The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-12-18
VAST AssEMBLAeE AT DAVIS TOMB.

truman, late democratic candidate Tor gov
ernor OF Maine, who spoke briefly.
VAST ASsEMBLAGE AT DAVIS TOMB.
Ten Thousand Peep Participate in the
FuneraI-Business Suspended.
NEW ORLEANS Dec. 11.-Jeferson Davis
was laid to rest to-day. The day was an ideal
one. 1t was bright and balmy aud fragrant
with the perfume OF flowers, and it seemed as
if May had spread over the year and spring
had determined on being perennial. Not even
a cloud darkened the sky during the day, and
the air was still as became fete day OF death.
The city had put on her mourning garb. Along
every street the houses were draped in black
and white and purple. Along Canal-st. the
drapery reached from the roofs of the high busi-
ness buildings almost to the street. Miles away
from the central portion of the city there were
residences bearing the ensign of grief. On the
road to the cemeteries there were modest little
hamlets, and even these were hidden behind
the drapery of death. Business was suspended.
The mammoth wholesale and retail houses,
cotton presses, factories and almost all other
establishments closed up, so as to allow the
employees and employers to participate in the
funeral. Toward noon the streets were sur
rendered to the people and the procession.
everybody combined to have a grand Outpour-
ing Of the masses to do honor to the departed
leader. There has certainly been no such
demonstration in northern New Orleans before.
Men aud women came many hundred miles
from all over the South to assist in the obsequeS.
All New Orleans was out. Lafayette square,
stretching about the city hall, where the body
lay in state, was throBged with people. The
streets along the line o. march were crowded
with spectators, and out the broad avenue OF
I a.. f1,n nnata
both sides were lined with spectators tor several
miles. With all the tremendous gathering the
moving OF the vast procession, the driving and
travelling about, there was scarcely mishap or
misdeed to mar the occasion.
The entry OF the pageant into the beauti-
full cemetery away out on the Quier Metare
ridge was made with all the pomp and circum-
stance of q military and civic procession. Even
before noon, when the religious ceremony
| just beginning, people gathered within the hal
lowed precincts of the romantic buying ground.
They came in street cars, in trains in carriages,
! in rigs of every known description, and on foot
and took up positions on tombs and broad
walks, and on the seEupulousy well kept lawn.
Metarie is the most beautiful ceme-
| terry in the South, and within it
lie the remains Of thousands of Confederate
veterans, and here are most OF the tombs OF the
military and veterans associations of New
| Orleans. 1t is in this cemetery, in a subter-
ranean vault, that the southern cheltaln has
/ Northern Virginia tomb is beneath the marble
monument of the lamented Confederate leader,
Stonewall Jackson. 1t is situated nearly half
n mile from the stone entrance, nearly in the
center OF the cemetery. Beneath the base is an
underground chamber, with vaults running all
around. 1t was in one of these that the remains
of Mr.. Davis were placed. The monument was
/ decorated with extreme simplicity. The ground
was covered entirely with green moss, and
around the shaft was wound chain OF laurel
| and oak leaves.
When the procession left the city hall, big
| furniture wagons drove up and the mortuary
chamber emptied OF hundreds of its floral
offerings that came from every city and state
| in the South and taken out to the cemetery.
! Here an artistic hand came into play, and the
! flowers arranged with studied unosten-
tatiOn and most admirable effect, the
mound being almost entirely hidden
from view by the wealth of flowers.
| The pageant got out to the cemetry little in
advance OF the time it was expected Its van
guard was an incongruous assortment OF car
riages and vehicles and an irregular army of
struggling people, who walked all the way to
! the burial ground 10 do honor to the memory
/ of the leader. IL o'clock when the first
special train arrived bearing uniformed odd
fellows and X of p. and civic societies.
| AS each train drew up it quickly emptied
| of its human freight and the tail end OF the
| procession reformed In open order to let the
| militia and the walking divisions go through.
|
| march and the funeral and the remainder OF
the pageant moved slowly past IN mournful
| steps to wOful music of the day, the knights
! presented arms and the civic bodies uncovered.
When the progress of the procession finally
brought the military to the monument the
militia and soldiers were drawn up around the
! circle, and as the funeral with its long line
| of carriages in the wake drew up, the line of
soldiers facing the monument were given right
about orders in order to salute the bier. The
| episcopal eergymen and assisting clergy OF
| other denominations formed in n line on either
side of the walk. The pail and distin-
| guished guests did the same thing. Bishop Gal
| leherand Hugh MillerThompsou walked slowly
to the base and took up their positions beside tho
| bier. Gen. Gordon came up shortly and stood
! quietly and modestly with bowed head close
! by. The caisson stopped at the loot of the
| walk and Battery BIS detail of honor bore the
casket up the ascent To the foot of the mOnu-
| ment, with Capt. Beanham at its head. As the
coffin was carried up the mound the military
| orders were resting on their arms and every
| soldier in the circle executed the order. The
veterans associations marched into the ceme-
terry together. When they reached the monu.
ment they separated. one going to the left and
charged up the mound and formed an inner
circle. the army OF Northern Virginia In front
/ and the army of Tennessee in the rear.
| Then the ladies and gentlemen of the family
| trod slowly up the mound. There was not
| covered mead IN the entire multitude OF lUUUO
| people when the bereaved came. Mrs. Davis,
! heavily draped, leaned on the arm of the life.
| long friend Of her husband, Mr.. J. IT, Payne,
! as she came up beside the bier. Then
/ followed other members of the family
! and immediate friends of Mr.. and
| Mrs. Davis, gathered around inst as
Bishop Thompson opened the ceremonies by
reading the first portion OF the episcopal
burial service. Then the bugle call of taps
was sounded and Bishop Galleher read the
second portion of the ritual consigning the
| body to the grave. Here are his extempore
| words: ain the name of God, amen, we here
| consign the body of Jefferson Davis, servant
/ of his state and country, and n soldier in their
armies; some time member of congress and
senator from Mississippi. and secretary of war
| of the United States-the first and only presi-
| dent of the Confederate States of America;
born in Kentucky on the Sd day OF June, 1908,
| died in Louisiana on the 9th day Of Dec 1889,
and buried here 10y the reverent hands Of his
| people"
An anthem by w. II. Walter part of the
burial service, was sung by the chorsters to n
cornet accompaniment Bishop Thompson
/ recited the Lords prayer, in which the choir,
the clergy and the general public joined, and
then the beautiful hymn. Rock of Ages" was
rendered and the religious rites were
| over. Bishop Galleher waved his hand.
II was the signal OF the closing.
/ Capt Beanham gave the military
command the casket was raised from the bier,
and the soldiers bearing IL on their shoulders,
marched around the circular mound to the
/ omen doorway at the back of the monument