Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-08
HON0R|hG,A 1COMRAD[
Memorial Aleen. Wright
Erected at Arlington.
9Th CORPS ASSEMBLIES
PATHETIC SCENES OVER GRAVE
OF A FAMOUS SOLDIER.
Incidents in Front Of the Historic Man
sion demonstrating Memories
Of the War;
9Th CORPS ASSEMBLIES

were wandering over the acres hallowed by
the burial Of the dead at Arlington the in
tonation Of q great gun at the fort near by
reverberated over the heights and through
the valley Of the Potomac Again and
again In measured succession came the roar
of cannon. In the midst Of peace these
symbols of war were an echo and q re-
minder of the stirring days before the pres
ent generation was born. They were the
warllke tributes Of a great republic sound
ed In honor Of one Of It's famous command
ers The salute that would be due the
coming OF a major general in the United
States army was being fired as the drapery
Of the starry flag was allowed to fall from
about the memorial erected over the re-
mains of Horatio G. Wright. the command
ing officer of the 9th Army Corps during
the last year Of the civil war.
Above the Heights Of Virginia.
The monument of granite over the grave
Of Major General Wright was added yes
terday afternoon to the graceful and endur-
ing memorials that will tower above the
heights Of Virginia. in plain view of the
nations capital, so long as IT'S patriot dead
are held In grateful remembrance by the
countless generations that are to come; so
long as the nation lives There could be no
setting more fitting for the simple shaft Of
stone than that selected in front of the his
toric mansion house on the brow Of the hill
slopins to the north. These hills were dis
puted ground In July. 1854. when Wright,
with 1S, 600 men, came to the relief OF the
weak defenses of Washington that were
then being jeopardized by the confederates
under Early. It was timely relief and came
to allay the anxiety Of Lincoln after he had
made a visit to the forts about the city.
That was one of the great crises of the ma
thn~ ,-icfo hot hoo avis
to threaten the country in Its more than a
century Of life, 1t was averted. Wright ap-
preached the city from the north, after a
detour from the south. The confederate
general, learning Of his presence, made a
hasty retreat. and the capital was saved
from the destruction that had threatened 1t.
dwelling the Monument.
The ceremony attending the unwilling of
the monument was one that will seldom be
equaled for It's simple pathos. Thirty-seven
years after the 9th Army Corps was mus
tered from the service. but few thou
sand of its horde -2of true soldiers were
living The ravages of time had so worn
upon these survivors that but a Few hun
dred were able to journey to the capital TO
witness this memorable event. Even those
who came were bent in stature, and their
white hair and feeble steps seemed In
strange contrast with the remembrance of
their strength, determination and valor In
the days when those qualities were of1ered
as sacrifice that the Union might live and
become the mightiest OF the nations on
earth When this small remnant Of the de-
tenders Of the capital marched before the
columned and majestic mansion house at
Arlington the Secretary Of War stood upon
the portico and his firm countenance
changed perceptibly, and hts eyes became
dimmed as he viewed the scene. AS he
watched the survivors of the 9th Corps, one
of the worn veterans, being overcome by
the fatigue Of the short march to the ceme-
terry fell in his place. He was tenderly
carried into the mansion. laid upon rude
wooden bench that stood within the broad
hall and cared for until he recovered and
was able to again join his comrades.
Sounding Of Assembly.
The ceremony was opened by the sounding
! Of assembly by the bugler, and the I'd Cav
airy Band played a march to the dead as
the survivors came to their places IN front
of the portico, where officers who had
served under General Wright were to re-
call events of his life and Of their own days
at the front A portion of the portlco had
been reserved for members Of the family
of the dead general who was to be honored
by his comrades and those who were to de-
liver addresses.
The exercises were opened with prayer
by Rev. William Tayloe Snyder and DR..
Charles " Petteys. chairman OF the dedlca-
ton committee, referred to the purpose or
the gathering and read a letter from Sec
rotary Cortelyou stating the regret or the
President in not being able to be present.
He then presented Major Henry c. La
| Rowe Of New York. vice chairman OF the
committee that had the arrangements In
| charge. Major La Rowe briefly reviewed
| the history Of the monument and told how
| in 1899 meeting was held at Pittsburg by
| survivors Of the 9th Army Corps. when II
was decided that a suitable memorial should
! be placed over the remains of their former
commander at Arlington. Earnest enort
| had made the unwilling ceremony possible
| the money needed being readily contributed
| by survivors of the corps. The success
| that had been met by those who suggested
| this plan was their rich reward for all the
| labor that was necessary to secure Its
| fulfllment.
Grandson Of Gen. Wright.
The ceremony of unyeiling the memorial
was then performed by the soldier-like
| grandson of General Wright, Capt. Wright
Smith. United States army. The salute of
thirteen guns was fired as those assembled
admired the graceful lines of the modest
shaft and inspected the profile In bronze,
| displayed on it's front, of the officer to
| whom it was erected The monument not
| only marks the grave of General Wright.
but also that Of his wife. Louisa M wright,
| whose remains are inferred by his side.
! Addresses were delivered by Gems. J. War
! rem Keifer, ]. w. Latta and w. H. Seward.
| officers Of the 9th Corps; Gems. John M.
Wilson and William P. Craighill OF the En-
| gineer Corps. and Gen. Thomas M. Vincent,
United States army.
Played Martial Airs.
The ceremony was concluded by the rem
dering of martial airs W the I'd Cavalry
Band. 81 2
Although the afternoon had worn far
along toward dusk. The survivors Of the 9Th
| Corps were slow toIeavs. the grounds which
contained the remains OF so many of their
comrades. A mystic tie bound them to the
scene which recalled sQC many vivid and
| living recollectionsA The city. In fun view
beyond the Potomac, and the expanse OF
country to the NORTH of it gave panoramic
scene that anowed them to trace their
march Of thirty-eight years ago. when many
of them for the first tins entered the Dis
| trict of Columbia aAymosf welcome visitors
During that time the village that was an
important place to, defend. chiefly because
of its significance as the capital OF the ma
ton. had grown to be city OF magnificent
buildings rather than OF magnificent dis
tances." and they took pleasure in admiring
from afar the splendid structures that had
been reared there. They walked among
the headstones, marking the burial places
of their once comrades-in-arms, and stop
ped here and there as they recognized
familiar