Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-08-12

When the procession arrived at the City
Hall it was after 7 o'clock. The plaza d.
rectly in front of the steps leading up to
the heavily draped portico of the City Hall
had been kept Gear by the police. But
the walks through the park and the side
walks outside of it were packed. At
length, when the mounted police had made
everything ready, Gen. Hancock and his
staff moved into the park, followed by the
Twenty-second Regiment. Dismounting,
Gen. Hancock assembled the steps and pass
ed into the building. Here, beneath the
canopy Of black with which the ceiling of
the hall was covered, he was met by Mayor
Grace, President of the Board Of Alder
men Sanger, and the Mayors private sec
Rotary, Col. William K. Turner, and escort
ed to the Mayors Office.
The gate to the City Hall were opened
at O'Clock on the morning of the 9th.
The remains of General Grant, lying in
state, were viewed by immense throngs
passing at the rate of from six to seven
thousand persons per hour. There were
800 policemen on duty at and around the
City Hall. Visitors were hurried through
rapidly.
The floral offering of the aldermen was
set up during the morning beneath the
rotunda dome, where the light streamed
down upon it. The central column rose
ten feet, and was flanked by stands of
colors, while the base was bed of ferns
and palms, among which were placed huge
rows of white buds.
A jeweler in Wall street has draped in
mourning the big clock that is suspended
over his door as sign of his business, and
the hands have been stopped at s minutes
past o'clock, the time of day when Gen.
Grant breathed his last. In, like manner
the business of the great city has stopped
ever since the death of the ilIustrious
General.
A committee was appointed by the ex-
Confederate soldiers to represent Southern
soldiers at the obsequies. Among those on
the committee are Gems. Loring, Lilley,
Dockery and Clingman, Coils. Snead, Duff,
Sterrett and Anderson, and Majors Clark,
Quincy, McNulty, De Fontaine, Fussdorf
and Bridgeford, and others.
The officers of the Seventy-first regiment
were on duty Friday night and the usual
detail of the Grant Post were sent as an
immediate body-guard, while the Loyal
Legion was represented by one of its mem
bers, who stood at the head of the caslzet,
and one of the Wheeler Post, of Saratoga,
which first mounted guard detail about the
mountain cottage the day Of Gen. Grants
death, was also present. The last Of the
general public had shuf1ed away through
the black-draped corridors and out of the
building. The hour was / :1S A. M. None
but the police and guards and all-night re-
porters were present when the undertakes
took charge of the remains.
''Any here who now desire to view the
remains will step forward at once" said
TO- I'll L. i 4l,a
dark, still corridors. All present passed
by the casket, and the lying in state Of the
ex-President had ended. Undertaken Mer-
body and drew from their places two lids
which covered the casket. Four screws in
each were turned down, and the face of
the dead had been closed forever from
view, unless there shall in future from the
family be a request to remove the lids.
Then the dead was left in the care of
guards, who stood erect and silently within
the closed iron gates, and beneath the black
draping the night wore on and the gray
daylight was creeping up in the east. The
still air Of the tomb-like corridors became
heavy with the perfume of whitening flow
ers near the dead. A huge piece, "The
Gates Affair."" had place at the head of
the casket, and the sweet smell Of lilies
was borne down to those who stood and
watched. Great horse-shoes of red and
yellow rosebuds added their fragrance, and
the Cross and Crown from the Mayor of
Baltimore sent out its quota to the heavy
perfume that settled on the sepulchral air;
but there was one tribute that bore no fra
GRANGE except such as will come tenderly
to the family of the dead. 1t bore no per-
fume save that which lives in it's memories.
This token was plain wreath of oak
leaves, pinned together with stems of oak
leaves, and formed in the shape of the
letter &C." leaves that grew on the oaks
in the forests of Mt. McGregor and futter-
ed in the mountain breezes while Gen.
Grant was dying, and the afternoon of
Thursday, the day he died, little Julia, his
granddaughter, and little Josie, DR.. Doug
lass child had gathered oak leaves in the
mountain woods. Then, as the children
prattled, they knit with innocent fingers
and loving hearts wreath of oak leaves
that to-day is the only tribute that touches
offering finished, had taken it to Col.
said, "Papa, Josie and I have made this
for grandpa, and please won't you give it
to him?" The Colonel placed the oaken
there in Albany, and still remains as the
children's offering.
Near sunrise strains of music, slow and
sad, were heard. Then the blue-coated
veterans of Meade Post, of Philadelphia,
500 strong, came tramping to the dirge
music of trumpets. The veterans entered
the plaza and marched past, while muffled
drums timed their footsteps. Heavy guns
doomed out toward the sea. The chimes
of Old Trinity pealed mournful notes, and
the sound of muffled drums grew fainter
and died out. 1t was sunrise. The day
was born, the last for the dead upon earth
before the tomb should have opened to
shelter him. Six O'Clock, and Wilson
Post, of Baltimore, marched by with a
Chicago organization. The corridor had
been picketed by fifteen policemen, while
outside 125 men were at rest under COM
mand of two sergeants. The last guard OF
Grant G. A. r. Post, save the thirteen who
will attend the body 10 the tomb, had been
mounted at O'Clock. At $50 the Seven
ty-frst Regiment went On duty as the last
military body-guard before removal.
Police Inspector Steers, with three hours
sleep in as many days, was in charge. 81
am awaiting the coming Of the military,
and shall have $40 men here at s o'clock, !"
said the Inspector. Seven o'clock, and
strains of solemn music foated in at the
grated iron doors from many directions
Eight o'clock, and nature was putting forth
signals of an intensely warm day. The
crowds grew denser and denser around the
plaza. Muffled drums and dirgeful trum-
pets marched in at one side and took posi-
lions at the East end. The players consti-
tuted David's Island military band. At
$50, Gen. Hancock and staff trooped
slowly into the plaza from Broadway and
presented front to the City Hall, then NOV
ing to the end of the plaza in Broadway,
where they rested on the plaza. At this
time 100 members of the Liederkranz So
ciety filed up the steps Of the City Hall and,
led by four instruments, sang with impress
sive effect ''Chorus of Spirits from Over
the Water Schubert, and "Chorus Pill
grims," Tannhauser. The honor guard of
regulars filed into the open space at 8
O clock-Company A, Fifth artillery, under
Col. W. B. Beck, and Company E,
Twelfth infantry, under Maj. Brown.
These companies and a guard of regulars
are under command of Col. Beck. The
regulars took position beneath the trees
opposite the City Hall, and stood at a rest
4 r