Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-10-16
R. {. LEE LAID TO REST
F0RTY-F|VE YEARS AGO
Washington College Memorial
Chapel at Lexington.
HARD TO SECURE CAsKET
Interesting Account OF Obscquics Re-
produced From Newspaper Pub
lisled on October 81, 1870, in
ROckbridge County.
Especial to The Timcs-Dispatch.l

LEXINGTON. VA. October 15.-
Forty-tivc years ago to-day General
Robert Il. Lee was buried in the base
ment Of the Lee Memorial Chapel. sit
uatcd on tho college campus. Impos-
ing. yet simple, ceremony marked the
occasion. General Lee died on Wednes-
day morning. October IL, 1870. at $3.50
o'clock. in the Presidents house at
Washington College, now Washington
and Lee University. The body was
conveyed TO the chapel on Thursday.
October -. at noon. and the funeral
services were held at 1880 Z. NJ. on
Saturday, October 10.
The caSket in which General Lee
was buried had an interesting history.
The greatest frcshct in North River
remembered by the oldest people oc-
Cured the first week in October, 1870
when the lumber house at the Point
conducted by Archibald Alexander &
James d. Anderson on the old canal
was washed away, and among the
goods stored there was consignment
Of metallic Baskets for c. NJ. Koones &:
Brother furniture dealers and funeral
directors. which had arrived only IA
few DAYS before the freshet. No casket
could be secured in Lexington for Cen
eral Lees body, and these Baskets at
the lumbcrhOuse were. thought of.
Search was made along the river with
the hope that they might have lodged
III some place One of them was found
on the island just below the first dam
down the river from East Lexington.
1t had been caught in a brush pile and
was lodged in the forks OF n tree
TWO CABINET MAKERS
SECURE THE CASKE'r
w. p. Hartigan and J. L. Root. who
were cabinet makers with Koones &.
Brother, secured the casket and brou sht
II TO Lexington. and this was used in
a Of
the great Confederate chieftain. But for
this find il would have been difficult
if not impossible. to secure the right
Kind OF a caskct. as the canal was
ctically destroyed. roads ruined and
no communication for some time with
other towns.
The following report OF General Lees
ohsccuies is reproduced from the Lex
!nrton Gazette of October 81. 1870:
1T Is done. The remains of the brave
soldier, the peerless hero. the great
and good man, our noble and beloved
President. have been consigned to the
grave We have looked for the last
time upon all that was mortal OF him.
and he now belongs TO Immortality and
TO fame. II is our mournful duty here
20 record the last tribute Of respect
that has just been paid to his memory.
according to arrangements of the
printed pre- gram. AT 10 o'clock SATURDAY.
October -. 1870. the procession was
formed at tho Episcopal Church in
front OF the late Presidents residence.
and. 10 Tho sound OF solemn music il
moved in appointed order. We here
present the order Of procession: escort
of honor. consisting Of officers and sol
diers Of tho Confederate army; chaplain
and other clergy. hcarsc and pail
bearers. General Lees horse. the at
tending physicians, trustees and faculty
OF Washington College. d!Gnitarics of
the state OF Virginia. visitors and
faculty Of the Virginia Military Ins:i-
tutc. other representative bodies and
distinguished visitors, alumni of Wash
ington College, citizens cadets of Vir-
ginia Military Institute. students of
Washington College. as guard OF honor
IEII.S TOLL AND
MINUTE GUNS SALUTE.
The procession moved, to the sound
OF solemn music FURNISHED by the
band of the Military Institute). down
Washington Street, up Jefferson street
to Franklin Hall, thence to Main
street. In front Of the hotel the ranks
were opened. and the committee from
INC virginia legislature. the repre-
scnthtlNcS o! the faculty and students
Of the University OF Virginia and other
distinguished guests. took their an
pointed place. Moving on in front Of
the courthouse, il was joined nv the
large body of citizens. and thus the
ILLS '''i' i4lpH''' SLOW ~ ana So.cnnlE
down to the Military Institute. Mean
while all the bells were tolled. and
minute guns were fired from the para
pet of the institute. In front OF the
institute the whole corps was drawn
up with presented arms, and as the
procession slowly defiled past. il was
joined by tho visitors and faculty. who
took up their places Immediately be-
hind the legislative committee, and bv
the cadets. who took their places Just
in front OF the students OF the college.
10 whom, as d post Of honor. had been
assigned the duty OF closing the pro-
ceSion Moving up to the college
chapel. the front of tho procession was
then halted. and while it's front was at
the chapel door the rear was still i'm
the institute grounds. great was the
number OF those that had crowded to
do honor TO the lamcntcd chief. After
the procession had halted. The stu
dents. and after them the cadets, were
marched TO the front and proceeded
into and through the chapel past the
remains. where they were drawn up in
two bodies on the southern side OF the
chapel. The procession then moved in