Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-06-04
GRAVES OF OUR
GREAT HEROES.
Those Who Served In the Civil
War.
THE LOCATION OF THEIR ToMBs.
Widc Disposition OF tho Remains of Army
and Naval Commanders How Their
Graves Arc Marked and who Cares For
Them.
Copyright, 1896. by the Author. ]

Graves Are Marked and Who Cares For
Them.
Copyright, 1896, by the Author.l
America has no Westminster abbey or
st. Paul's to enshrinc its illustrious
dead. Their graves arc scattered far and
wide throughout the land. Perhaps this
has been ordered wisely. Such sentries
of memory and suggestion spread broad
cast serve better purpose in such
land as ours than if they were concen-
trated in ono vast gallery Of tombs a
nations pantheon though that might be.
1t sometimes seems that there would
have been peculiar fitness if those of
our great soldiers whose fame is especial
associated with particular battletields
could have been buried in them-as, for
example, Meade at Gettysburg, McClel-
Ian at Antietam aud Thomas at Chicka-
manga In these great national ceme-
terry parks the most eloquent monuments
of their fame are to be found There,
sleeping with the armies of obscure dead
whose hands and hearts did the work of
their leadership their ashes would have
found the most adequate embalming
But perhaps what is is best. Yet one
fancies that the work of Memorial day
would have had peculiar significance
in smothering the graves of an army
with flowers and lent fresh point to the
old couplet:
Only the memories of the just
Smell sweet and blossom in the dust
The art Of the sculptor has attempted
the presentment in marble and bronze of
many Of the great men whose swords
flashed so wildly in that wonderful four
years which shoot up like an Alpine
peak out Of our history. Each year adds
some new image to the national portrait
gallery Not few Of these are worthy
Of the greatness Of the subject. Such,
for instance, is the Farragut statue in
New York. But it is u depressing fact
that many of them reflect little credit on
the nation, and some of them actually
belittle the greatness which they design
to commemorate There seems to have
been a slight awakening Of the public
conscience in this respect, however. The
fact that the congressional committee in
whose charge the award of the Sherman
statue to be erected in Washington was
placed found no model fully worthy is
an indication Of it.
But beautiful and touching as is tho
desire to honor the great dead by sculp.
tured figures erected in public places,
that men may gaze upon them and thrill
with the lesson Of their lives, there is
something after all that comes closer to
the heart. 1t is in the subtle and preg-
nant thought that all distinctions cease
in the presence Of DEATH That the pri-
vate or the general did his best to do a
noble and worthy deed is where tho
honor lies. The blaze Of fame is flash
in the pan without such text. So,
however we may pour out oblations of
honor and gratitude at the tombs of the
great, the tenderer sentiments should
linger at the graves Of the unknown
dead. The great soldiers themselves, if
they could open their lips, would say So
A glance at the resting places of some
Of the distinguished personages who
blazed the traces Of their fame in the
great civil war will serve as an example
of the wide disposition of their remains
General Grants tomb, overlooking
the Hudson river, is notable sight III
upper New York city.
General Robert Anderson's grave at
West Point is looked after by Mrs. Gen.
eral Anderson and his daughter, Mrs.
j. B. Lawton. The grave of Sumter s
hero is decorated every Memorial Sun
day by detachment of veterans from
Robert Anderson and A. S. Williams
posts Of New York city, also Anderson s
battery, Sons of Veterans and Ander-
sons Zouaves
General d. B. Birneys grave at
Woodland cemetery, Philadelphia, is
well kept under tho care Of his wife
and son and d. B. Birney post, No. CD,
G. A. r.
General Francis P. Blair is buried
in Bclfontaine cemetery, ST. Louis, in
awell kept grave, The monument &c
the general is in Forest park, st. Louis.
The gallant General Henry A. Bar.
mum, who died only few years age
from wound which never ceased tc
trouble him, is buried at lakewood
cemetery, Syracuse. Lafayette post OF
New York city looks after the grave.
General Hiram Burnham, hero OF
Fort Harrison and tho captute OF
Marye's Heights, lies in Pine Grove
cemetery, Chesterfield, Me. His grave
is marked by q monument, occupies 9
prominent place in the cemetery, and il
kept in good condition by the authori
ties.
Burnside's grave, in Swamp Point
cemetery. Providence, is kept in goot
order, permanent fund having beer
established for that purpose
Doubleday's grave in Arlington Gem
etery is marked by monument. Gen
eral Doubleday's widow lives in Wash
ington. Lafayette post Of New Yorl
city is interested in decorating thu
grave.
Colonel Ellsworth, the zouave, on,
of the earliest Of the war heroes, Il
buried in Mechanicsville cemetery, New
York. There is monument. Ellsworth
post Of Meohanicsville is interested il
the care Of the grave.
General Charles Devin lies in Noun
Auburn cemetery, Cambridge, Mass
Post 10 is interested in the care Of tn
grave.
Rear Admiral Charles Henry Davis
the naval hero Of the Mississippi, lie
in Cambridge cemetery, Cambridge
There is monument. Commander G
III. Davis. United States navy, son @
the admiral, is interested in the care O