The times., 1898-09-20
WHERE JOHN TYLER RESTS.
The Tomb of the Tenth President
Wholly Unmarked


Wholly Unmarked.
The fact that the grave of one of ths
Presidents of this republic is today IN
marked by even so much as board,
although he has been under the sod for
more than thirty-fiye years is perhaps.
news TO many who remember when Tip
pecanoe and Tyler too was so potent a
political battle cry. And yet it is true
that John Tyler. the tenth President OF
the United States. sleeps without a mon
ument to mark his last resting place in
Hollywood Cemetery. Richmond, Va
The grave of Tyler is on Presidents
Hill so called because two men, who
once were the Chief Magistrates of this
nation. are buried on top of the knoll.
President Monroe's tomb being within u
few feet of TyIer's and marked by an
imposing monument Only a short dis
tance away lie the remains of Jefferson
Davis. President of the Confederate
States; James Alexander Seldom Secre-
tary of War of the same government;
Commodore Matthew Fontaine Maury,
the Pathfinder of the Seas; John Ran
dolph, of Roanoke: Richard F. Bierne. a
tNllOts anu OtLrES
whose names are indissolubly connected
with the history of the Old Dominion and
the nation.
Suitable provision was made for mon
ument for Tyler by the general assembly
OF the State of Virginia. but the resoIu-
ton was never put into execution. Presi-
dent Tyler died on January Is. 1862. and
al that time the Old Dominion had her
hands full with the war between the
States, and this probably accounts for the
neglect. in q measure In MS will.
dated October 10, 1883, Tyler inserted this
clause:
II empower my dear wife TO make cut
Of my estate suitable provisions for my
burial, and let my body be consigned 70
the tomb in the earth of the county
where 1 was born. there TO repOse till
the day OF resurrection. My wife viii Sc
lect the spot III Sherwood Forest this resi-
dencel and mark it by uncostIy mOnU-
ment of granite or marble. An inscrip-
ton will be found u the paper inclosing
this.
Immediately after his death the general
assembly of the State Of Virginia adopt
ed a testimonial, closing with these
words:
Resolved, that with the consent Of his
family his remains be deposited in Holly
wood Cemetery. in the city of Richmond.
near tn remains Of James Monroe. and
that the governor Of this State be au-
thoriZed TO cause a suitable monument 10
be erected 10 his memory"
Here the matter has rested ever since,
so far as the State government is con-
cerned. Capt. John Lamb. who repre-
sents the Richmond. or Third District in
Congress, has worked for a long time to
get bill through Congress 10 appropri-
ate $4,000 for placing a monument over
the spot, under the direction of the Sec
retary Of State. At the last session Of
Congress the resolution was favUrably
reported from the House Committee on
the Library by Representative Amos J.
Cummings. of New York, and committed
to the Union Calendar. but Representa-
tive Lamb was unable TO get Speaker
Reeds recognition 10 call up the resoIu-
ton. In its report the committee on the
library said:
From early manhood TO extreme old
age, throughout a long and eventful ca
reer. he (TyleD had served his country
with conspicuous ability fidelity and
zeal As a member of the general assem-
bly, of Virginia, as a member of her sx-
ecutive council, as governor OF the Com
mOnwealth, as a member of the State
conventions Of $50 and 1851. as member
of the House of Representatives of the
United States. as Senator from Virginia
III NAc senate VI iilt 1444lCu oLdltS- d.
President of the peace conference at
Washington, as a member of the pro-
yisional congress of the Confederate
States, as chancellor of William and
Mary College, as Vice President of the
United States, and as Chief Magistrate Gf
the Republican all these high places Of
honor and of trust he acted we'll his part
and wrote his own eulOgy upon the pages
of his countrys history.
" brilliant talents afrafu-
ments. his unyielding devotion to princi-
pie, his ardent patriotism and lofty in
tegrity, and. above ALL by the spOtiesS
purity of his public and private character
he won the undying admiration of his
cOuntrymen and shed enduring lusJer
upon the American name.
His remains now lie inferred az Holly
wood Cemetery, in the city of Richmond.
near the last resting place of James Mon
roe. We submit that the erection of
suitable shaft To mark the spot where mis-
ashes repOse would be recognized by the
American people as a piOuS and patriotic
duty, and that in thus honoring him We
would do honor TO ourselves"
President Tyler's first wife was Miss
Letitia Christian. who was born at Cedar
Grove. New Kent County, Va. NOvem-
ber 12 1790 and died September 3. 1S42-
She was only twenty-five years of age
when she became the bride of the future
President, and she died shorty after his
inauguration The grave of mis- second
wife is just TO the left of Tyler'S and
ike mis-, is unmarked save for a magnolia
tree which stands near the heads OF
both She was Miss Julia Gardiner a
daughter of David Gardiner. and was
born on GARDENERS Island. Ny. in iS21-
She has been dead less than ten years.
having passed away in Richmond on July
10 1889 The story of her marriage to the
President has in it a touch of sad rO-
nance. Miss Gardiner completed her ed
ucation at the Chegary Institute New
York City and spent several months in
Europe in 1873. In the Winter she accom-
panied her father to Washington They
were in a party that went on a pleasure
excursion on board the United States
steamer PrincesOn. and during the "trip a
gun exploded on board. killing several OF
the distinguished guests. among them Mr..
Gardiner. His body was taken TO the
White House. and Miss Gardiner was
thrown into the society of the President
a good deal The acquaintance thus be
gun ripened into love. and on June@2S 1914
they were married in New York City
To the left of these graves is buried
the elder daughter of President and Mrs
Tyler. and over her is the only tombstone
bearing the family name. On the base fs
inscribed
Julia. eldest daughter OF Julia 6iardi-
ner and President John Tyler. and wife
of William H. Spencer. died the second
Monday in June. 1S11. aged 2f years"
Lyon Gardiner Tyler, the younger son
of President Tyler. is President of VIII
liam and Mary College at Williams
burg. Va. the oldest college in the Unit
Cd vrith he of