The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-04-11
THE LAST HONORS OF WAR
To Those Who Fell in
he Cuban Cause.
SOLEMNSCENB AT ARLINGTON

of Three Hundred and fhirty.s SIX
uoates Rrouaht Back From Cuba and
Porto Rico-The BLENDED Religious
and Military Services Most Impress
stve-A Pathetic Incident at IN
Graves.
washington, April with full hon
ors of war, upon the crest of the south
ern slope OF Arlington cemetery, the
nation, represented by President Nc
Kinley, his cabinet and other high dig
nitaries of the government, the COM
manding general Of the army and otner
distinguished officers, all the regular
and militia organizations OF the DIS
trict and a vast concourse or l2,OVo
people. paid h last tribute OF honor
and respect to the bodies OF 1886 officers
and men who gave their lives on dis
tant battlefields for their country dur
ing the Spanish-American war and VINO
were today mustered into the silent
army that sleeps in the last bivouac OF
the brave. The spot selected is in the
new addition to the cemetery. looking
out upon the broad, sweeping Poto-
mac.
In this burial lot, which covered two
acres in extent, in parallel rows the
wooden boxes containing the caskets
were ranged, separated by great
mounds of earth. over each box an
American flag was draped. There was
no particular order in the disposition
of the remains, though an exception
was made in the case Of the officers.
The boxes containing the bodies or
captain Edgar Hubert, Of the Eighth
United States infantry; Lieutenant
Lidarnett, Ninth United States infant
ry; Lieutenant William Wood, Twelfth
United States infantry; Lieutenant 4.
S. thurman, Sixth United States infant
ry, and Lieptenant Francis Creighton,
United States volunteer signal CORPS,
were placed at the head of the line of
graves Immediately under the eye OF
the presidential party.
OF the others fully 70 per cent. are
identified. About thirty per cent. are
wholly unknown or known only by the
regiment to which they belonged.
A platform had been erected, enclos-
ed with flags, and draped in mourning
to accommodate the distinguished per-
VOYAGES in case OF Indictment weather,
but the day was an ideal one, and the
platform was principally unoccupied.
Long DeIOTe IEe arrival OI Tic MILITARY
thousands of people had surrounded
the enclosure where the dead soldiers
lay.
At 2:30 o'clock the presidential par
ty, which had been caught in a jam at
the Potomac bridge from which 1t re-
quired a dozen mounted police to ex-
tricate them, reached h enclosure.
They were followed by General Miles
and his staff, the military attaches of
the British and German embassies, all
mounted, and the military escort. AS
they arrived the solemn strains Of the
dead March in Saul silenced the
vast assemblage and with heads barred
the crowd stood at the graveside while
the presidential party advanced and
the military dispositions were made.
The military was under the command
of Colonel Francis L. Guenther, and
consisted of the District of Columbia
national guard, the light battery with
two HotchkisS guns, a battalion of ma
val militia and the regular troops from
the arsenal and Fort Myer.
The troops were formed upon three
sides of a r%ectangle and files Of SOL
diers were marched into the ranks of
the dead. Thanking the open space at
the head of the graves were the red
coated artillerymen who were to fire
the last salute, and on the left was sta
toned the Fourth artillery band.
The president, accompanied by Sec
rotary Gage, Secretary Long, Postmas-
ter General Smith, Secretaries Hay,
Hitchcock and Wilson, Assistant Sec
rotary Taylor, Genera Corbin, Gen.
eral John M. Wilson and Colonel Bing-
ham, came forward with uncovered
head and took his place in the open
space facing the graves. He was fol-
lowed by General Miles and his staff,
in full uniform, and other distinguished
guests including some of the represen-
tatives of foreign countries.
A PATHETIC INCIDENT.
Just as the president arrived a pa
thetic incident occurred when aged
Mr.. and Mrs. O'Dowd pressed through
the lines and placed a bunch Of roses
On the casket of their son, John
O'Dowd, of the Seventh infantry. The
parents of Lieutenant Wood also came
forward and deposited a beautiful
wreath of flowers and the sword of
that gallant officer Upon his casket
Immediately the band broke out in the
sweet strains of Nearer My God to
Thee" and Post Chaplain c.. w. Free
land, of Fort Monroe, in the ecclesiasti-
cal robe of his office, with Rev. Father
MCGEE, of ST. Patrick's church, follow
ed, by three purple gowned acolytes,
advanced to the graves and the funer-
al services began. They were very SIM
pie but very impressive.
Rev. Mr.. Freeland read the military
committal services of the Episcopal
church, beginning with Man that is
borne of woman and concluding with
h promise of heaven contained in the
words: II am the resurrection and the
life" AS he pronounced the words
"Dust to Dust, Earth to Earth" the
soldier at the side of each grave
crumbled a handful of earth upon each
caSket. The vast concourSe bowed their
heads to the solemn words and scene,
and thousands Joined in the Lords
prayer.
Rev. Father MCGEE then consecrated
with the churchly power invested in
him the earth into which the bodies Of
the Catholic soldiers were placed.
Meantime from Fort Myer, booming
down the wind, came h dull crack of
a gun every half hour and the ma
tional ensigns or the stats there and
at the Lee mansion were run down to
half mast.
AS soon as the religious services had
been concluding, thanking detachments
of the Fourth and Fifth artillery fired