The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-11
FUNERAL OF COL. sCREvEN.
AN HONORED AND HONORABLE CIT
IZEN LAID TO REST.


the FuneraI-FIOrnI Offerings M
merOus and Very Handsome-Im-
pressive Ceremonies at the Family
Vault.
The funeral of the late Col. John Screven
took place from the family residence,
Congress and Abercorn streets. at S:45
O'Clock yesterday afternoon. The service
for the dead was read at Christ Church
by Rev. Robb White, the body having
been conveyed TO the church from the
residence.
The incidents attending the funeral were
affecting throughout. 1t had been the
wish of the family to remove from the
ceremonies everything of military pomp
and other display, that the body of the
dead might be laid to its last rest with
the simplicity that had characterized his
own tastes in life. Nevertheless there
were some organizations, notably the Con
federate Veterans Association. the Sons
of Confederate Veterans, the Sons of the
American Revolution and the Savannah
Benevolent Association, with which Col.
Screven had been so thoroughly identified,
and in which his interests had been so
wrapped up that it would have been his
own wish that their members should at
tend.
The funeral procession moved from the
residence to the church. At the entrance
the active pallbearers. bearing the cas-
ket,were met 10y Rev. Mr.. White, who pre-
coded the body down the center aisle of
the church to the chancel The honorary
pallbearers followed. They were Col. j.
II. Estill, from the Confederate Veterans;
DR.. r. ]. Num-. from the Georgia His
torical Society; Mr.. w. ]. DeRenne from
the Sons of the Revolution; Mr. Joseph
M. Solomons, from the Savannah Benevo-
lent Association; Col. j. II. M. Clinch,
Gen. G. NJ. Sorrel, DR.. William Duncan,
Judge Robert Falligant, Gen w. W. Cor
don, Capt Henry Blum, Mayor Herman
Myers and Mr.. George w. Owens. The
active pallbearers We're: From the Savan-
nah Volunteer Guards, Lieut.. Col. Will
lam Garrard Lieut.. Davis Freeman,
Lieut. John Kollock, Private Edwin C.
Ryals, and Messrs David c. Barrow, w.
L. Clay, w. II. Wade and b. A. Denmark,
from the University Club.
Some of the floral offerings, those that
were at once the most simple and the
most suggestive of the long and useful
life of Col Screven, had been laid upon
the casket, which was draped, also, with
the battle flag of the Confederacy. Among
the designs resting on the casket, were the
laurel wreaths sent by the Daughters
of the Confederacy and the Confederate
Veterans Association and a sheaf OF rip
ened wheat. This latter appealed to those
who had known Col. ScreVen more, prob
ably than did any other of the floral Of
ferings, the obvious meaning being that
he had rounded off career of devotion,
seIf-sacrifce and self-immolation upon the
altar of che public good, and that he was
ready, if any man eyer was, for the sickle
of the grim destroyer. - -e-s.
The church was quite filed with the
friends acquaintance and family adher-
ents and connections of Col. Sereven,
while the gallery held a number of the Old
family servants. faithful TO their old mas
ter even to the last. ThGlr oiSicR7f I aoeS7
peeped over the carved balustrades, as
they listened, some of them conVulsed
with grief, to the words of the clergyman.
The services were according to the rit
ual of the church and were at once beauti-
full. simple and impressive This array
of mourners that filled the stately edidce,
the solemn tones of The organ, sounding
the musical responses, the blended voices
of the church choir, carrying winged
petition heavenward, all added their share
to the impressiveness Of the scene. The
composition of the congregation that filled
the church was in itself a tribute to the
wide popularity of Col ScreVen and the
general esteem in which he was held. for
besides his own immediate friends and ac-
uuaintances and those of his family il
embraced men and women in every walk
and station i'm life.
The funeral procession left the ehancel
in the same order in which it had entered
the funeral car, moved by the active pail
hearer following the clergyman, aud the
honorary pallbearers following. OUTSIDE
the church the Confederate veterans AS
sociation under command of Vice Presi-
dent Young, and the Sons of Confederate
veterans. under the command of Lieut.
Commander Charles w. Saussy Were
drawn IN in line and saluted as the casket
was horne down the broad steps of the ed
ifce and placed within the hearse.
The Veterans and Sons of Veterans did
not follow the funeral procession TO the
cemetery. but, leaving it at the church,
took the street cars and met the process
sion again at the Screven family vault.
The Sons of the Revolution, the Savannah
benevolent Association and the Georgia
Historical Society occupied carriages IN
the procession. .-o Dftb
Al the vault the services were even
more impressive than a the church.
Around the family lot in Laurel Grove
were grouped 400 or 800 persons, who, with
uncovered heads and sober mien, listened
TO the last and final prayer for the dead
The choir of Christ Church sang very
sueeflv two selections from the hymnal
one of them being Lead Thou Me On"
Rev. Mr.. White pronounced the benedic-
lion and Capt. w. N. Nichols, of the
Confederate Veterans. sounded taps" the
soldiers goodnight. There was many an
eve up TO this time undimmed by tear
that found itself suffused when the mourn
ful notes hoated out on the still air.
The floral designs were banked against
the door and sides of the vault and with
the granite background thus afforded
presented a spectacle of rare loneliness
a handsome pillow of white roses had
been sent with the sympathy OF the Mayor
and aldermen of the city, in honor of him
who had been the citYs chief magistrate
in days gone by. Among the handsomest
of the floral pieces was that sent by the
Daughters Of the American Revolution. II
was shaped as a spinning wheel and form