Huntsville gazette., 1886-06-05
Of the Old Guard, and thus enable him to
secure rest and recuperate for the even

| secure a rest and recuperate for the even
ing event
| Riverside was the Mecca of patriotism,
and it made an early start. AS early as
Six O'Clock people began to flock about
the tomb of Grant. Magnificent offerings
sent from various States were not all In
place when the ceremonies of the day be-
| gan, and many will have to be arranged
to-day. The general effect was beautiful
In the extreme. Colonel Fred Grant ar
rived about eleven O'Clock, and professed
great satisfaction with the arrangements.
A long platform had been built out from
the hillside in front of the tomb. On each
side and behind it, about the vault, stages
with seating capacity for twelve or fifteen
hundred spectators had been erected.
Outside these a railing inclosed three
! sides of vast square, with the vault in
the center, and inside this the troops were
to be massed, the body of the spectators
taking the outside.
| General P. H. Sheridan came on the
U nited States war ship Tennessee with
his staff, and took his position on the
| speakers platform.
| General Logan came with the G. A. r.
Posts on the Grand Republic, and was
escorted by them to the platform. The
United States steamers Swatara and Yam
tic accompanied the Tennessee.
Mrs. Grant with her sons, Colonel
Grant, Ulysses and Jesse, with their
wives and children, occupied seats back
OF the speakers. Near them were COM
rades Lyon and Fuller from the Califor-
MIA Grand Army, and Irving, of Michi-
gan.
BY noon thousands had assembled, and
manifested great Interest. The view
from the platform above the tomb, which
| was reserved for the park commissioners
and their friends was grand, taking in a
| vast sea OF faces, the sweep of the river
beyond for miles, and the dark green
bluffs on the other side.
About fifty park police under Captain
Beatty, and nearly one thousand munich
pal police mounted and on foot under In
spector Steers were on the ground to
preserve order.
After the parade in Brooklyn the U. S.
Grant post, which had charge of cere-
monies at the tomb. embarked with their
guests on the steamer Colombia from
JewelPs Wharf, and started for Riverside
Park. When the steamer reached the
wharf at One Hundred and Twenty-ninth
street and North river, the several or
CARNATIONS dsembarked and marched to
the park and the tomb of General Grant,
where they arrived at 2 p. m. During
the march to the tomb the North Atlantic
squadron fired minute guns. At the
tomb the battalion of Maimis and State
Fencibles formed a line to the left,
while the G. A. r. posts advanced to the
place reserved for them in front of the
grand stand. Tire Edwin ID. Morgan
Posi- NO. 381, OF NcwY ork, acted as uSners.
The services at the tomb, which did
not begin until nearly three o'clock,
wer, most impressive. They began with
Chopin's funeral march and that position OF
the ritual of the G. A. r. beginning
"Comrades, the duty Of the day. was re-
cited, Post Commander J. p. Howatt
of U. S. Grant Post 327 leading. The
Amphion Musical Society sang "Nearer
Ny God to Thee" and Rev. DIR. r. 5.
Storrs offered prayer. Chaplain R. B.
Gwillim conducted the responsive serv-
ices from the Grand Army ritual begin
ming: ''What man is he that liveth and
shall not see death" chant beginning,
"Jesus Christ said | am the resurrection
and the life," by the Amphion Society,
followed. Then Post Commander Howatt
continued the ritual, beginning with:
"To-day is the festival OF our dead"
Post Commander Calvert recited: IN
your DdID6, lily VIC ho'O ~
posted these memorial flowers upon this
tomb, which represents the graves OF all
who died in the sacred cause Of our coun-
try,' and the hymn aye heroes who I'M
mortal live'' was sung.
The oration by Senator Logan followed,
after which the band played Besthoven's
funeral march.
General Logan began his address by ref
marking that the spectacle OF millions o
citizens assembling throughout the coun-
try to sing peans of gratitude to their
sleeping benefactors should forever 81
lence the SANDER that republics are un-
grateful To be an American citizen offl-
ciating in a service of gratitude to the
fallen defenders of his country is but sec
ond to being numbered among those TO
whom this homage is rendered. In the
course of the address General Logan
said the number OF patriots
who voluntarily left home, family and
peaceful pursuits to defend the principle
then submitted to the decision OF war,
was 1886, ,951, and of these nearly nve
hundred thousand perished. After COM
pairing Yesterdays beautiful tribute to
these martyrs, with the more imposing
monumental and other commemorative
methods of the ancients, General Logan
referred in touching language to the
death, since last Decoration Day, OF Cen
eral Grant. In eulogizing Grant, the
speaker said: sNo comprehensive plan
for the final crushing of the enemy
was conceived until the mighty
chieftain to whose tomb we are
to-day sorrowing pilgrims was placed
in position to lead the Union hosts. From
that moment the triumph OF the Union
armies became simple question OF time.
When Shakespeare wrote of julius C9ser,
she was the foremost man OF all this
world Grant had not yet lived" Cen
eral Logan went on to compare Grants
achievements with those of all the great
Generals of history, and concluded that,
all circumstances considered, none before
him had equalled him. Two names
should be chiseled upon the majestic col
umn that, leaping from the banks OF the
Potomac, rears its graceful head far INTO
the clouds: Washington and Grant, the
warriors of liberty, one its father, the
other it's greatest defender.
Next came the salute for the dead. The
First Battalion OF Marines from the North
Atlantic squadron fired, then the nrst