The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-14
FUNERAL OF GEN. HANCOCK.
Trinity Church Crowded by Friends and
Relatives of the Dead Man.
The Solemn Procession Through the Streets of
New York, and the Last Journey to
the Cemetery at Norristown.

New York, Feb. I3-Governors Island was
visited by a raging storm, and banked Win ioe'
was apparently as isolated this morning as
rock in mid ocean. The roaring OF steam WIS
ties and the occasional sounds OF distant fog
bells were the only evidences OF its nearness to
great city The military colony was astir at an
early hour. The little steamer Atlantic. which
darted to and fro between the Battery and the
pier on the island brought over loads of officers
in uniforms and citizens in dripping overcoats
The priyates who were pacing along the brick
walk in front of headquarters looked disconso-
late enough in their wet uniforms. Last even
Ing everybody on the island was allowed to enter
the parlor in which General Hancooks body lay
and take q farewell look at his dead countenance.
For nearly an hour officers, privates, servants
and messengers filed by the coffin. Many an eye
was filed with tears at the solemn spectacle.
This morning DR.. Janeway reported that Mrs
Hancock had passed a restless night, but seemed
better at daybreak- Her grief seems almost too
heavy for her to bear.
Between and o'clock the guards Of honor
drew up In front Of the Generals mansion
Then came the detachment of 200 soldiers from
the several forts. which drew up behind them
In the meantime the widow Of General Hancock,
accompanied by Mrs. Lieutenant Griffin and
Mrs Bowler, entered the room in which the
hero lay and took parting look at his face
airs Hancock's grief was pitifuL She kissed
her husbands forehead, while the tears fell fast
from her overfowing eyes. Then she sunk into
q chair and would have fallen to the floor had
Kindly hands not come to her assistance. The
cofin-lid was then put in its place, laurel
wreath. brought to this city by Col John a.
Weeks, from the Philadelphia division of the
military order of the Loyal Legion, was laid
upon it Six soldiers, bearing black-cloth-cov-
cred bier. came into the room. and, placing the
coffin upon it, bore the body out of the house
The detachment of troops drawn up outside then
moved down the winding path to the steamer
Chester 4. Arthur, which was to receive the
party.
The mourners were Lieutenant and Mrs
Griffin, Mr.. and Mrs. Merriam Mr.. and Mrs
Bowler, Colonel Russell and wife, and Mrs W.
r.. Ludlow. Mrs. Hancock, on the advice of her
friends, did not leave home. Mrs Bowler re-
NAMED with her.
It was precisely o'clock when the first gun,
fred at Castle William, doomed out over the bay,
announcing that the boat was ready to leave her
dock. The body had been placed in the cabin;
near it sat the mourners and few officers On
the decks were gathered the officers and soldiers
A moment later the Chester A. Arthur swung
out into the stream and steered for the New
York shore The fog, by this time, had lifted
sufficiently to give those on board the steamer q
view Of the harbor. The passage across was SO
short that few vessels were met At o'clock
the coffin which had rested for a few minutes at
the barge Office. was lifted from the trestle by
eight soldiers, who carried it to the hearse, with
four horses attached, which stood in waiting on
the plaza. The four companies of the Fifth
ARTILLERY. under the command OF Maj. Richard
II. Jackson, had preceded the coffin, and were
9esE7-np 80 line on the street. while the pail
-fbearers stood with uncovered heads as tho coffin
passed. All along Broadway and toward
Trinity Church, to the barge Office, policemen
were placed, numbering about eight hundred
At sn early hour the people had begun to gath
or in the streets through which the procession
would pass, but the rain evidently had an effect
and the crowd grew slowly, while all who could
find shelter sought such Enclosures as doorways
land awnings might afford. The decorations were
few and far between. consisting chiefly or flags
/ After q flag had been wrapped around the cofin
the troops broke into column of companies and
prepared for the march TO the church. The pail
bearers entered carriages and followed the mill
tary A squad of police cleared the way. After
the hearse came long line of carriages with the
family and friends and representatives from the
New York Commandery OF the military order of
the Loyal Legion, OOCleLy OF the Army OF the
Potomac, Phil Kearny Post, No s, Major Stein
or Post. George Washington Post, Gen. Martin
Il. MacMahon Post, Pice Post, Colonel Onder-
ldonk Post and WinfeldS Scott Hancock Post just
organized, all under the command of Gen Lloyd
Aspinwall. The crowd by this time had enor
mousy increased, and along State street
and up Broadway the people stood in places
seven or eight deep. Many held umbrellas. and
this added greatly to the crush as the multitude
surged by with the funeral cortege The route
had oh IN r5ape with
ton from Inspector Steers, of the metropolitan
tpolice, and the funeral passed through the lower
part Of Whitehall street. through State street.
passing to the west of the Bowling Green, and
then up Broadway to the church. 1t was nearly
10 o'clock when the march to that point was be-
gun, in the order above described. There was
no music. and only the footballs of the police
and military, as they fell upon the pavement
broke the impressive silence. though from far
across the water came the dull booming of tho
minute guns.
It was precisely 10 o'clock when Trinity Church
was reached by the carriages containing the pail
bearers, who followed the hearse into the sacred
edi6ce, in this order: Hon. Thomas F. Bayard.
gSec-etary of State; Gen. William T. Sherman.
Iieut gen. Philip Sheridan. Maj gen. J. NJ
Schofeld, Gen. w. B. Franklin. Gen. w. f.
Smith, Brig. gen ]. B. Fry, Brig. gen. A. H.
Terry. Brig. gen. N. A. Miles. Brig. gen John
Newton; Brig gen O. b. Wilcox. Gen. Francis
Walker Mr. j. w. Hartshorn. Col W. P Will
son and Maj. d. W. Miller.
AS early as o'clock dense crowds had gath
cred in the neighborhood of Trinity Church, and
ut A. NJ. almost every seat in church. except
those which had been especially reserved, was
occupied. The edifice bore no traces Of mourn
ing save white cross on black border, which
rested upon the pulpit The various floral gifts
were tastefully arranged at the altar. and the
interstices in the reading desk were filed with
small floral designs. number Of eminent
civilians began TO throng into the church after
o'clock. and among them We're Algernon s. Sui
livan and DIR. w. c. McWiams. and hundreds
of others. Shortly before 10 o'clock the vestry
door opened and Sexton Brown emerged at the
head OK the procession of white-robed choristers
who marched solemnly to their seats within the
chancel. Following them came Rev. Arthur
Hill and Rev. Ankentell, of the Trinity parish
The booming of cannon and the solemn pealine
Of the church bells announced the arrival of the
cortege at 10 o'clock, and Sexton Brown
preceded Rev. DR.: Morgan Dix