The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-06-08
SOLDIERS FUNERAL.
Accorded the Remains of Gen
Walter @. Gresham.
The Body Taken to Chicago, Escorted by
the President and Cabinet and
q Large Number of Mourn
ing Friends.

@NNJ D' @HS 49,
of Walter Quinton Gresham received
the funeral hOnOrs accorded a soldier.
Except John A. Logan, of Illinois,
no man, not of the regular army. has
ever before been honored by the or
dering out Of the United States troops
by the president to escort his remains.
A bright sun shed its rays over the
military pageant which accompanied
the funeral procession, and no nor
imposing spectacle has been witnessed
since the last presidential Inaugural
tion, though the sadness of the Occa-
sion naturally dimmed its luster and
the crowds were mute and reverent.
At $50 a. IN. the body, which was
lain in state Tuesday evening in the
parlOr in the apartments at the Airing
ton annex which the secretary had Oc-
cupied during life, was removed from
that resting place to the great East
room of the White House. 1t was pre-
coded by such a tribute of flow
ers as even Washington, the city
of flowers, has seldom witnessed.
The arrangements awaited the
arrival of the president and his cabi-
net, who came with military prOmpti-
tude. Fhe president and acting Sec
rotary of State Uhl entered the first
carriage to follow the remains. Then
came Secretary Carlisle, who unex-
pectedly returned to Washington, in
stead of joining the funeral train en-
route, as was intended, and Secretary
Lamont. Next Attorney-General o.
- -- w.t.
and the Secretaries Herbert, Smith and
Morton.
The preliminary services took place
in the East room of the White House,
which mas witnessed some memorable
obsequies, the last being those of Pres
ident HarriSOn's wife, but which has
never before been the scene of funeral
services over a cabinet officer.
There was. further, this distinction
in the days sad ceremonies. that the
draperies and other accessories were
entirely military in character.
The United States troops, headed by
the Marine band, formed on Seven
tcenth street, extending their line to
the west gate of the White House. The
artillery were parked along the put
skirts Of Lafayette square which sep
arates the Arlington from the White
House and their guns and caissons
stretched the whole length of the south
front of the treasury.
The military forces consisted Of four
troops of the Sixth cavalry from Fort
Meyer. Va, five companies of artillery
from the Washington barracks and the
Marine corps under Col. Haywood.
The flag which Gen. Gresham loved
so well, for which he fought so brave
ly, and in whose defense he was so
previously wounded, was the chief
emblem of mourning round his funeral
caSkct.
Bishop Hurst, of the Methodist Epis-
copal church, conducted the services.
He was a warm personal friend of the
dead secretary, who himself vas
brought up in the Methodist faith, his
father and mother belonging to hat
denomination.
II DECORATIONS.
The decorations of the East room for
the funeral services there were most
elaborate and of exceeding beauty
and imp~ressiveness. To carry out the
intention to make the occasion purely
military, the American flag was pre-
dominant in the display. Wherever
the eye wanders the Stars and Stripes
were seen. Each of the four great sa-
loon mirrors were half hidden by a
large flag and every window curtained
by hangings composed of the National
standard. 20 feet long.
These formed the background for an
effective display of growing plants and
cut flowers. Great spreading palms
branched out from every window and
alcove, and were surrounded by pOtted
oleapders and other greenery. White
and gold fiower-pots and innumerable
varieties of evergreen were banked on
the mantels and beneath them. and
cut flowers were i~nterspersed here and
there, while wreaths of smilaX en-
twined mirrors and windows and door
ways. The effectiveness of the ar
rangement was greatly enhanced by
theglow of electric lights, rendered soft
through hemiSpheres of thick glass of
a pinkish hue.
The official and clerical force of the |
state department assembled at the de
partment at $50 o'clock and proceeded |
to the White House in a body. Four
of this number, Messrs. Renick, the
chief clerk; Chiffon, Haywood and II.
Z. Smith, seated the members of the
diplomatic corps. while Messrs. Biddle
and Keller, of the department, re-
ceived the diplomats as they arrived
at the entrance to the grounds.
Sir Julian Pauncefote, the British
ambassador, as dean of the diplomatic
corps, convened a meeting of the MEM
beers of the diplomatic corps at his am
bassy Tuesday evening, and they, after
adopting suitable resolutions of sym
pathv on the occasion of the g%rievous
loss which the government of the
United States has sustained, deter
mined to attend the funeral services in
a body.
Similar action was also had by the
justices of the supreme court. !
CONSPICUOUS ATTENDANTS.
The Chinese minister, Mr.. Yang Yu,
in all the splendor of the uniform of a
noble of the Chinese Order of the
Eight Banners, was a conspicuous fig
ure, and he, with the many members
of his accompanying suite, also attired