Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-02-28
THE LAST TRUMPET
Parting Respects to the Late
General Sherman.
With Imposing Ceremonies the Last
Sad Rites Are Paid TO the
Great Chieftain.

ST. LOUIS, Mo-, Feb. 2i.-The last
taps have been sounded, the buglers have
trumpeted forth their final farewell,
and William Tecumseh Sherman sleeps
with his kindred, and the fresh turned
earth on mound in Calvary cemetery
just where the walk Of the holy rosary
and the way of Bethany come TO,
gether tell the story that the last OF
that great triumvirate OF American
generals, whose fame Is as imperish.
able as the nation itself, has been laid
to rost
General Sherman's desire that his OBJ
sequies should be OF military, was
obeyed TO the most extreme particular,
but IL was impossible to draw the line
that would prohibits the great mass OF
people from paying their last tribute OF
respect to his memory. So something
almost without precedent in a strictly
military funeral, two civic divisions,
were added TO the procession, and
formed not the least impressive feature
OF tho events.
1t was within four minutes OF $3.50
when booming gun announced the ar
rival of the funeral train.
The crowd around the depot was i'm.
mense, filling the streets on all sides.
Shortly after the arrival Of tho cor.
tege the participants in the various di-
visions of parade. military, fraternal
and line, began TO form, the cavalry and
artillery Of the first division taking pos
session OF several blocks contiguous to
Second and Pine streets, and other di-
visions forming on streets running east
and west for distance of considerably
over a mile
few minutes before II o'clock the
cassion drawn by four black horses
drew up in front of the entrance to the
depot, and amid the roar OF artillery
the casket was tenderly borne from the
train by eight members of Ransom post
and placed on the carriage. General
Merritt gave signal, there was a
double salute OF artillery and at ll:l5
the head of the column began To move
west on Pine street
Chief Of police Harrington. with fifty
picked men, led the way. Then came
General Merritt, as chief marshal, and
his staff, followed by General Forsyth
in command of the military escort
Then came the caisson with twenty-four
members OF Ransom post, forming q
complete squad. Then followed the six
divisions in their order. The cor,ege
slowly wcnded its way to Calvary The
streets on the line OF the procession
were thronged with people. In Grand
avenue. In particular, the windows and
sidewalks were crowded with spectators
1t seemed as though twice the popula-
ton OF the city was on the streets.
With the possible exception Of the
demonstration at the interment Of the
remains Of Grant, it was the most nota-
Bile tribute to the memory Of an Amer
can that the country has witnessed.
1t was o'clock when the head Of the
column reached Calvary. Tho old vet
Grams OF the Thirteenth lifted the
casket from the caisson and tenderly.
with slow, measured tread, bore it TO
the grave.
The wind whistled through the leaf
less branches Of the trees, but every
head was barred and bowed as Father
Sherman stepped to the head of the
caskct
The fortitude of his sisters deserted
gave way freely TO si,eir sriet ana ana ts.sS soSS-
bed and moaned. As the casstot was
lowered in the grave, one Of the great
est soldiers OF modern times WAS laid
TO rest.