Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1898-10-21
BURIED WITH MILITART 7
HONORS..


HONORS.
In our last weeks issue of the By.
srANDER We mentioned the death OF
Tult E. Ashford, who was the first col
ored soldier to die from Iowa company
which left Des Moines last summer.
Mr., Ashford came from Bedford. and
WAS made Sargent. We run part OF
Captain Amos w. Brandt's letter, writ
ten to Mr.. Ashford's mother last week
about it; the letter appearen in full in
the "Times Republican," Bedford, la.
Neil's farm, near Lexington, Ky,
Oct Mrs. Saphia Ashford, Bedford,
Ia.-Dear Madam: As you have al
ready learned by my telegram, sent
Oct. 3, 1880 a. M, your son Tult T..
Ashford, Sergeant, Co., NJ. U. S. Vel.
Infantry; died Oct, 2 1893, at 1l;20 p.
m. tried to send telegram that night
and our office said it could not be sent
till q. m. next day.
The funeral was that OF a soldier; he
had his uniform on; a nicely finished
walnut coffin (nuch nicer than those
used at Jefferson barracks, NO. flag
over it; and at 2:3o p, m, Oct. 3, Mon
day, the I'd battalion, 4 companies of
which Co. NJ is one, formed in line in
rear of the hearse, about 400 men, led
by the regimental with IA of his COM
rades as escort guard and 6 fellow SER
geants and corporals as pail bearers;
all our company and Chaplain j. G.
Hall with white gloves. We, all, thus
proceeded and marched into the city of
Lexington miles to the city cemetery
and buried him in the United States
government lot for soldiers; IA soldiers
fired rounds over his grave after the
cermonies for a departed soldier. The
The chaplain spoke of how good SOL
dicr and man Sergeant Ashford was:
and thus we buried him on government
tai land in the very midst of kentuclSy's
proud domain, surrounded by some of
the finest dust of her departed men
Henry Clay and many others; Clays
monument being but short step
from where his grave is. Tult Il.
Ashford, Sergeant Company NJ, U. S.
Vol. Infantry, lies buried as the first
colorcd man or colored soldies ever
buried within its sacred soil, and one
good colored woman, aged and old, said
as we passed into the cemetery. II am
so glad the good Lord has let me live
to see this done and hope more of such
good things will come." His grave is
No. 1000, in the U. S. of Ameaica Lot,
Lexington cemetery, established in
1s49. 1 doubt whether you should
move his body at all, for his burial in
that cemetery is victory for your race
and shows the power of the American
soldier for he can ge to all the places of
earth and can, when he folds his little
tent, lie down with the American flag
about him in his last resting place;
that resting place that cannot be dis
turbed by race prejudice or any hand
that would do him ill. The cemetery
will always be cared for-the govern
ment always will take the best of care
of the places where her dead lics-and
Tult died q soldier and lies now among
the bravest of the brave and by his
death and burial in this piece made a
monument to himself, for his race and
the colored soldier. There were no
barriers for him. being a soldier of the
United States he burned them all away
The cemetery is the most beautiful !
haye ever seen and felt proud that it
was to be the resting place of my boys;
a boy born IN Iowa, full Of Northern
blood, entitled to lay down in the choic-
est place and have the warmest rays Of
God S sun with all the beautiful verdure
of the cline to be upon and around him.
have, possibly, said in a few words
how beautiful is his last resting place.
but words l assure you cannot tell Of
the beauty of the place and the God
sent sentiment that surrounds the buri-
al and resting place of Sergeant Tult
+. Ashford in Lexington cemetery.
Enclosed l also send you the written
token of the comrades of Company NJ
for their departed comrade and ask
you to accept the same as a token Of
their respect, and if you want any
further word, write me and will serve
you. Respectfully yours.
AMOS W. BRANDT.
Capt. Co. NJ : y. s. Vol. Inf.
Booker I. WASHINGTON