The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-10-07

The subjects portrayed are The Landing OF
Columbus at San Salvador, 1892, by d. Van
Derlyn, in 1888; The Discovery of the Mis-
sissippi by DeSoto, 1541, by Powell, in 1850
| The Baptism of Pocahontas at jamestown in
1913, by Chapman, in 1885, The Farewell
Service on Board the Speedwen in Delft
Haven, by Weir, in 1910.
The Speedwell set out with the first colony
of Pilgrims from Holland, but not proving
| seaworthy. they were transferred to the May
| flower, which finally landed them at Ply
| mouth Rock. Chapman's picture has the
greatest historic value, rs it represents por-
traits and costumes of Role, Sir Thomas
Dale. and other Virginia colonists and Indian
chieftains supposed to have been present at
the ceremony.
| The COL Trumbull series begins with the
| signing of the Declaration of Independence
| in the old hall in Philadelphia in 1776, the
| artist having consulted with Jefferson, Frank
| lin and other Continental statesmen present
while the signatures were being placed to
| thi. famous document The second of the
series is the Surrender of Burgoyne at Sara
toga, Oct II, 1777.
Col Trumbull was present upon this Occa-
sion, and was an eyewitness of the transac-
ton he depicts He was also present at the
Oh 1OIu SOTnWdillS dU
which forms the third painting of the series.
In the last two of these paintings the scarlet
uniforms of British officers give vividness
of color to the scenes common enough in
British galleries, but seldom seen in our
own.
The fourth of the Trumbull series is the
touching scene portraying the Resignation
OF Washington as Commander in Chief of
the [ nerican Armies at Annapolis, Dec.
%, 1888, when Congress was in session in the
old Maryland Statehouse.
Above each of the eight panel paintings
of historical scenes in American history are
smaller panels, ornamented with arabesque
designs by Causicci and Capellano, embracing
medallion heads Of the four great vanguards
of American hstory-Columbus Raleigh,
Cabot, and La Sale These were done also
in 1897.
The figures in alto-relief ornament a frieze
10 feet wide just beneath the whispering
gallery. These constitute a series of draw
ings IN light and shade, portraying the figures
of men running wrestling, riding on horse
back, salient scenes of War and Peace typical
of American progress. The design was Bru-
| midi's, who began the work in 1878, but who
died two years later, before it was completed,
the result of injuries received while falling
from scatlold placed in the rotunda, upon
which he was executing his paintings. His
assistant Castiganni, has continued his work,
not yet completed
The rotunda of the Capitol has been the
scene of joyful festivities, among which was
Tie brilliant reception held by Mrs Gen.
John A. Logan, Miss Clara Barton and other
distinguished women of Washington, when
the Grand Army Encampment met in the
Capital City in 1891. The members of Harri-
sons Cabinet were present i'll q body, and
their wives were of the receiving party.
President Harrison was not at the reception,
as Mrs. Harrison was very i'll from the fatal
malady from which she shortly after died.
United States troops in full uniform pre-
served the lines, and the celebrated Marine
Band furnished the music.
The saddest of all scenes ever witnessed in
the rotunda was the lying-in-state of Abra-
ham Lincoln, April, 1865, after his assassi-
nation by J. Wilkes Booth. Never in this
country has been witnessed such scene of
mourning as when around his shrouded cata-
falque tens of thousands of his fellow-ccuntry-
men, thousands upon thousands of women
and children, thousands upon thousands of
freedmen, came bringing their last sad tribute
of flowers and tears in memory of that be-
loved and loving liberator, tried and tested
and never found wanting through four long
and terrible years Of blood and carnage and
desOlation.