The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-08-12

Inc mourners included John Sheridan,
brother Of the deceased; Gen. and Mrs.
Rucker, parents of the widow; her brother
and sister, and the military staff and sew
eral other intimate friends of the general.
President and Mrs. Cleveland and the
committees of tho two houses Of congress,
With barred heads, followed the mourners.
BORNE TO THE GRAVE.
Eight sergeants of artillery now lifted the
casket from the caisson and bore II with
slow careful steps down to the mouth OF the
open grave, placing tbereupon rods, ready
TO be lowered to its resting p ace when the
ground should have been consecrated by
the priests. After a moment of reverent
silence the clear voice of the bishop elect
swas heard tutoring the words of the bless
fng:
DEUS CUJUS MISERATIoNE.'
etc, meaning, 30 Godi by whose mercy
the souls of the faithful find rest, deign
to Bless this grave and send thy
holy angel to guard 1t, and loose from all
the bonds of sin the souls of those whose
bodies are shere inferred, that they may
ever rejoice in thee. in thee with thy saints,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen"
With sprig of fir from a neighboring
branch, holy water was sprinkled over the
grave, and the casket was lowered by the
sergeants. The regular burial service, be-
ginning with the caGticle of Zachary, or
the Bencdictus, and ending with the chant
ing of the De Profuadis by the choir of
Dominican priests brought the religious fea-
lures OF the obsequies to an end.
MRS. sHERfDaNs LAST LOOK.
The priests stood aside and remained in a
group near the head of the grave. and every
breath was hushed while the widow came a
step forward and for one brief moment
looked upon the casket which held her be-
loved dead. As she turned away the other
mourners in body paid their tribute of
love and respect, and then at a signal the
artillery fired a salute of seventeen guns.
The Loyal Legion of Honor moved up in
line and looked in upon the still uncovered
casket and then filed away. The great hol-
low square now contained but one figure,
that of a stalwart cavalry bugler, who
stood at ease, facing eastward, his bugle
under his arm, at the head of the
grave. There was hoarse command at the
left. echoed and passed on down the line of
infantry, the rattle of steel, moment of
expectation and then the simultaneous
fash and roar of 500 muskets. Again and
again the volley was repeated.
LIES LIGHTS OUT.
Then the bugler came to attention, raised
his bugle to his lips and blew ''taps," the
signal for lights outr-the military equiv
The tones were low, mellow and tremul-
GUS at the start, but with each succeeding
phrase swelled clear and shrill commanding
the waking echoes from the sur
rounding banksof foliage, which came
back TO blend again with the long drawn
wall at the end. AS the last echo died
away, and just as the shadow of the tower
ing buckeye fell across and covered the
grave as with pail, the groups of the
living turned silently homeward and left
the dead to his solitude.
LOCATION OF THE GRAVE.
The grave is few rods distant from the
Lee, mansion, little to the front and south
of it and just beyond the brow of tho grassy
slope that pitches somewhat steeply east
ward to the river. A dozen acres of close
shaven green sward, dotted here and there
with spreading oaks and naples, and
lower down fringed with an irregular row
of evergreen trees, surrounds the spot.
Above and at either hand stands maple and
buckeye, but in front and cityward naught
obstructs the view. 1t is rare picture of
forest, of city, of river, grave and garden,
diversified and glorified with such pano-
rama of stately public architecture as no
other spot on tue continent commands. A
mile of level savannas separates the bluff
from the river, which stretches in a broad
gray belt across the landscape.
IN PROSPECTIVE.
Beyond lies the city and In the distance a
semi-circle of hazy hills, which hem it in to
the north and east, their irregular horizon
line cut sharply in the forefront by the
graceful dom, of the capitol and the ma
gestic Washington monument, which ap-
pears at midday a dazzling shaft of sunlight
against q cold, deep blue SKY Back of the
grave, and upon the most commanding spot
on the Virginia side, stands the old
Lee mansion, now the office
and headquarters of the national
cemetery. The mammoth pillows of it's
portico cleaning from their background of
living green form the most conspicuous
feature of the landscape as seen from the
city. No other grave than that of Gen.
Sheridan is in front of the mansion. As he
was alone in the exalted rank in which he
died, SO he fittingly lies alone in front of
that army of dead heroes who find rest at
Arlington.
A noticeable incident at the cemetery was
the presence of Gen, Joseph E. Johnston in
group of distinguished persons at the
grave, side by side with Gen. William T.
Sherman.