmony.
She shared his trials and his triumphs. How
tender was that scene, i'll the early dawn of
that April day, when all thought the long
expected end mad come, he gave her his
watch and tenderiy caresscd her hand. 1t
was all the great soldier had to give to the
Whispered: Il did not have you wait upon
me because knew it would distress you"
But now the end draws nigh, and out from
the swellings of Jordan, he has rushed back
to the shore of life to write this tender mes
sage to his son:
wherever am buried, promise me that
your mother shall be buried by my side"
1t was his love for her that lifted his intel
lcct above the ceaseless tortures of maIig-
nant disease, that he might write his per
sonal MeIHnlrs,' and that she should not
WhnS And how fnn1nF
was his cara To his son he said:
To quiet asr anxiety he wrote:
DO as l 80; taxi it quietly. l give myself
not the least concern. Ii knew the end was
to be tomorrow, would try just as hard to
get rest in the meantime"
Would she keep holy vigiIs through the
livelong night? he wrote her:
60 to sleep and feel happy; that is what
want to do, and am going TO try for. i am
happy when out of pain. Consider how
happy you ought to be. Good night"'
And such was the tenderness of his love
and solcttude for her and hers. he sur
priSed her by a letter found after his death !
He had written it secretly, and carried the
sacred missive day after uay, knowing that
she wouIC find it at last:
Look after our dear children and direct !
them in tiIe paths OF rectItude. 1t would dis |
tress me Ear more to think that one OF them |
could depart from an honorable, upright |
and yirtUEas life, than it would to know that |
they wer> Frustrated on a bed of sickness |
from which they were never to arise alive. |
1ncy nave never gwen us any cause Tor
alarm on their account, and earnestly pray |
they never will. With these few injunctions |
anu the knowledge l have OF your love and |
affection, and of the dutiful affection of all |
our children, bid you a final farewell, until |
w meet in another and, trust, letter |
world Youwill find this on my person after |
my demise. jury ., lSo5.''
Doing nothin. for show, yet he made pub /
lie recognition of God by his faithful and |
conscientious attendance upon Divine wor- |
snip. He was not bigot while he de |
l.ln a q n freq
people, he accorded to all the largest free |
dom OF faith and worship. He claimed that |
public education should be non Sectarian, !
but not non religious. His Des Moines pub
lie speech on education was not against the /
Roman Catholic Church, but against ignor- |
ance and superstition The order issued |
during the war, excluding certain Jewish |
traders from 4 given military district, did |
nos originate with him, but came from high |
er authority, and was not against the re
Ii ZION OF the Jews.
His was the beatitude, blessed is he that
the poor strangers might re-
gard him Indifferent t. the needy; vet the
poor Will rise up and call him blessed.
Many were the pensioners of his kindly
bounty. In private, unseen life, he bore
many of the fruits o! the spirit. He loved
his enemies not as he loved his friends, but
he loved them as enemies by doing them
good as he had opportunity. On one of
these delusive April days when hope revived
III all our hearts 1 said to him:
''lou are a man OF Providence; God made
YOU the instrument to save our Nation and
lac may have great spiritual mission to ac-
compIIsh by you and may raise you up"
With 4 mind clear aud voice distinct, he !
replied:
Il do not wish to proclaim it, but should
h spare my life il is my intention and re-
so.ve to throw all OF my influence by my ex-
ample in that rection"t
lie is gone: but shall death defeat n pur-
pose SO beneficent: Is he not mightier in his
death than in his life! What home has not
felt the sympathetic chord touched by the
invisible hand of MS terrible but patient sur
fering? How the embers of sectional strife
have died out on the hearthstole of the Ma
toni How political animosities have skulked