Evening star., 1925-05-19

| manded in the Civil War. the Spanish
American War and the Indian cam
paigns he had waged on the frontier
! that is now the heart of the American
West.
Numbered also among the tributes
was gold star. from the American
| War Mothers, and one from the Amer
| lean Legion, whose members served In
| the World War. That was the only
| war in which America engaged during
the life of Gen. Miles in which he did
not take an active part. Refusal to
give him a command in that conflict
was one of the greatest disappoint-
! ments of his life.
No Eulogy Pronounced.
No eulogy was offered history wrote
that for the grizZled veteran long ago
| and his passing today only adds the
! final chapter of the eulogy that has
| been part of the story of America 5
| progress for more than two decades,
| Dignitied, solemn and simple were the
military rites. and in their very sim
| plicity they reached the hearts of the
great throng that stood about the
grave, many weeping, all silent, bowed
and uncovered.
Members OF the family, close per-
sonal friends and official representa-
| tives of the patriotic and veteran So
| cieties stood Immediately in front OF
the tomb. On either side the troops
stood at rigid attention while the
casket was being slipped into its mar
row, marbleline box compartment
Immediately beside the body of Gen,
Miles wife, who preceded him in
death Is years ago. Hundreds of per-
sons filled the slopes and lawns about
the tomb. &
When the caison halted in front of
the grave, the band added it's voice to
the tribute of guns that was bombing
over the hill and sounded three -four
fShes. the Armys official musical sa-
lutte TO lieutenant general, and when
stalwart young soldiers carried the
coffin into the mausoleum the band
began playing Gen. Miles favorite
hymn, The Battle Hymn of the Re
public" 1t was a scene that affected
every one present, but most of all the
gray.haired men in blue who had gone
through the Civil War with the now
tailen chief and to whom those haunt
ing strains brought poignant memo
ries rushing back
On the summit of the hill directly
next to the one that is crowned by
Gen. Miles tomb the gaunt, gray
mast of the Maine. whose sinking
called Gen. Miles to his last field OF
battle. lowered above the tomb OF
the Unknown Soldier. In the distance
the flag in front of the historic Lee
Mansion dropped at halfstaff f1utter-
ing out now and then on fitfuI breezes
that murmured through the trees.
Fought to Keep Flag.
The last time Gen. Miles visited Ar
lington in life was to save that same
nag. When demands were made by
number of Confederate societies that
the flag and it's staff should be re.
moved from in front of the former
home of the Southern commander-in.
chief, Gen. Miles was one of the lead
srs iii the fight to keep It there. and
VISITED the site with representatives of
civil War and patriotic societies.
Gen. Miles tomb under the grass.
tarpeted battlements that were thrown
~ as rude fort during the Civil
war when 1t seemed that Washington
night be attacked by the Confeder.
ates. looks out upon the farthest
'eaches OF the National Capital, just
lcross the Potomac. The Lincoln Me.
norlal; Washington Monument and
ne Cap1tol form an uninterrupted
vista OF patriotic shrines. and off to
the left the Cathedral of Washington.
beneath which Woodrow Wilson and
Admiral Dewey rest, rises in view.
"o' III eiiiS Seltlng thdt the NOR
tai remains of Gen, Miles were con
signed to their long rest. On every
Slde rose the white sepulchres of he
roes gone before to bid him welcome
TO the great reunion, some of them
marking the graves of men who fell
while following him into enemy
oreastWorks; others who, like him,
came through those hazards only to
ue s,.ia stiIcken with the Ills that beset
Taps Sounded.
AS the casket slowly slipped from,
view into the tomb and the small
marble slab was fitted in pIace over
the opening, 10 rif1emen in gIisteninr
equipment fired three volleys. and
while the echoes of this crashing fare.
well were still reverbrating through
tne stlli valleys of Arlington, the soft
no.es OF, taps pealed forth from the
shining trumpet of an ARMY bupler
The last commanding general Of tbe
line in the Civil War had passefI
through the veil of eternity. Nothing
more remained to be done but nut into
place the cement that would seal the
tomb forever, and this task was left
to the waiting cemetery stonemasons
Even as the sad caravan that had es.
corted the famous old warrior to his
grave departed down the winding
roads of Arlington they Completed
their work.
On the door of the sepulchre the
single word Miles" tells the passer.bv
that within sleeps one of America r.
most famous generals. The slab that
marks the resting place of his remains
is simple inscription bearing his
name. rank, the date of his birth and
the date of his death. Beside him is
the older stone, bearing The nama of