The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-08-29
SHERIDAN BURIED.
Impressive Ceremonies at the
Church and Grave.
Inferred at Arlington Heights
With Military Honors.

The last rites for the dead have been per-
formed according to the ordinances OF the
Roman Catholic Church, in St Matthews
Chapel, Washington, for Philip Henry Sher-
idan, General of the Army of the United
States, and his body has been laid to rest in
beautiful Arlington, the city of the soldier
dead. The event was marked by general
suspension Of public business.
At an early hour a little crowd gathered
at the entrance to st. Matthew's Church to
watch the PROCESS of the preparations for the
funeral. Outside line OF infantry, extend
ing for several squares above and below the
church, kept back the crowd that packed the
sidewalk.
At the entrance to the church were
number of military officers who
acted as ushers Among the most prominent
to arrive first was Secretary Fairchild, who
was escorted to seat near the front few
minutes later Secretary Villas and Post
master-General Dickinson arrived. Secre-
| tary Endicott and General Sherman came in
a few minutes later and were seated to the
left-hand side aisle At 9:45 Mrs Sheridan,
leaning on the arm of Colonel NJ V.
Sheridan and preceded by Captain
Lawton, as usher, appeared and were shown
seats in chairs placed in front of the firstpeW.
Mr.. John Sheridan followed, accompanied by
two ladies of the family General and Mrs.
next and were ushered to seats Immediately
behind Mrs Sheridan. The personal
staff of General Sheridan and the ply
sicians who attended him during his
illness occupied pews in the rear Of the rela-
tives. At $50 the service began. few
minutes later all eyes were turned toward the
entrance when the President, accompanied
by Mrs. Cleveland aud Mrs Folsom, arrived.
Both ladies were dressed in black.
To the right of the main aisle were seated
all the members of the plomatic corps 10
the city. They were dressed principally in
black dress coats, but the representatives of
Corea wore their highly conspicuous uni
forms, as did the Turkish representative.
About two hundred army oftic rs of varying
rank, dressed in their bright uniforms, were
| present
The judiciary was represented by Justice
Harlan and Solicitor-General jerks, while
Speaker Carlisle, Senators Ingalls,, Evarts,
| Allison, Blackburn, Paddock, Edmunds,
Chandler and Representatives Stahlnecker,
| of Westchester county, and Mahoney, Of
Brooklyn, represented Congress.
The funeral of the great soldier was de-
void Of pom5p, or .s sere%ony nhs yvsd 4he in
all things, and the military escort that
bore him to the grave was but the meagre
detail provided by the army regulations for
| q Generals funeral Upon q catafalque,
draped in sombre black, rested the casket.
| Over it was thrcwn the soft fo'ds OF si!ken
| flag, the azure field studded with golden stars.
| Upon it lay the Generals chapeau, the yellow
silk sash embroidered with gold, and the
dead mans battered sabre, its scabbard
and blade craven with the names OF half
a hundred battles in which he led his
army on to victory. About the cata-
faluue stood graceful candelabra, in
which burned scores of waxen tapers, and at
the corners of the bier were placed tho slen-
der, towering candles, in accordance with the
Catholic ritual.
At the head of the coffin, upon an ebony
staff, drooped the famous ensign bearing the
badge of Sheridan's corps. The altar and its
fittings were sombre with the heavy drapsry
Of the requiem service. The candlesticks
that lined the wall were sheathed in folds OF
black, and the high pulpit was shrouded in
black velvet and silver lace. To the left OF
the altar stood the red throne reserved for the
Cardinal, and above the spanning arch
hung two heavy silk flags, their
silver stars glistening through the folds OF
funeral crepe. On either S. de the crepe en-
twincd pillars bore the national ensign
Promptly at $50 Rev. Father Mackin,
celebrant, and Fathers Kervick and Ryan
as deacons, preceded by number OF altar
boys and acolytes, forming a procession,
requiem mass for the dead. Cardinal Glib
bons occupied q throne to the left OF the
altar. The service was most solemn and
impressive At the special request or Mrs
Sheridan the usual orchestral accompani-
ments we're omitted.
At the conclusion of the mass his Eminence,
Car!inal Gibbons, asce1ded the pulpit to
! preach the funeral Sc. mon. ,
The Cardinals text was from l. Mach,
tx, 10, 81: "And Jonathan and Simon TOOK
| ,Judas. their brother and buried him IN the
sepulchre Of their fathers in the city OF
, Medin, and all the people Of Israel bewallei
! him with great lamentation and they moaned
| for him many days and said: How is the
mighty fallen that saved the people OF
Israelhn The Cardinal delivered most i'm
pressiye funeral Grafton, and his alluslons TO
| the personal life of General Sheridan orouzh.5
tears into the eyes of many, and even old
weather-beaten veterans seemed affected.
| A. eleven o'clock the Cardinal, who had
| finished his sermon, took his seat at the head
of the casket, removed his hat and spr.nk'
ling the casket with holy water and swing
ing a censer pronounced the aesolutlon.
and the solemn and impressive service was
ended, and eight Sergeants from the tblr6
artillery then marked down the aisle, ano
Hfting the casket upon their shoulders bore
| &c from the church, the audience standing
Immediately followed an artillery officer car
| rying the Generals headquarters flag. The
| pall-bearers, headed by General Sherman
! and Speaker Carlisle, had meanwhile
taken their places i'll tn. carriages pro
vided for them. Mrs. Sheridan and the other
| members of the family and friends followed
the casket down the aisle, and after them
came the Presidential party and other dis
tinguished guests. The pall-bearers were
General Wesley Merritt, George w. Chids,
| of Philadelphia: Marshall Field, Of Chicago;
| General Joseph s. Fullerton, of st. Louis;
Secretaries Whitney and Endicott, General
! Augur, Senator Hawley, Speaker Carlisle,
| Colonel Charles P. Lincoln and General Mao
| Feely.
While the services were in progress the
eaisson was placed in a position to receive the
casket and the generals horse was lei to q
place Immediately behind. 1t was bridled
and saddled Just as when last ridden by the
general. The generals military boots were
! in the stirrups with the toes pointing back
wards. The animal was led by tall SER
geant in full uniform.
In accordance with the wish Of Mrs. Sherl-
dan the funeral was a strictly military al
fair, and the escort was formed precisely as
prescribed by the army regulations for an
officer of the rank Of the dscease as follows:
A battalion of cavalry, two batteries OF light
artillery, marine band, third artillery ban1,
battalion of foot artillery, clergy in car
riages, pail bearers in carriages, body bearers,
artillery sergeants, caisson having remains.
the generals horse Mrs. Sheridan AMI family,
military staff, the President an Mrs. Cleve-
ian! 70 Cabinet. the Ju iiciary, the Con-
gre,s .onal Committees, Diplomatic Corps.
Representatives of the Loya! Legion and g.
| A r., citizens.
The procession enterel thu western gate
way OF the Arlington National Cemetery,
| No ,ara as far as the eve can reach to the right