The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-04-07
MUSTERED INTO
The SILENT ARMY
The Nati,n'S Dead Buried With Military
HOnOrC.
IN Z HISTORIC ARLINGTON
The Last Tender Tribute oil Honor and
Respect WaS Paid.
VAST CONc0uRsE WITNESSED RITES
AS the Words Dust to Dust" Were
Spoken, Soldiers Crumpled Clods
of Earth Upon Caskets of
Their Dead Comrades.

Their Dead Comrades.
Washington, April 6.--With full honors of
war upon the crest of the southern slope
of Arlington cemetery this afternoon the
nation, represented by President Mckinley.
his cabinet and other high dignataries of
the government, the commanding general
OF the army and other distinguished Of
fcers, all the regular and militia organiza-
tions of the district and a vast concourse
of $1,000 people, paid the last tender tribute
of honor and respect to the bodies of SS6
officers and men who gave their lives on
distant battleields for their country dur
ing the Spanish-American war, and who
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 Potomac and across to where the
glistening Washington monument rears its
d zzy shaft and beyond to the classic out
lines of the capitol and the FURNISHED dome
OF the new library building To the right
rise the ramparts of old Fort Mcpherson.
TO the left the countless graves of heroes
OF the civil war, sprinkled with imposing
monuments to distinguished generals, and
10 the rear of the stately old Lee mansion
ana Fort Myer. In this burial lot, which
covers 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
10 Per Cent. Identified
Ihere was no particular order In the dis
position of the remains though an exception
was made in the case of the officers. The
boxes containing the bodies of Captain Ed
gar Hubert, of the Eighth United States
infantry; Lieutenant L. e. Barnett. Ninth
United States infantry; Lieutenant William
WoQd, ,'Welfth United States infantry
Lieutenant Turman, Sixth United States
infantry, and Lieutenant Frances Creigh-
ton, United States volunteer signal corps,
Wero 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 30 per
cent are wholly unknown, or known only
by the regiment to which they belonged
Before the arrival of the presidential
party and the military escort detachment
from the Fourth and Fifth artillery kept
vigil over the dead. Long before the ar
rival of the military, thousands of people
had surrounded the enclosure where the
dead soldiers lay Some sought points in
trees or in ramparts of Fort Mcpherson.
About 2:30 the presidential party, which
had been caught In a jam at the Potomac
bridge from which it required a dozen
mounted police to extricate them, reached
the enclosure. They were followed by Gen
eral Miles and his staff the military at
taches of the British and German embas-
sizes, all mounted, and the military escort
AS they arrived the solemn strains of the
dead march in Saul silenced the vast as
spnbIaQa and with "a rAd dS ba dc
stood at the graveside while the presiden-
tial party advanced and military DISPOSE
tions were made.
Into tho Ranks of the Dead
The military was under the command of
Colonel Francis l.. Guenther and consisted
of the district national guard, the light
battery with two Hotchkiss guns, a battal-
ion of naval militia and the regular troops
from the arsenal and Fort Meyer. The
troops were marched into the ranks of the
dead thanking the open space at the head
of the graves were the relocated artillery
men, who were to fire the last salute AMI
on the left was stationed the Fourth Ar
tillery band.
The president, accompanied by Secre-
taries Hay, Gage, Long, Hitchcock and
Wilson, Postmaster General Smith, Assis-
tan Secretary Taylor, Generals Corbin and
John M. Wilson and Colonel Bingham, came
forward with uncovered head and took up
graves. He was followed by General Miles
and his staff in full uniform, and by other
distinguished guests, including some of the
representatives of foreign countries.
Just as the president arrived a pathetic
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 ODowd, of the Seventh
infantry The parents of Lieutenant Wood
also came forward and deposited beauti-
full wreath of flowers. The sword of that
gallant officer was placed upon his casket.
Immediately the band broke out in the
sweet strains of Nearer My God to Thee
and Post Chaplain c. w. Freeland of Fort
Monroe, Is the ecclesiastical robes of his
office, with Father MCGEE, of ST. Patrick's
church, followed by three purple-gowned
acolytes, advanced to the graves and the
funeral services began. They were simple,
but very impressive. Rev. Freeland read
the comDlittal service of the Episcopal
church, Beginning with MAN that is born
of woman, and concluding with the
promise of heaven contained in the words
Il am the Resurrection and the Life"
solemn Words and solemn Scene
As he pronounced the words "pust RI
dust, earth to earth,' the soldiers at tho
sides OF each grave crumped a clod ot
earth upon each casket. The vast con-
course barred their heads to the solemn
words ard scene and thousands joined in
the Lords prayer. The Rev. Father Nc.
Gee then consecralted 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 t':e dull
crack of gun every half hour, and tie
national ensigns the staffs there and 1T
the Lee mansion were run down 10 half
mast AS soon as the religious Services had
heen concluded, fanking detachme nts of
the Fourth and Fifth artillery fred three
other soul-stirring volleys. In the solemn
hush that followed the bugle sounded taps
1he last religious and military rites to the