The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-01
in MEMORIAM.
Brigadier General Thomas Lincoln Casey,
U. S. A., Who Died March IS, 1896.

In the death of Brigadier General
Thomas Lincoln Casey, late chief of en-
gineers, u. 5. A., the loss falls in a
double measure upon Rhode Island, and
particularly so upon this locality. For,
In addition to the national loss of his
able services Rhode Island has lost one of
her own blood, endeared to all who knew
him here, by his Rhode Island ancestry,
by his attachment for our soil, by his
geniality and great beartedness, and by
the distinguished services he has rendered
the country at large. And many of his
East Greenwich acquaintances recall with
pleasure, followed by sorrow, the visits
he made to this town summer after sum-
mer; with pleasure because of the genuine
satisfaction 1t gave him TO come amongst
us attached as he was to many persons
here, and to the town itself W ith its asso-
Citations OF his family in bygone genera
tions; and with sorrow because the last
visit has been made, and the man, great
In character and ability, has now been
laid at rest
General Casey's grave speaks eloquently
for the man; for ii is upon his Rhode
Island homestead which came down to
him through generations of honorable
ancestors; and Ii Ia in soil which mas
been hallowed by the remains of his dis
tinguished father, MajorGenearl Silas
Casey OF the Mexican and Civil wars, and
by the grave OF his brother, Lieutenant
Edward Wanton Casey, gallant officer
who fell In the Indian troubles of the
year 1891; and by that of Henry Wier
Casey, his son, whose early death by
drowning at NarraGansett Pier did not
cut off his young life so early but that
his rare character had found time to
manifest itself, and made the sad tragedy
the greater for what IL was perceived that
had taE frnt 4 hAx 81 IL a..
to the memory OF the latter that mem
orial tablet has been made by General
Casey's directions for St Luke's Churcn
East Greenwich, which General Casey felt
to be the home church of the Casey fam
lily.
In dwelling upon our own immediate
loss Ii Is not amiss to recall General
Casey's greatest achievements which will
live after him testifying both to his
character and genius. Ii was he who COM
pleted the Washington monument, the
highest pile OF stone ever raised by the
hand of man, under engineering difficult
ties so great that his success was doubled
by what he had overcome. And the Con-
gresslonal Library, which, in view of it's
character and magnitude, might more
properly be called the National Library,
has been erected by him, and although
not yet completed, will nevertheless be
the work of his hand and an honorable
evidence OF the confidence which was re-
posed in him by Congress. For the work
has fortunately reached point where
his master mind can still dominate it un-
til the last blow of the hammer has been
struck, and perhaps in sound of the spot
within IL where he spent almost the last
minutes OF his arduous life. Let us OF
East Greenwich aud OF North Kingstown,
and OF Rhode Island generally, treasure
his memory, for 1t is good thing to re-
member great and true man who has
rendered service to our country, and who
loved our state. >. w. q.
East Greenwich, II. l., April /, 1896.