The Globe-republican., 1889-12-18
THE DAVIS oesEQuIEs.

THE DAVIS oBsEQUIEs.
Ceremonies Attending the Funeral Of Ses'
ferson Davis ut New Orleans-The EE.
Confederate Chief Buried With MintaEy
Honors.
NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 12.-Yesterday
could not have been more beautiful.
At seven o'clock the sun burst forth
and q beautiful Southern day dawned
for the obsequies of the Southern chief
tain, Jefferson Davis.
The city was crowded with thousands
of people, representing the prominence,
the wealth and the chivalry of the
Southern States. Six or seven Govern
ors were here, attended by their stats,
and bringing with them great delega-
tons of people.
A dozen companies from Georgia,
Texas, Mississippi and Alabama were
here, and with the Louisiana State Ma
tional guard and the volunteer militia
of New Orleans participated in the pa
rade.
The crush on the streets exceed
ed any thing that has been wit
messed here on the occasion of the car
nival festivities. Across in Lafayette
square, just opposite the city hall, a
dense multitude gathered and Canal
street, Camp and St. Charles were
crowded with people from all over the
country.
The floral decorations were added to
yesterday morning. They came from
every State and city in the South, and
were superb in their design and finish.
The town was draped from one end to
the other with most elaborate showings
of black. Business fronts and resi-
dences that were barren of mourning
emblems Tuesday were covered, and
every bit of bunting there was in the
city flew on a staff at half mast.
As soon as the doors of the city hall
were opened, a stream of visitors began
to pour through the death chamber to
take a farewell view of the remains of
the famous Confederate leader. The
crowd of visitors was even greater than
that of Tuesday, there being hundreds
of people from abroad whose visit to
the city had been delayed.
It was not until II CLOCK that the
lid of the casket was closed down for
ever upon the features of the dead.
The remains were then conveyed to the
front portico of the city hall building,
where the simple but impressive rites
of the Episcopal Church were per-
formed.
Lafayette square in front of the city
hall and the streets were densely
packed with people, and the balconies
and every available space from which
the procession could be reviewed was
crowded in the extreme.
By universal request, Mr.. Davis was
given a funeral in full accord with his
superior rank as military officer; in
addition to which the numerous civic
and other organizations combined to
render the cortege in all respects
most imposing, not only with reference
to numbers, but in the pomp and
circumstances of it's elaborate cere-
mOnial.
At 1910 the casket was conveyed
from the memorial room to an impro-
vised catafalque in the center of the
front portico, whose massive pillars
were entwined with a profusion of
crepe. Over the casket was thrown the
soft folds of a silken flag of the Lost
Cause" as also the glittering saber
with which the dead soldier had carved
fame and honor for himself, and
glory and victory for his country
on the crimson fields of Chapultepec
and Monterey.
The Obsequies, which were according
to the ritual of the Episcopal Church,
were conducted by Bishop Galleher, as
sisted by five officiating clergymen of
various denominations.
At the conclusion of the religious
services the casket was borne by a de-
tachment of soldiers to the handsomely
decorated caissOn which had been pre-
pared especially for its reception, and
on which it was to be conveyed to the
cemetery. From the caisson rose a
catafalque, consisting of unique and
beautifully designed canopy, measur-
ing from base to dome eight feet in
length and four feet in width and sup
ported by six bronze cannon.
As the funeral cortege traversed the
streets, from the turrets of every
church knell was tolled, the clank of
sabers and the tramp of iron-shod feet
echoed along the interminable lines,
while soul-subduing dirges blended
with the solemn booming of the minute
guns. Parts of the city not directly
located on the line of march, or in any
wise remote from thescen of pageant,
were literally depopulated, their in
habitants having gathered in countless
numbers on the banquettes and other
available places from which an easy
view of the marching column could be
had.
Bishop Thompson opened the cere-
monies by reading the first portion of
the Episcopal burial service