The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-13
OUR DEAD FIGHTERS.
Porter and Sheridan to Have
Monuments in Washington.
GENERAL SHERMAN IN ST. LOUIS.
Grant and Farragut Buried In Adjoin-
ing Counties-Few Visitors to Tomb
Of the Great Naval Hero.
Boston Herald.

Standing on the broad stone pavement
in front OF the Arlington mansion, look
ing out beyond the flagstaff with the great
flag flying right on the crest of the long
and graceful Mill across the still Potomac,
Washington City, always silent and
snokeless compared with other towns,
and now buried in the greenery of 50, 600
trees, poisoning with spring life. seemed
more the city of the dead than Arlington.
From this point l could see, looking
northward toward the capitol, only three
graves. Two were on the right, in sue
cessive hollows on the hillsides, marked
with short but massive granite monu-
ments; the other on the left, just below
the crest of the hill, as yet unmarked with
a monument.
The first on my right, perhaps 100 feet
away, a little path leading down from the
roadway around it and back again, is the
grave OF General Philip III. Sheridan. a
square plot has been marked Oft on the
lawn by eight stout little granite posts con-
nected by festooned black CHI ain. In the
center is the grave facing the capitol, COM
pIetely covered with ivy so carefully
trimmed that its place is distinctly marked
in the short grass, although there Is Little
or no mound.
At the head of the grave stands the
monument erected by Mrs. Sheridan,
pyramidal piece of granite, smooth but
not highly polished, bearing on Its
front III bronze medallion por-
trait OF Sheridan's bust, showing
his medals, the face looking south,
the likeness remarkably good, the medal
lion being superimposed on graceful dag
Below it, in large, plain letters, is the
.G.I Won
at once as being sngularly chaste and
dignihed memorial stone.
Coming back to the paved roadway in
front of the mansion, and walking perhaps
100 yards to the lett and down the hill, as
before, few steps, l stood by the I'M
marked grave which is that of the late Adj
miral David ID. Porter. 1t is unmarked by
monument as yet, but the plot is fenced
by eight granite posts connected by
bronzed chain, while the grave itself is
marked in the perfect sod by the we'll
cared for ivy. IL will not be long before
the family of Admiral Porter will place a
monument at the head OF the grave, which
will be emblematic in its decoration of the
admral's career.
1t is at present planned to have q six
sided block of granite, upon which shall
be placed in bronze illustrations of six of
the most prominent incidents in Admiral
Porter's service OF this country-the cap
ture of Tabasco, the engagement at New
Orleans, that at Vicksburg, that at Grand
Gulf, the assault on Arkansas Post and
the attack on Fort Fisher, all OF which
afford excellent opportunities to the artist.
Admiral Porter and General Sheridan
are both to have monuments in the city of
Washington by public gift. AS the statue
of Sheridan is to be erected IN one OF the
small triangular parks on Pennsylvania
avenue. near Fourteenth street, the family
of Admiral Porter. are DESTROYS that the
statue of him, provided for in the
bill introduced this session by Sem
ator Quay-Admiral Porter having been a
Pennsylvanian-which appropriates $780,
600 for heroic figure in bronze and the
pedestal on which it is to stand-shall be
placed in what is now by curious coinci-
dence called Sheridan Circle, out on the
heights northwest Of Washington City In
the street known locally as Massachusetts,
avenue, extended.
Meanwhile a bust of Admiral Porter.
executed by Simmons, will find a place
in the old hall of the House of Representa-
tives at the capitol, now known as Statu-
airy hall, while a life-size portrait of the
admiral, printed by Carl Becker, will be
hung IN a conspicuous place elsewhere in
the capitol, both having been presented TO
the United States by Mrs. Porter
Retraclng my steps from Admiral Por-
ter's grave, and walking along the road
way 10 the right some distance beyond
the little path leading down 10 Sheridan's
grave, | came to the other monuments
which l had seen, polished piece of gran
lite about the size of the Sheridan monu-
mert, standing in a similar plot at the
head of an Uncovered grave, and found
that 1t was simply Inscribed, "Jedediah
Hyde Baxter, Surgeon General United
States Army" with the statement that he
was born in STAFFORD. VT, in iS57. and
died in Washington in 1890.
Within eight miles OF each other are the
resting places of Ulysses :. Grant. Amer
ica's greatest soldier. and David Glasgow
Farragut. her greatest sailor. They are in
adjoining COUNTESS that of Grant heing
in Riverside park, within the city limits
while that of Earragut is in Woodlawn
cemetery, II Westminster county New
York. The immediate surroundings of
Grants tomb are now in a state OF con-
fusion. The body lies IN a temporary
vault, while all around il workmen are
laying foundations OF the magnificent
mausoleum and monument which the CITY
is going to build. In spite of the blstle
ami disorder OF many wOrkmen the
crowd of daily visitors 10 the tomb is as
large as ever Inc pnleginatic policemen
who patrol the park wonder what this
crowd finds 10 see here, and, in truth.
there is but little to see. \ small buiIdinc
which looks ike 8 semi-cirCular mound of
red and black brick, q gate Of heavy iron
bars, mass of flowers within, and the
dim outline of a big, black casket which
can be discerned through the multi-cov
cred howerage-that is all there is To see
All day long steamboats, and sailing YES
sels pass up and down under this wal. and
the people on them can plainly see the
tomb. A stranger visiting the spot yould
ind nothing 10 inform him that it was the
burial place OF General Grant. were il not
for two gOod-siZed boxes that are now
placed there to receive subscriptions Tor
the new monument. The nearest apuroacb
10 any indication of the identity of him
who lies within is the letter G wrought in
git iron IN the massive gate, and when
the sun IS sinking below the heights across
the river, this gllded letter catches the last
rays and reflects them TO the ground be-.
fore the tomb.
But simple as this Temporary burial soot
is, that Of Admiral Farraeut il even SIN
pier. On knoll IN Wo0diawn cemetery
overlooking a railroad track and srr.
rounded by thousands of tombstones ana
graves, stands marble column of oua;rt
design, and at Its foot, under TWO maun9s
OF plants. lie Admiral Farrag1I, ana biS
wife, side by side. The monument renre-
sents broken mast covered at the
top with shroud. At the base
OF the mast is q row of behaving
pms with rores coiied about them,