The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-12
BIG CROWD ATTENDS
 FUNERAL OF OATES Services Are Conducted By
 Rev. E. E. Cobbsk HIS BODY LAY IN STATE Prominent Men in All Walks of Life Gather to Pay n Last Tribute to
 the Memory of Brave and
 Chiyalrous Soldier
HIS BODY LAY IN STATE

Montgomery September 11.-(Special.)- )- Appropriate and impressive exercises marked the funeral in this city this aft ernoon of Gen. William c. Oates, ex-
 governor of Alabama, who died at his home here on Friday. One of the largest corteges that ever turned out in Mont
 somery was present at the historic St. Johns Episcopal church when the serv- ices over the remains were preached at I o'clock this afternoon, while the large following of friends did not stop their journey at the church, but went there- from to Oakwood cemetery, where the remains of the dead patriot are tonight at rest
 panies of Montgomery, under the com mand of Maj E. F. Baber and headed by the First cavalry band of this city, the remains were taken from the resi- denee on Ripley street shortly before 1 o'clock the services being preached promptly on time. The Rev. E. E. Cobbs. | pastor of the church, officiated.
 Leading positions in the procession which wound from the residence of the dead ex-governor were given to his Con- federate comrades of the COS, with whom | the deceased served when in active, TO- bust life. Many of the veterans who attended the funeral today were with him when he lost his right arm, and had shared alike with him the common joys and sorrows of camp life
 | Throughout yesterday and today friends of the dead statesman crowded his hand some home in this city, paying last, lin- | gering respects to his memory. His body lay in state throughout all of the time, the bier being literally covered with | flowers and floral wreaths.
 In all probability there has not been | held out of Montgomery a funeral that | was attended by a greater number of | men in the highest walks of life as were present at the obsequies over the body | of General Oates. Capitol officials of | the day-capitol officials of the past four administrations-legisla from every county of the state and men prominent In all walks of life crowded around the bier, and attended the services at the church. l Officials who are to be inaugurated in
 January were also at the funeral, the majority of whom were warm and close | friends of the deceased.
 ~ Military Feature
 | By far the most appropriate incident
 of the funeral was the impressive mili- | tary feature Artillery, cavalry and in- | fantry companies of the city, atttred in
 khaki uniforms, were out in full force | in memory of the dead soldier whose
 whole life had been so intimately con
 nected with militant affairs. Over two
 score years ago, as a colonel In the
 ranks of the Confectionery, General Oates l had won honor for himself, his state and
 the south. More than decade ago
 while still In robust health, as governor
 of the state he. was in command of the
 entire military of great commonwealth
 and immediately upon retirement from | the gubernatorial office was appointed | by President Mckinley brigader gen-
 eral of volunteers in the SpanishAmer- | ican war
 At the expiration of this skirmish and | before the wei disciplined troops of the
 Alabamian had been led into battle, the
 brigadier general was called upon by his
 country to act as a member of the Chick | amauga park commission, an office which | he held at the time of his death Mindful of these offices the Montgom- | cry companies today reverently bowed
 at the grave of the soldier after the
 body had been laid in it's vault, and as
 reverently turned away when the sharp
 order of "March!' broke the September
 stiffness.
 | Once at the grave the casket was low | cred into it's last resting place with dis
 patch, the final benediction was pro-
 nounced, and within an hour the time | honored Oakwoood cemetery had folded | to its embrace a man who had lived a great life, who had been soldier and | patriot, a statesman and leader of men.
 The shril and clarion dirge of the sol | dier fingered long in the air after the
 salutes had first penetrated the stiffness, l and the echo of the taps that were 1 sounded over the grave of the ex-gov- | ernor lived even longer in the gloom of
 the night. in the House of Death