San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-10-31
A MIlITy FUlGTl|.
One OF The Most Solemn Ceremonies
Ever Viewed.
Private Lawson AkerS Uttered
From The Post Hospital Last
Friiay--Army News.
A military funeral is certainly an inn

A military funeral is certainly an I'M
posing ceremony.
The funeral of the late Private Law
renee Askers, of G company, who died
in the hospital from the effects of the
kick of a mule, Friday afternoon was
no exception. At the hospital the brief
but impressive ceremony was gone
through with by Rev. A. L. Burleson,
every man in the garrison, from Col.
Carpenter Down, standing by with bare
heads. After the brief ceremony,
the casket, wrapped in a United States
flag, was borne by eight men from de-
ceased's company, closely followed by
the company commander, First Lieut..
F. NJ. NJ. Beall and Second Lieutenant
Fiske, to cassion, where
it was placed. The caisson was
drawn by six horses. 1t was then 4
o'clock and the solemn procession was
cliffe, accompanied by all the trumpet
ers in the post except the two on duty
at the adjutant's office and the man
who was to blow taps" at the grave
led the way. Following them came the
funeral caisson, accompanied by eight
pail bearers. Following the caisson
were Lieuts. Beall and Fiske, the firing
squad, commanded by Corporal Flynn,
and the trumpeter, Musician Grubs.
Then came the company of which de-
ceased was a member.
Next came Colonel Carpenter and all
the commissioned officers in the post,
officers, Sergeant Major Sorenson,
Quartermaster Sergeant Waller Ord
nance Sergeant Schonberg and Saddler
Sergeant Killgrew. They were follow
ed by the remaining five infantry or
CARNATIONS, the four cavalry troops,
and the battery, each under command
of its first sergeant.
The procession moved east around
the lower garrison to the sally port,
where it turned out to Grayson street
Up Grayson ii moved until at the en-
trance of the new post when the trum-
peters gave the bugle sound, the flag
was lowered to half mast and the
trumpeters passed through the gate in
to the post, where they halted until the
funeral caisson, firing party, and pail
bearers passed down New Braunfels
avenue, when the trumpeters again re-
sumed their march around the garri-
son, the remainder of the procession
following with barred heads as the bier,
which was then standing outside the
gate, was passed.
When the men had all passed, the
firing party were then taken in an am
bulance, and Lieuts. Beall and Fiske,
Rev. Burleson and a Light reporter
were takeninto another. These two were
followed by the funeral caisson and
the pail bearers who were also in an
ambulance.
The cOrtege, thus formed, proceeded
down New Braunfels avenue to the
National cemetery. AS the cemetery
was entered, one of the soldiers engag-
ed in digging the grave lowered the
flag to half mast, where it remained
until the funeral ceremony was over.
At the grave the casket was placed
over the excavation, the flag removed
and the body lowered to it's resting
place, where Rev. A. L. Burleson, re-
cited the beautiful and impressive Ep>
iscopal burial ritual after which the fir
ing squad fired three volleys over the
grave Musician Grubs then stepped
forward and sounded the well known
and solemn notes of "taps," which Sig
nifies lights out" This ended the bur-
ial ceremony of the late private Law
son Akers of company G, Eighteenth
infantry, U. S. A.
Taps is sounded by the trumpeter
every night at IL o'clock at the garri-
son and is the signal for all lights to
be eXtinguished. This blown at the
grave-side, announces that deCeased's
light has been eXtinguished and no
longer shines forth to the world. From
this association it is considered
throughout the army as the most SOL
emn call sounded by a trumpeter.
A soldier, no matter how low his rank
may be, is always assured that his
funeral obsequisies will be properly at
tended to, as that is one thing in the
army of this grand and glorious coun-
try which is never neglected. Every
one considers it a duty to attend the
funeral of a deceased comrade, and be-
side, army discipline compels it, any
way.