Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-12-18
MRS. DAVIS.

Mrs. Davis, heavily draped. leaned on
the arm of the lifelong friend of her hus-
band, J. U. Payne, as she came up beside
the bier. Mrs. Hayes came upon the arm
of Gen. Joseph r. Davis, nephew of the
dead President. Mrs. Stamps was escorted
by Mr.. Farrar. Then followed other mem-
bers of the family. Associate. Justice Fen
ner and his family came next. and the i'm
mediate friends of Mr.. and Mrs. Davis
gathered around just as Bishop Thompson
opened the ceremonies by reading the first
portion of the Episcopal burial service.
Then T. 81. Sappington, of Company B.
Nineteenth infantry, stationed at Nj. Yer
non barracks, Ala, sounded the bugle- call
of s'Taps'' and Bishop Galleher read the
second portion of the ritual colsigning the
body to the grave. Here are his extempo-
raneous words: GIN the name of God
Amen. We here consign to the grave the
| body of Jefferson Davis, the servant of his
State and country and soldier in the
armies; for some time senator from Miss.
issippi and Secretary of War of the g uited
States; the first and only President of the
Confederate States of America, born in
Kentucky on the Sd of June, 1903, died in
Louisiana on the 9Th of December, 1889,
and buried here By the reverential hands of
| his people,
An anthem by W. Il. Walter, part of
the burial service, was sung by the choris-
tiers to cornet accompaniment.
| Bishop Thompson rected the Lord's
Prayer, in which the choir, clergy, and the
general public joined; and then tho hymn
.'Rock of Ages" was rendered, and the re-
ligious orders we're over. Bishop Galleher
waved his hand as a signal of the closing. .
| Capt. Beanham gave military command,
the casket was raised from its bier, and the
soldiers, bearing 1t on their shoulders,
marched around the CIRCULAR mound to an
open doorway at the back of the monument
leading to the stairway that reaches the
subterrauean chamber OF the dead. The
family took up it's line in the order of its
ascent to the mound, the friends following.
The Ladies' Memorial Association fell in,
and Governor Nichols and the other Gov
ernors joined in with the pail bearers.
| When the members of the family had des-
ceuded, the casket was placed in the middle
vault of the first perpendicular row On the
right of the stairway. The Confederate flag
in which the coffin had been wrapped was
removed, the slab was screwed tight, and
the dead soldier had found his temporary
resting place in the Army of Northern Vir-
| ginia tomb
SALUTE OF HONOR.
AS the family descended, an artillery de-
| tachment from the State Guard, Captain
Beanham's battery, fred three rounds. and
the military funeral was over. There were
placed before the vault three floral offerings
-one the design of a chair FROM the Lee
Memorial Association; another, "Gates
Aiar,n from P. f. Alba. of Mobile, and the
third cross of flowers from the girls of the
High School.
AS Mr.. Payne and Mrs. Davis, both
weeping, and other relatives and close
friends came up from the chamber and
passed down to the carriages the troops pre-.
sented arms, then the pall-bearers. guests
from other States, the Ladies' Memorial
Association, and finally the public crowded
down into the still, cold white vault, and
gazed moment on the narrow chamber
| wherein all that was mortal of the beloved
/ southern chieftain was lying in peace and
quiet, removed forever from its sphere in
! life
A police guard Of honor will be on duty
at the tomb.