The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1900-02-15
TRIBUTE TO A HERO.
Gen. Lawton's Remains Laid to Rest
at Arlington.

at Arlington.
Washington Feb. IL. Maj. Gen.
Henry W. Lawton was buried yester-
day in the national cemetery at Airing
ton. 1t was nations tribute to a ma
TONS hero, and the sorrow Of whole
people was expressed when was borne
from the chapel Of Cypress Hill the
brow that so long had worn the laurel.
The burial service beneath the leafless
trees at Arlington was preceded by a
service in the Church of the Covenant,
in which every department of the gov
eminent was represented, the pfesl-
dent, cabinet, the army, the navy, the
supreme court and diplomatic corps
and as many citizens of all classes as
were fortunate enough to find standing
room within its walls. But the crowd
was insignificant when compared with
the crowds that braved the elements
of a lowering winter day for glimpse
of the ag-draped caisson with its mil
itary escort as it passed through the
streets. Hundreds more made the
tolsome pilgrimage TO Arlington 10
hear the last words pronounced above
the open grave. where the president,
the cabinet and the general command
ing the army, stood with uncovered
heads until the last volley was fired
and the buclc sounded. For day ana
a night the body of the soldier
Lay Ina state
I'm the Church of the Covenant. SO 1t
lay yesterday morning when the doors
were opened, troopers from his OLD
command with Sabers drawn. keeping
vigil at the head and foot. About MS
bier as the shrill pipes of the organ
tremhled with the opening anthem
stood grouped his superiorS and ms
brother officers with whom his lie
work had been done. Chaplain Fierce,
of Lawton's old command, read the
PRESBYTERIAN burial service, the
epistile to the Corinthians, and his
words of comfort seemed specially
pruned for the occasion. Then Presl-
dent Stryker, of Hamilton college,
New York, clad in his divinity robes,
rose to deliver the Grafton. He had
been selected personally by the secre-
tary of war who knew his fitness Tor
the task. The choice was amply Just-
fed. Seldom has any ceremony called
forth a tribute more scholarly and elo-
ouent, more simple and direct, ana
more appropriate and fitting TO the oc-
casion. A dozen troopers then lifted
the fiower-ladcn coffin and bore 1t TO
the door where 1900 soldiers and citi-
zens i'm greater numbers waited to hon
or the soldier in his last march to his
Final Resting Place
on the virginian hillside beyond Ne
Potomac. The casket was placed on
the rear caissou. an IDEAL soldiers
hearse. Ii was dreary wait on the
cold, windswept slopes OF Arlington
for the hundreds who had made the
pilgrimage early in the day. But close
on sunset the boom Of the Sylph's guns
on the potomas was answered by the
crash of minute guns from Fort Myer,
and then the solemn notes OF the dirge
was borne down by the wind as the
procession moved toward the great
city of the dead. The grave was In
the open space just s'uth Of the arnphi-
theater and i'm sight Of the Mansion
house. Gen. Merritt and his mounted
staff deployed to the south road, While
sold ranks Of 1lsmounted troopers
held back the crowd on every side.
Nimb!e cnvplrymen swarmed around
the caisson, tossing loose the lashings
and bore the coffin, while the president
and the cabinet. win the gray-haired
ger erals, stood silent and bareheaded
as the chaplain pronounced the words
of committal that consigned the NOR
tai dust to the dust from which it
came. Then the firing squad wheeled
into line. The swapping of the volley
echoed among the bare trees, but the
wailing of the bugle as 1t fingered in
the grey winter twilight was echoed
and re-ccbocd among the different
hills. AS 1t died away the coffin was
lowered. Gen. Lawton's home coming
,n,pnlefpJ