The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-02-14
SOLDIERS, MEMORIAL CHAPEL, M,s1or. O

tlon Of che fathers and founders of the Repub-
lie, "that all men are created equal; that
they are endowed by their Creator with certain
inalienable rights; that among these are life
liberty, and the pursuit OF happiness"
The structure rests on An extra solid founda-
sion OF stone and cement several feet under
ground, and is constructed Of imperishablo
material. There Is no wood about it except
the doors. which are of native oak, and the
window fastenings, the other material being
stone, granite, marble, iron, lead, brass, glass,
and slate.
All the statuary and ornaments are carved
out OF solid stone, marble and granite, except
the glass, which is of beautiful design in mono
grams, representative of the service of the
United States Army and Navy. An infantry
man and eavalIyman, overlooking the sur
roundings. guard the portals to the halloued
precincts within, carved out Of solid stone
Above the entrance on the west, within, an
artilleryman stands at his gun, and above the
sast entrance the sailor or marine watches the
approach Of the enemy and guards his warship,
likewise carved ont of stone. Midway of the
inclosuro eight feet above the floor, which il
about IL 10 feet in area, is a portrait of
Abraham Lincoln, on the north side, and on the
south side is that OF Gen. q. 8. Grant carved in
granite; representing the beginning and the
ending of the war Grand Army badge cut
out of stone surmounts the east gable, with the
eagle with outstretchcd wings watching over
the city Of the dead. Bedford stone prepared
at the quarries In Indiana, trimmed with SYRIA
cuse brown stone from New York, was used in
the outside walls. The floor is laid with Geor-
gia marble. The columns are Of Red Beach
granite, and on the marble tablets that form
the inside walls the names of over 300 Union
soldiers are inscribed, and their commands, the
companies and regiments in which they served,
are letterod in gold. Besides the names of the
Union soldiers and sailors are those of the
Revolutionary war; the war of 1872 and the
Mexican war whose remains are deposited in
Marion County soil. Above the names of the
soldiers on the walls are the names of the prin-
cipsl battles in which the soldiers were engaged,
and on the outside walls the corps badges
in which the greater number served, all carved
out of solid stone; also wreaths and other en-
blems, and large urn surmounts each corner
OF the structure. The windows are of cathe-
dral glass of choice design, securely fitted with
lead.
At regular meeting Of Cooper Post, No.
lit, held June a. 1883, on motion OF Comrsde
Oliver w. Weeks, committee was appointed
by the Commander, VIM. C. Rapp. consisting Of
Comrades o. w. Weeks Samuel r. Dumble,
Christian Hobermsn, Henry i. Van Fleet, and
Ira Uhler to devise plans of raising money for
the purpose of erecting suitable memorial to
the memory Of the soldiers of Marion County.
That committee added to its number Com
rades William G. Rapp and Charles Showers,
and four enterprising citizens imbued with the
enterprise, Amos HI. Killing. Peter o. Shsrpless,
John j. Hane and James 8. Reed. On the
2sth of July, 1885, the Soldiers and Sailors
Memorial Association was chartered under the