Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-09-29

TN MEMORY OF HEROES.
MONUMENTS HAT MARK GRAVES
OF FOUR AMERICAN GENERALS.

Gen. Geor.e Henry Thomas and Gen. John
e. Wsors at Troy, \. Y.-Transpo.ted
Ii,,f the Obelisk-Gen. Peter Gansevoort's
,,rJ Gen. P. Scbuyler's at Albany.
Especial Correspondence
ALBANY, n. Y, Sept. 16.-That the great
generals of the Union army in the civil war
of 1876 were national characters inspired
by national patriotism and striving for ma
tional integrity, as contrasted with local or
state prejudice and patriotism, receives an
interesting confirmation in the fact that no
state hes ever ventured to either take to it
self exclusive credit for having given any one
OF them TO the country, or TO claim for itself
the right, by reason of citizenship, of having
his sepUlcher within its borders. When Gen.
Grant died the question of where he should
be buried occupied public attention for sew
eral days. New York city, his last place OF
residence; West Point, where he received his
military education; Washington, because it
was the national capital; Galena, where he
resided at the breaking out Of the war, and
several other localities were deemed eligible
for his tomb.
In the case Of Gen. Sheridan, the contro-
versy about his birth place has not yet been
settled, whether it should be at Albany in
New York or in a village in Ohio. In these
public discussions the question as to which
state Grant or Sheridan owed allegiance did
not enter. Another great Union general, in
some respects the greatest of them all was
born in one state, was resident of another for
all purposes of the law in settling his estate,
died in a third and was buried in fourth.
Gen. George Henry Thomas the Washing
ton Of the Union army, was a native of Vir-
giuia. He was born at Southampton, on July
81, 1916. At the age of 20 he completed the
course at West Point, whereupon he was as
signed to the artillery branch Of the service
His was a continuous military life. -Four
years after graduation he was in active SER
vice in the Florida war for two years.
-Four years later, in 1876, he engaged in the
Mexican war, defending Fort Brown and be-
ing under fire at Monterey and Buena Vista
For services in these engagements he was
brevetted captain and major. He was in ac-
tive service in the war of 1S49 against the
Seminole Indians, and then for three wears he
filed an assignment to an instructorship at
West Point. Thence he went to the frontier
commanding in Texas and California At
the beginning of the civil war he was made
colonel OF cavalry, his first service in that
great struggle being in the early operations
in the Shenandoah Valley His career thence
TO the close of the war was upward in rank
and onward in tire confidence and affection
of his fellow co0ntrymen. Perfect in ply
sique, he was a scholar, a patriot and COM
mander whom tne soldiers loved and follow
ed with that zeal and confidence which chill
dren have in their father.
Gen. Thomas remained in Tennessee after
the war until November, 1866. He then
went into Kentucky, where he remainsd
until May, 1869. Then he was placed in COM
mand of the Pacific military department,
which included Alaska He was performing
duty in this capacity when he died, March
Is, 1870. The place Of burial for this great
soldier and steadfast patriot was. very prop
erly, selected by his wife. Miss Frances L.
Kellogg was native of Troy, n. Y. She
and the young Virginia soldier met while the
latter was at West Point. The acquaintance
grew into love and love resulted in marriage.
Mrs. Thomas was in Troy much of the time
1.er husband was in active service. When he
died she determined at once that his remains
should rest in the Kellogg burial plot in
Troy's lakewood cemetery. The remains
were accompanied from San Francisco TO
Troy by military detail, with Gen. Sheri-
dan in command. At Schenectady delega-
ton of City citizens of Troy met the escort.
After the body had lain in state in st.
Psul's Episcopal church, in Troy, for day
it was followed to the cemetery by the citi-
gems of that city almost in mass. President
Grant and his cabinet Gems. Logan, Meade,
Mcdowell and other commanders contempt
raneous with Thomas; James A. Garfield,
Samuel J. Randall Horatio Seymour, Reu-
ben Z. Fenton, Governor Hoffman and hum
0reds of Others prominent in national, state,
military and business affairs were in attend
auce In the process of settling the estate Of
this nations soldier the fact was established
that he had soon after the war acknowledged
himself 10 be a citizen of Tennessee. where
he had command for some years before and
succeeding the return of peace
In june, 1870 less than three months after
Gen. Thomas died, Mrs. Thomas gave the or
der for the tasteful monument that marks
the generals grave in the Troy cemetery,
and it was completed in October following at
q cost of $500. 1t is of pure Italian marble,
in the form of a sarcophagus, resting on a
plinth of fine hammered Maine granite The
marble structure is in four pieces-the base,
over all an eagle Of heroic size, with wings
half poised. 1t clutches in its claws and holds
firm upon the lid a sword, sash and tassels.
The whole monument to the highest point OF
the raised wings of the emblematical eagle is
not more than ten feet high. The simplicity