The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-02-05
REPORT OF COMMITTEE
which Attended the Funeral a
Lieutenant A. w, Drew

Austin, Texas, February 4.-The follow
ing will be submitted in the house to-
morrow:
Hon ], S Sheriff. Speaker OF the House
Twenty sixth Legislature;
Your committee appointed to visit the
city OF Houston and attend as official rem.
resentatives OF this house upon the funer,
al ceremonies Of the late Lieutenant Alfred
Wettermark Drew. beg leave to report
| as follows
| Owing to the continuous day and night
| sessions of the committee on revenue and
taxation and the pending and highly i'm
portant reports of the committee on privi-
leges and elections, only the undersigned
members Of the committee were able to
attend
| The action of the house was received
| with grateful appreciation by the citizens
OF Houston, among whom Lieutenant
| Drew had been reared from the hour of
his birth to manhoods ripper years, and
came to the bereaved wife, parents and
| brother of the deceased as an expression
OF exceeding grace, courtesy and sym
pathy
Your committee, accompanied by the
Hon. Thomas ScurrY, adjutant general OF
the State, the official representative of the
| governor, called at a suitable hour at the
home Of the family and rendered to the
bereaved members the assurances of pro
| found sympathy for them and admiration
for their dead. which we had been com
missioned to bear as representatives OF
| this body.
We were most graciously received by
tho father aud brother Of the deceased
on behalf Of the stricken household, and
upon entering the silent chamber where
rested the pulseless clay of the young
soldier, we found the casket draped with
a pChi fIa
knelt his mother and upon the other his
wife, seemingly In their measureless woe,
oblivious 10 all else save the beloved form
hearsed in death above which they bowed
in voiceless anguish
The room was heaped on every side with
emblematic floral designs of rare beauty
and exquisite fragrance the offerings ot
those who had known and loved the
honored dead
The final ceremonies were held in that
magnificent structure, the First Presby-
terrain church at the altar OF which the
young soldier had been consecrated in
his childhood and where he had been In
maturer veArs confirmed IN that holy
faith in which he worthily lived and nobly
died.
The ceremonies were profoundly solemn
and impressive, and presented peculiar
and gratifying evidence of the subsihenca
of sectional bitterness and prejudice en-
gendered by four years of fratricidal
strife.
Upon one side OF the casket we're gath
cred the members OF George 3. Mcclellan
post OF the Grand Army of the Repub-
lie, while upon the other sat the members
of Dick Bowling camp, United Confederate
Veterans while between, in the majestic
dignity OF death, lay he in whose veins
had flowed the blood OF Confederate
soldier, and who had fallen amid "thr
= raFf .t.z q "a
of our common and reunited country.
As the casket entered the stately ant
imposing edihce, the minister proceeiin,
slowly in advance. began the recitation
. OF the sublime funeral ritual and a
those words OF confident aud triumphan
Christian faith--I am the Resurrection
and the Life--fell upon the ears of thu
vast audience, It rose in silent salutatior
I to him, who as man and as soldier. hat
! so nobly borne his part and so worthil,
performed his duty In every station Z
which II had pleased God to call him.
AS the rays OF the declining sun fei
Z from a cloudless sky through the 'riehl,
z stained and symbolic windows and reste
z in lines OF radiant beauty amid the star
z and stripes OF the National nag Their
rose and hoated amid the fretted archie
: Of the church, In gentle yet exultap
tones, the words OF those familiar hymns
REST. Spirit, Rest" and Nearer NJ
d God to Thee" and as the rich tones O
: the organ and the tremulous voices q
: the choir hoated upon the evening all
/ tears came unbidden to many an eye-th
l. silent tribute Of sympathy for the Twin
/ and admiration for the desd
!: The church was filled 10 oyerlowinl
= and the mighty multitude lined the en-
tire way to the cemetery to which m
J; body was escorted by detachments of In
t. fartry, cavalry and artillery.
Your committee was assigned posi-
ton IN the cortege next 10 the militar
staff and remained near the grave unit
& the last voliey had been fred and h
" plaintive notes OF the trumpet's Las
!. salute had died upon the air.
r. The grave was hidden by wealth {
! floral otferings-archors. shields. sword
4, and Other symbolic designs-while ahov
u all stood a crown Of spotless white II
y symbol OF fight well fought eouTs
nobIy finished and = rewsrd by the rietc
J. won
Your committee feel that the member
>, OF this house IN honoring the hero
4, Young soldier who laid upon the alta
= OF duty ali that made life worth living
T. car that brirhtened ard sweetened n
\ fountain OF life al It's springs"--did hon'
O. themselves. ard your COMMITTEES Is prou
- 10 have besn commissioned to rspresei
his house upon an occasion. Of such dee
.oiemn,tv and 10 hsve been afforded q
nr,viIege ~ payirg the last sad trihu
Of m respeot ana admiration 10 one, nj
81 N diving a, biz post ~ duty. prove
ie worthv az the glorious traditions
q. go -r@ht