Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-06-02

apntl, slope are conscious of things mund
anc they will know that they are silently
guarding a most beautiful city Of nearly
400 On souls The estate west and south
Of the cemetery is an army post bearing
the name of Fort Niger The cemetery
can he approached from Washington via
Georgetown across the aqueduCt bridge
to Fort Myer gate, or by the way or the
Alexandria line across the Potomac, con-
Meeting with trolley for Rosslyn which
passes first tho Mcclellan gate leaving
you at Sheridan gate, whose marble
columns are four of the six once support
ing the portico Of the war office ut Wash
ington in 1878, but which. after the deinoi-
ton OF that building in April 1879, were
transferred to the gateways OF this Gene
terry The four columns bear respectively
tho names of Lincoln, Grant Scott and
stanton. Upon these massive columns
rests the fitting Intel bearing tho single
but impressive word Sheridan" Fur
ther north stands the ord and Wei:ze
gate Here tho remaining two pillars Of
the old war department building are
placed crowned by funeral ur1ls.
We will enter the grounds by tho Sheri-
dan gate Near 1t and on the right Of the
driveway is bronze tablet inscribed with
a passage from the solemn grand poem
THE Bivouac of the Dead" written by
Col. Theodore OIIara Mt the dedication
Of a monument at Frankfort. Kentucky.
erected in memory Of Kentuckians who
had fallen in the Mexican War. He is
made the poet laurate of the grand army
Of oar dead at Arlington. These tablets,
containing choice stanzas. are Of fire.
quent recurrence through the grounds.
And at this point there is quoted:
Rest on, embalmed and saintcd dead.
Dear as the blood ye gave
No impious footsteps here shall tread
The heritage OF your grave"
Inspired by these lofty sacred thoughts.
one enters these grounds which are de-
dictated to nations heroes, and their
sacred dust. and is soon at Arlington
House. Standing upon its eastern por-
| tico overlooking the graceful peaceful
| and placid Potomac and looking out upon
| the National Capitol md the cnvironing
hills there IS u scene Of transcendent
| beauty and loveliness 1t Is n prospect
rich and rare. Here stood Lafayette a
guest OF Arlington House 70 declare Il
one OF the lovcliest landscapes he had
ever seen. The portico is made impress
sive and fitting central setting of this
| immortal Concourse of illustrious dead
| by eight massive columns supporting the
| roof. In its immediate front at the very
| brow of the hill stands n lofty flagstaff at
| whose peak floats every day the Stars
and Stripes dipping with Fort Myers sun
| set gun and rising with its morning salute
| Between the portico and the flagstaff a,
| the edge OF the lawn, and one the right
| and left of the walk. leading from the
driveway TO the flagstaff are set two
| bronze tablets. The one over on the
right bears this Inscription:
The muffled drums sad roll has beat
| The soldiers last tattoo
No more In IAfe's parade shall meet
That brave and fallen few"
| The one on the left this
| "On Fames Eternal Camping Ground
| Their silent tents are spread
And Glory guards with solemn round
The bivouac of the dead
| At the extreme left of this upper terrac,
and a little below its crown. stands
gray granite monument to Gen. Horati,
&C. Wright, brigadier and brevet maj.
general and chief of engineers of tn
United States army, maj general Of vol
unteers, which was erected in afsectionat
remembrance of him by the survivors o
the 9Th army corps, army of the Potomac
which he commanded from Spottsylvanir
until the end of the war. Equidstant I,
the right is a dark granite obeisk erecte,
in honor of the gallant Sheridan bearin,
a medallion portrait. nag and wreath
Near by it the grave and simple monu
ment of Admiral David y. Porter. Il
line with these and 10 the south is III
grave and monument of General Baxter
The inscription tell us that he was borl
In STAFFORD, Vermont. May II. 1875, tina
he was chrstened .Iedediah Hyde. wa
surgeon general of the United States arm
and died at Washington, II. c.. Deem
Der 4. 1890. Near by and near Arlngto
House Is the monument of General Wal
ter .. Gresham. who was Judge OF III
L. s. court and the secretary Of Stat
under the late President Cleveland q
the time OF his death.
| To the right of Arlington House bu
near. IL the celebrated Temple OF Fam,
II is a circular. open colonnade, imposin
and impressive with a low domed roo
ON Its cornice are found the names
Washington. Lincoln, Grant, Farragu
The roof ia supported by SIX column
bearing respectively these names: NJ,
Pherson. Meade. Thomas, MANSFIELD
Reynolds and Garfield. Even the fowe
, gardens are requstioned to add to tn
military character and setting of III
cemetery. their beds being so formed a
, to represent army corps badges an
symbols and the names Of their gret
, commanders. Within the garden area
! found the amphitheatre. constituted hy
Z circular ernbankment OF earth from whic
rise ornamental stone columns. supper
, ing latticed roof which IN summer
enlbowered In trsllises OF green. With
r the amphtheatre is reading desk
marble and here gather tho grand arm
of the republic on Memorial Day up0
seats made ready for the occasion, an
! under a roof OF canvas to commemora,
, the worth and virtues Of their soldi.
, dead by tho solemn service Of their ord.
under circumstances. most Profound
q grand and impressive. In close prox
| nifty. and In fun view, is the heroic size
e monument erected to tho unknown dea.
Y WESTMINSTER ABBEY OF AMBRIC
They who gather In this Amptheatre
; celebrate Memorial Day stand unuue
tionably, In tho Westminster Abbey ,
II America, FOR there are grouped as nov
here else, the nations illustrious dea,
llustr:ous and immortal for they wi
v give the full need OF their highest dew,
! ton to country. their lives. pass out
the ranks of common humanity to dive
, with them whose names are irnperishab
= and whose deeds are with honor crowne
whether their last resting place Is mark'
by lofty marble by mere marker. or
round among those whose precious ear