THE ROAD FROM McPHERSONVILLE—Sherman and Staff Passing Through Water and Mire.
THE ROAD FROM McPHERSONVILLE—Sherman and Staff Passing Through Water and Mire.
Then he stood up and walked slowly about the room. After a bit he pointed to a shelf of the book-case, where the bulky volumes of the Nicolay-Hay memoirs stood.
"There," he remarked, "in those ten volumes you'll find all the Lincoln literature you want; I have made many speeches on Lincoln, but I don't remember where they are now—I don't remember."
Sherman's first family bereavement was the death of his son Willie, from typhoid fever, at Memphis, October 3, 1863. The boy had shown great fondness for military life, and had been playfully adopted as a sergeant by the battalion that formed his father's headquarters guard. He always turned out at drills and guard-mountings with a zeal that both amused and delighted the general, and he was a great favorite with all the soldiers who knew him. When he died, the battalion gave him a military funeral, and the heart broken father thereupon wrote to its commanding officer, Captain C. C. Smith, as follows:
"My Dear Friend: I cannot sleep to-night till I record an expression of the deep feelings of my heart to you and to the officers and soldiers of the battalion for their kind behavior to my poor child. I realize that you all feel for my family the attachment of kindred, and I assure you of full reciprocity.
"Consistent with a sense of duty to my profession and office, I could not leave my post, and sent for the family to come to me in this fatal climate and in that sickly period of the year, and behold the result. The child that bore my name and in whose future I reposed with more confidence than I did in my own plan of life now lies a mere corpse, seeking a grave in a distant land, with a weeping mother, brother and sisters clustered about him. For myself I ask no sympathy. On, on I must go to meet a soldier's fate orlive to see our country rise superior to all factions, till its flag is adored and respected by ourselves and by all the powers of the earth.
"But Willie was, or thought he was, a sergeant in the Thirteenth. I have seen his eye brighten, his heart beat, as he beheld the battalion under arms, and asked me if they were not real soldiers. Child as he was, he had the enthusiasm, the pure love of truth, honor and love of country which should animate all soldiers.
"God only knows why he should die thus young. He is dead, but will not be forgotten till those who knew him in life have followed him to that same mysterious end.
"Please convey to the battalion my heartfelt thanks and assure each and all that if in after years they call on me or mine and mention that they were of the Thirteenth Regulars when Willie was a sergeant they will have a key to the affections of my family that will open all it has; that we will share with them our last blanket, our last crust."
Willie Sherman's remains were afterward removed from Memphis and interred at St. Louis, in Calvary Cemetery, by the side of another son, Charles, who died in infancy, in 1864. In the same plot the body of Mrs. Sherman was placed at her death, to be followed soon by the dust of the great soldier himself.
Mrs. Sherman died in New York on November 28, 1888, after a long illness. After her burial at St. Louis, General Sherman wrote a brief note to the editor ofThe New York Tribune,saying:—
"I and family are now returned from St. Louis, having deposited the coffined body of Mrs. Sherman near 'Our Willie,' at the very spot chosen by ourselves in 1866, reaffirmed in 1883, and often spoken of as a matter of course between us. We have followed in the minutest particularher every wish. Every member of my own family and hers, the 'Ewings,' are content, for no mortal was ever better prepared to 'put on immortality' than Mrs. General Sherman. Of course, being the older and subjected to harder strains, I expected to precede her; but it is ordained otherwise. In due time I will resume my place by her side, and I want my friends, especially my old soldier friends, to know that they shall not be taxed one cent, for I have made, or will make, every provision. I have received by telegraph, mail, card and every possible way, hundreds of kind, sympathetic messages, all of which have been read by myself and children. To make suitable replies to all is simply impossible, and I offer the above as a general answer."
There were left to him six children: The Rev. Thomas E. Sherman, a priest of the Roman Catholic Church; P. Tecumseh Sherman, a lawyer in New York; Mrs. A. M. Thackara, of Rosemont, Penn.; Mrs. T. W. Fitch, of Pittsburg; Miss Rachel Sherman, and Miss Lizzie Sherman. Messrs. Thackara and Fitch, to whom the two elder daughters were married, were army officers.
A Fatal Cold—Lingering Between Hope and Fear—The Last Rally—The End of Life's Campaign—A Son's Sad Home-Coming—Preparations for the Funeral—Public Tributes of Respect—The Military Parade in New York—Progress of the Funeral Train Across the Country—Ceremonies at St. Louis—The Warrior's Last Encampment by the Side of His Loved Ones.
A Fatal Cold—Lingering Between Hope and Fear—The Last Rally—The End of Life's Campaign—A Son's Sad Home-Coming—Preparations for the Funeral—Public Tributes of Respect—The Military Parade in New York—Progress of the Funeral Train Across the Country—Ceremonies at St. Louis—The Warrior's Last Encampment by the Side of His Loved Ones.
All roads lead to Rome, and end there. Many men who have acquired greatness by their arduous achievements in various parts of the country, toward the close of life have gravitated to New York and ended their days there. Such was the case with Sherman's great comrade and commander, Grant, and such was the case with Sherman himself. When he came to New York to make his home he intended that it should be his last in the earthly life. And so it was. His declining years were spent in peace and comfort, surrounded by the love of kin and friends, and by the admiration of the great Metropolis; and when the end came, after so much marching and fighting, and so many bitter controversies, it came at home and in profound peace.
General Sherman's last illness was of little more than a week's duration. Following a taste, natural and cultivated, which he loved to gratify, he attended the performance of "Poor Jonathan," at the New York Casino, on Wednesdaynight, February 4, 1891. It was, in fact, a special performance. Invitations had been sent to the military officers of the city, and General Sherman occupied one of the proscenium boxes with a party of friends. He seemed to be in the best of health and spirits, and gave every evidence of keen enjoyment of the opera.
He returned to his home immediately after the performance, and, although the weather was clear and bright, in some way he caught a severe cold. Its first effects were noticed on the following morning. His condition, however, did not prevent his attendance at the wedding of Miss Shepard, daughter of Colonel Elliott F. Shepard, on that afternoon. He coughed a little and complained of the cold while in the church. On Friday morning his condition had become more uncomfortable, but excited no alarm. His throat, however, had become affected in the meantime, and he was obliged to give up a dinner with Lawrence Barrett that evening at the Union League Club. On Saturday morning when he began to show signs of facial erysipelas, accompanied by fever, he felt some anxiety, and sent for Dr. C. J. Alexander, a surgeon of the army, who had been his family physician for a number of years. On Sunday the disease began to get a firm hold upon the old warrior. His face and neck became much swollen and inflamed, and conversation became difficult and painful. His condition was such that Dr. Alexander sent for Dr. Janeway, for the purpose of holding a consultation. The General was then confined to his bed, and it was found that the ordinary treatment applied in cases of erysipelas would not answer the purpose, in part owing to the General's advanced age. Sunday, by the way, was the seventieth anniversary of his birth.
The disease had developed to such an extent on Mondaythat it was decided to summon the members of the family. Telegrams were sent at once to Senator John Sherman, his brother; his daughters, Mrs. Thackara and Mrs. Fitch. The other children, with the exception of the Rev. T. E. Sherman, were at home. To him, however, a cable dispatch was sent. He was a student in the Jesuit Seminary on the Island of Jersey. Senator Sherman arrived at his brother's home on Monday night, and his daughters on the following day. The arrival of Senator Sherman, with the publication of the dispatch which called him, was the first intimation that the people of New York City had of General Sherman's illness.
Dr. Alexander remained at the sick man's bedside on Tuesday night, and when Dr. Janeway came to relieve him on Wednesday morning, February 11, he found the General resting on his back in a state of semi-stupor. His condition at that time was recognized as critical. He was in great pain when he moved, and gave evidence of growing weaker, despite the fact that whiskey and milk, which were used as nourishment throughout the illness, were administered to him as often as possible. Intimate friends of the family were then informed of his precarious condition.
The General rallied somewhat at noon, and his family began to hope that the illness was only temporary. But their hopes were delusive. In the afternoon, the attending physicians, Drs. Alexander, Janeway and Greene, began to send out hourly bulletins as an official answer to the hundreds of inquiries that poured in upon them. At 2.15 they made their first announcement, which read as follows: "General Sherman was worse this morning, and his condition is critical. During the day his condition has improved considerably." About 5P.M.General Ewing said that he had called on General Sherman, and had beenrecognized by him. As soon as he saw General Ewing enter the room, the patient called out, "Hello, Ewing." He did not make any attempt to sustain conversation, however. His enunciation was difficult, and, besides, though he could recognize his friends, he did not seem to be able to have enough energy or command of his faculties to talk to them.
He improved again slightly during the evening, so that two of the physicians and Senator Sherman left the house. The Senator, however, was recalled at two o'clock on Thursday, when the veteran again grew worse. Thursday passed in much the same way as Wednesday, although it was deemed advisable by the family, for their comfort, to have the last rites of the Catholic Church administered to him, just before noon. In the afternoon the sick man surprised his watchers by getting out of bed and walking a few steps to an easy chair, where he sat for a few moments. He showed the same marvellous will power again in the evening. In his rallies he was able to clear his lungs a little. Whiskey and milk were given to him as often as he could take nourishment. Late at night it was said that if the General could maintain his state till that time there would be hopes of ultimate recovery.
Friday was another day of hope and disappointment. Several times it was reported that the General was dying, but he managed to rally despite his weakened condition. Said General Ewing that evening: "Sherman is perfectly conscious, and when spoken to rouses up and makes a perfectly intelligible answer to any question that may be asked. He is deaf, you know, and it is necessary to address him in a pretty loud voice, in order to be heard."
"Does he recognize his friends?"
"Not until spoken to, and I doubt if he recognizes themeven then. I doubt if he has recognized me in the last two days."
"Yet he talks to them?"
"He does not talk much. The tongue is much swollen and the jaw is stiff, and he can speak only with difficulty."
"Does he realize the serious character of the disease?"
"It is hard to say. He has given no evidence of uneasiness, except when he called for 'Cump' (P. T. Sherman, his son), on Thursday. It then occurred to me that he wanted to say a last word to the young man. But I may have been mistaken. At any rate, when 'Cump' went to him he was unable to tell him what was on his mind."
The illustrious patient grew weak again at midnight, and at an early hour Saturday morning, February 14, it was known that his death was only a question of a few hours. At four o'clock his family was all summoned to his room and never left it, except for a few minutes, until the end. The alarming attack which seized the patient soon after six o'clock precipitated death. The doctors hurriedly held another consultation, did what they could to relieve his distress and then decided that hope must be abandoned.
The chloroform plasters which had been placed on Sherman's chest, failed to help. The police officers then cleared the sidewalk and streets of all passengers, and people began to wait for the end. At 8.35 o'clock Dr. Janeway left the house, to which he did not again return. His face and his few words told plainly that he had no hope.
About half an hour before the General's death the watchers discerned signs of approaching dissolution. First the old soldier's fingers began to grow cold, then the fatal coldness crept slowly up his arms, and over his body. As the end approached, the General's head, which had beenresting on a large pillow, was lowered gradually in the hope that he might be enabled to breathe easier. Although he died from suffocation, caused by the mucus from his inflamed throat filling his lungs, there were no longer indications of suffering on his part. Those who were nearest his head say that they heard a gentle sigh escape his lips and then all was over. It was just 1.50 o'clock when the famous soldier expired. There was no clergyman of any denomination in the house during the day.
Within a minute or two after General Sherman's death one of his men-servants stepped outside of the front door and said: "It is all over."
Kneeling at the bedside, as the soldier's spirit left its earthly tenement, were the General's son, P. T. Sherman, his four daughters, the Misses Rachel and Lizzie Sherman, Mrs. Fitch and Mrs Thackara; his brother, Senator John Sherman; his sons-in-law, Lieutenants Fitch and Thackara; his brother-in-law, General Thomas Ewing; his physician, Dr. Alexander, U. S. A., and his nurse, Miss Elizabeth Price, of the New York Hospital. The other son, the Rev. Thomas E. Sherman, was on the ocean, hastening homeward, but too late. Generals Slocum and Howard were then in the room below.
General Sherman seems to have had a presentiment of his fate some weeks before it actually befell him. One day he said to General C. H. T. Collis, who mentioned Grant's birthday—April 27:
"Oh, well, Collis, I'll be dead and buried before then."
"I tried hard to cheer him," said General Collis, "and pretended to believe he was joking, but he became serious and added after awhile: 'I feel it coming sometimes when I get home from an entertainment or banquet, especially these winter nights. I feel death reaching out for me, as itwere. I suppose I'll take cold some night and go to bed, never to get up again.' The words were prophetic."
In accordance with General Sherman's often expressed desire, the body did not lie in state; and the public so respected the grief of the family as not to besiege the house to gaze upon the remains of the hero. General Howard sent over a guard from the army post on Governor's Island, and with General Slocum, by invitation of the family, took charge of the arrangements for the funeral obsequies. The body of the deceased General was placed in a coffin exactly like that in which Mrs. Sherman was buried. The General chose her's himself, and gave express orders that his own should be like it. It was of oak, lined with cream-colored satin, and had silver handles. On a silver plate was the following inscription:
WILLIAM TECUMSEH SHERMAN,GENERAL, U. S. A.Born February 8, 1820.Died February 14, 1891.
This coffin was inclosed for the journey to St. Louis in an outer coffin of chestnut wood, brass bound, with a brass plate bearing the same inscription as the inner. The General's body was dressed in the full uniform of his rank.
The following "Special Order No. 5" was issued from the headquarters of the Grand Army of the Republic, at Rutland, Vt.
"Grand Army of the Republic posts on the route of the funeral train of General Sherman from New York to St. Louis will form at their respective railroad stations and salute remains as train passes."
The President and his Cabinet were invited by General Howard to attend the funeral exercises in New York.Committees from both Houses of Congress were appointed to pay their tribute of respect. From the Senate came Messrs. Evarts, Hawley, Manderson, Pierce, Cockrell and Walthall. From the House Speaker Reed appointed Messrs. Cutcheon, Spinola, Cogswell, Cummings, Grosvenor, Kinsey, Tarsney, Henderson, of Illinois, and Outhwaite.
A sorrowful meeting of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion was held on Monday, February 16, at which these resolutions were adopted:
"In common with the entire country we lament the loss of a great military chieftain whose loyal spirit rightly placed the love of country higher than all earthly obligations, and who was individually a distinct and glorious element in the triumphant struggle of that country for its own survival and for the rights of man.
"As once his fellow soldiers we mourn universally for the dead commander, whose great heart made us all his own and made his own virtues seem to us like personal benefactions.
"As members of this Military Order we deplore the loss of a companion whose honors added to the value of those ties which his fellowship helped to endear, and whose frequent and cordial visits to the New York Commandery will be cherished in our memories as so many occasions to be often and affectionately recalled.
"To his children and relatives, to whom his great renown, his honors and his tenderness do but enhance their loss, we tender all that sympathy may, and trust that a place in our regard henceforth may be accepted by them as a little heritage from him."
General Howard made a brief address, in the course ofwhich his emotion was strong and interrupted his utterances.
"General Sherman," he said, "had more personal friends and could call more men by name probably than any other man in the country.
"A few days ago, Sherman and Slocum and I met in Brooklyn and the conversation turned on death. Some one remarked that he hoped it would not come to Sherman for many years. I exclaimed, on the impulse of the moment, 'General, you will never die.' He answered, sharply and strongly, 'My body will die.' God bless General Sherman," was the peroration of General Howard's speech.
General Slocum followed with a warm panegyric on the march to the sea. "Sherman was to me something more than a companion," he said. "He gave me his confidence in war and his friendship in peace. He opened to me what is dear to every soldier, an opportunity to link my name with his.
"In the coming time there will be no dispute about his career. It may be in the future that some man will say that he furnished the idea of the march to the sea to Sherman. That man must have been with him at the time, or subsequent, when Sherman captured Atlanta, for when he did so he had no idea of cutting aloof from his base of supplies. When he got back from the battle of Jonesboro he took down a map and said, 'I will make Atlanta my base of supplies.' He went so far as to throw up intrenchments. That was before Hood pushed up toward the Tennessee and Nashville; and then he changed his mind.
"After Sherman had taken Savannah certain persons at Washington urged him to take his troops to City Point bysea. Had he been a timid man he would have been content to rest upon his laurels, knowing that he had already won an imperishable fame, but he said: 'No; I will take my chances in South Carolina,' and he did so, and everything went like clockwork, and success again crowned his efforts."
At the same time a meeting of representative citizens of St. Louis was held in that city to make arrangements for the final services there; and every city and town along the route prepared to salute the funeral train with demonstrations of sympathy and honor. The orders for the procession in New York were issued on February 18, as follows:
Headquarters of the Atlantic,Governor's Island, New York.The arrangements for the funeral of the late illustrious General of the Army, William Tecumseh Sherman, having been entrusted by his children and other relatives to the care of the undersigned, they have agreed upon the details so far as they relate to the ceremony in New York, which are now furnished for the information and guidance of all who may participate therein:The regulation escort, under command of Loomis L. Langdon, 1st Artillery, will consist of one regiment of United States marines, four companies of United States engineers, and six companies foot batteries of artillery; of a battalion of light artillery from the Army and the National Guard of New York, and of two troops of cavalry from the National Guard of New York.The remains will be received by the escort at the late residence of the General, No. 75 West Seventy-first street, at 2 o'clock, P. M., on Thursday next, the 19th inst. The body will be borne on a caisson, preceded by the following-named pall-bearers in carriages: Major-General J. M. Schofield, Major-General O. O. Howard, Rear-Admiral D. L. Braine, Rear-Admiral J. A. Greer, Professor H. L. Kendrick, Major-General H. W. Slocum, General Joseph E. Johnston, Major-General D. E. Sickles, Major-General G. M. Dodge, Major-General J. M. Corse, Major-General Wager Swayne, Major-General Stewart L. Woodford, Brigadier-General Jno. Moore, Brigadier-General H. G. Wright. These pall-bearers will accompany the remains as far as the train at Jersey City. Six sergeants will proceed to St. Louis. The special escort of honor from the Grand Army, Lafayette Post, will form on the right and left of the caisson.The order of column following the family and relatives will be as follows:(1) The President and Vice-President of the United States.(2) The members of the Cabinet.(3) Ex-Presidents of the United States.(4) Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives.(5) The Governor of the State and the Mayor of the City of New York.These officers will follow the family and relatives as representative mourners.(6) The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, and officers of the Army and Navy.(7) The Grand Army of the Republic.(8) The Corps of Cadets, United States Military Academy, Lieutenant-Colonel Hawkins commanding.(9) The National Guard, under Brigadier-General Louis Fitzgerald.Delegates and representatives from veterans, sons ofveterans and other organizations unassigned, under charge of General David Morrison.The line of march will be as follows: Eighth avenue to Fifty-ninth street, to Fifth avenue, to Broadway, to Fifty-seventh street, to Fifth avenue, to Washington Square: there the column, excepting the regulation military escort, will be dismissed.This escort will continue its march by Waverley Place to Macdougal street, to King street, to Hudson street, to Watts street, at corner of Canal, through Watts street to junction with West street.Veteran organizations not moving with column will form across West st. from Watts st. to the ferry landing, foot of Desbrosses st. The carriages in the procession will be restricted to the pall-bearers, family and relatives, and invited guests.The column will be commanded by Major-General O. O. Howard, United States Army.Major-General Daniel Butterfield is designated as senior aide to the General Commanding and as marshal.The following aides are announced: General Horace Porter, to accompany the President of the United States; General M. D. Leggett, to accompany the Cabinet; the Hon. Joseph H. Choate, to accompany ex-President Hayes; the Hon. Chauncey M. Depew, to accompany ex-President Cleveland; General Floyd Clarkson, in charge of the Grand Army; Major-General H. A. Barnum, to accompany the Superintendent of the Military Academy; General Robert Nugent, formerly of General Sherman's regiment, to take charge of the veterans at Desbrosses st. David Morrison, 79th Veterans, in charge of veteran organizations in columns other than the Grand Army; Mr. Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, to accompany carriages of relatives.Mr. Loyall Farragut.Captain H. P. Kingsbury, 6th Cavalry.Captain A. M. Wetherill, 6th Infantry.First Lieutenant L. A. Craig, 6th Cavalry.First Lieutenant Guy Howard, 12th Infantry, Aide-de-Camp.First Lieutenant Harry C. Benson, 4th Cavalry.First Lieutenant Charles G. Treat, 5th Artillery, Aide-de-Camp.First Lieutenant W. W. Forsyth, 6th Cavalry; Second Lieutenant Samuel Rodman, 1st Artillery, Aides-de-Camp.The churches of New York City are requested to have their bells tolled at half-minute intervals during the movement of the columns, from 2 until 4 P. M.; and the churches of Jersey City are requested to toll their bells in like manner from 5 to 6 P. M., on Thursday.The headquarters of the General commanding the column and the Marshal, will be announced to-morrow. The details of the formation in line of the respective divisions will be communicated to the commander or chiefs from headquarters.H. W. Slocum.Oliver O. Howard.
Headquarters of the Atlantic,Governor's Island, New York.
The arrangements for the funeral of the late illustrious General of the Army, William Tecumseh Sherman, having been entrusted by his children and other relatives to the care of the undersigned, they have agreed upon the details so far as they relate to the ceremony in New York, which are now furnished for the information and guidance of all who may participate therein:
The regulation escort, under command of Loomis L. Langdon, 1st Artillery, will consist of one regiment of United States marines, four companies of United States engineers, and six companies foot batteries of artillery; of a battalion of light artillery from the Army and the National Guard of New York, and of two troops of cavalry from the National Guard of New York.
The remains will be received by the escort at the late residence of the General, No. 75 West Seventy-first street, at 2 o'clock, P. M., on Thursday next, the 19th inst. The body will be borne on a caisson, preceded by the following-named pall-bearers in carriages: Major-General J. M. Schofield, Major-General O. O. Howard, Rear-Admiral D. L. Braine, Rear-Admiral J. A. Greer, Professor H. L. Kendrick, Major-General H. W. Slocum, General Joseph E. Johnston, Major-General D. E. Sickles, Major-General G. M. Dodge, Major-General J. M. Corse, Major-General Wager Swayne, Major-General Stewart L. Woodford, Brigadier-General Jno. Moore, Brigadier-General H. G. Wright. These pall-bearers will accompany the remains as far as the train at Jersey City. Six sergeants will proceed to St. Louis. The special escort of honor from the Grand Army, Lafayette Post, will form on the right and left of the caisson.
The order of column following the family and relatives will be as follows:
(1) The President and Vice-President of the United States.
(2) The members of the Cabinet.
(3) Ex-Presidents of the United States.
(4) Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives.
(5) The Governor of the State and the Mayor of the City of New York.
These officers will follow the family and relatives as representative mourners.
(6) The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, and officers of the Army and Navy.
(7) The Grand Army of the Republic.
(8) The Corps of Cadets, United States Military Academy, Lieutenant-Colonel Hawkins commanding.
(9) The National Guard, under Brigadier-General Louis Fitzgerald.
Delegates and representatives from veterans, sons ofveterans and other organizations unassigned, under charge of General David Morrison.
The line of march will be as follows: Eighth avenue to Fifty-ninth street, to Fifth avenue, to Broadway, to Fifty-seventh street, to Fifth avenue, to Washington Square: there the column, excepting the regulation military escort, will be dismissed.
This escort will continue its march by Waverley Place to Macdougal street, to King street, to Hudson street, to Watts street, at corner of Canal, through Watts street to junction with West street.
Veteran organizations not moving with column will form across West st. from Watts st. to the ferry landing, foot of Desbrosses st. The carriages in the procession will be restricted to the pall-bearers, family and relatives, and invited guests.
The column will be commanded by Major-General O. O. Howard, United States Army.
Major-General Daniel Butterfield is designated as senior aide to the General Commanding and as marshal.
The following aides are announced: General Horace Porter, to accompany the President of the United States; General M. D. Leggett, to accompany the Cabinet; the Hon. Joseph H. Choate, to accompany ex-President Hayes; the Hon. Chauncey M. Depew, to accompany ex-President Cleveland; General Floyd Clarkson, in charge of the Grand Army; Major-General H. A. Barnum, to accompany the Superintendent of the Military Academy; General Robert Nugent, formerly of General Sherman's regiment, to take charge of the veterans at Desbrosses st. David Morrison, 79th Veterans, in charge of veteran organizations in columns other than the Grand Army; Mr. Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, to accompany carriages of relatives.
Mr. Loyall Farragut.
Captain H. P. Kingsbury, 6th Cavalry.
Captain A. M. Wetherill, 6th Infantry.
First Lieutenant L. A. Craig, 6th Cavalry.
First Lieutenant Guy Howard, 12th Infantry, Aide-de-Camp.
First Lieutenant Harry C. Benson, 4th Cavalry.
First Lieutenant Charles G. Treat, 5th Artillery, Aide-de-Camp.
First Lieutenant W. W. Forsyth, 6th Cavalry; Second Lieutenant Samuel Rodman, 1st Artillery, Aides-de-Camp.
The churches of New York City are requested to have their bells tolled at half-minute intervals during the movement of the columns, from 2 until 4 P. M.; and the churches of Jersey City are requested to toll their bells in like manner from 5 to 6 P. M., on Thursday.
The headquarters of the General commanding the column and the Marshal, will be announced to-morrow. The details of the formation in line of the respective divisions will be communicated to the commander or chiefs from headquarters.
H. W. Slocum.Oliver O. Howard.
H. W. Slocum.Oliver O. Howard.
Late on Wednesday night the steamship Majestic arrived at New York, with the Rev. Thomas E. Sherman among its passengers. When the pilot boarded her, Mr. Sherman eagerly asked him about the General.
"I'm unable to say," replied the pilot, adding that, he only knew of General Sherman's sickness, as he had been out at sea for some days.
When the mail steamer came alongside, Mr. Sherman repeated his anxious inquiry. The answer came back, "General Sherman's funeral takes place to-morrow."
ARMY AND CORP COMMANDERS OF THE ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE.Sherman.Logan.Grant.Dodge.Blair.McPherson.Howard.From painting by J. E. Taylor.
ARMY AND CORP COMMANDERS OF THE ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE.Sherman.Logan.Grant.Dodge.Blair.McPherson.Howard.
ARMY AND CORP COMMANDERS OF THE ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE.
Sherman.Logan.Grant.Dodge.Blair.McPherson.Howard.
From painting by J. E. Taylor.
The day before the funeral the house was opened for a few hours, and the public were allowed to enter and view the face of the dead. Thousands availed themselves of the privilege. "It was an interesting crowd of people. There were white-haired veterans of the war; there were people in the clothing of luxury, people clad like beggars, and mothers with babies in their arms leading children by the hand. There were schoolboys come to look at the man about whom their histories tell them, come to see if the face they had seen in the pictures was indeed the face of the great General. There were young girls there, and young men also. It was a crowd representative of the whole American people. Hebrews came out of the depths of the east side and Germans came from Hoboken. All passed in review before the man who will review armies no more. Their uncovered heads were bowed. Some of the very old women who had given their sons to this leader for their country's sake sobbed as they passed on."
It was on a glorious winter day, February 19, that the dust of the great soldier was carried from his former home to make the journey to its final resting place at St. Louis. As the funeral procession started, bells of the City were tolled; buildings everywhere displayed tokens of honor and signs of mourning; the streets were thronged with sympathetic spectators; and thirty thousand men marched with measured tread behind the coffin that contained the earthly remains of their loved and honored leader. Conspicuous in the company were General Schofield, the head of the army; General Howard and General Slocum, Sherman's lieutenants on the march through Georgia; General Corse, of Kenesaw fame; General Johnston, Sherman's old antagonist; and Professor Kendrick, one of those who taught Sherman the art of war. The President, the Vice-President, the two living ex-Presidents, and the members of the Cabinet were also in the company.
There was a large contingent from the regular army, with General Howard in command. Then came the Military Order of the Loyal Legion; long columns of the Grand Army of the Republic; West Point Cadets; the Sons of Veterans; and delegations from various clubs, commercial organizations, and the municipal government.
The long procession wound its way through the streets of New York to the Jersey City ferry. There the coffin and its immediate escort were taken across the river and placed on the funeral train. General Sherman's horse, which with empty saddle had followed the funeral caisson, was led up to the train and the saddle and boots were placed by the coffin in the funeral car. The train consisted of an engine and eight cars. Generals Howard and Slocum, and Surgeon Alexander, besides six sergeants of the regular army, acted as a guard of honor. The Governor of New Jersey through his staff acted as an escort through Jersey City; and the Governor of Pennsylvania and his staff in a special car went through to Harrisburg.
It was early in the evening when the train left Jersey City. At almost every station that it passed vast throngs assembled and bands of music played solemn dirges. It was midnight when it reached Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, yet a multitude stood in the darkness in the open air to do it honor. In the morning it passed through Pittsburg in the midst of a heavy rain storm. Later in the day the sky was clear and the sun shone brilliantly. At Steubenville, Ohio, seventy-five veterans of the army stood on the platform as the train went by, nearly all of them old comrades of Sherman. At Columbus, Ohio, the train paused for a few minutes while Grand Army veterans were allowed togaze upon the casket. At Indianapolis another stop was made while many distinguished people paid their tribute of honor to the mighty dead.
It was Saturday morning when the train reached St. Louis. For several days the weather there had been stormy, but this morning the skies were clear and the sunshine bright. Thousands of people thronged about the station, waiting there for hours before the arrival of the train. At last, at a little before nine o'clock, the funeral cars slowly rolled into the station, the engine bell solemnly tolling.
Elaborate preparations had been made at St. Louis for a military funeral befitting the great soldier whose dust was to be returned to the dust from which it came. Two hours after the arrival of the train the procession was formed, under the lead of General Wesley Merritt, and it solemnly wound its way through the city which for many years was Sherman's favorite home, to Calvary Cemetery. The first division consisted of detachments of the Regular Army, escorting the casket, which was borne on a caisson drawn by four black horses and covered with the stars and stripes. Ransom Post, No. 131, Department of Missouri, G. A. R., acted as the immediate guard of honor. Following closely were the members of the President's Cabinet and the committees from the two houses of Congress. The second division was made up of the Loyal Legion and the Society of the Army of the Tennessee. In it were ex-President Hayes, Judge Gresham and General Lew Wallace. The third division was composed of Posts of the Grand Army of the Republic and Sons of Veterans. In the fourth division were militia regiments from various States and many civil officials. Civic societies made up the fifth division, and various city delegations and the general public the sixth and last division.
As the long procession wound its way up the slope to Calvary Cemetery it presented a view of solemn but inspiring splendor. The arms of the troops flashed in the sun-light, a multitude of flags fluttered on the breeze, and the subdued strains of funeral music made the air tremulous.
At last, six miles from the railroad station, the plot was reached where were the graves of the wife and two children of the departed hero. The flag covered casket was borne upon the shoulders of eight sturdy soldiers to the open grave. Then came the command, "Present Arms!" And every soldier stood motionless as a graven statue. Then the Rev. Thomas E. Sherman, clad in slight vestments, stepped forward and began the service for the dead over his father's dust, standing, as he did so, in the shadow of his mother's monument. He repeated the words of the Litany, translating prayer and scripture into English, in a clear, manly voice, and offered a touching extemporaneous prayer. After the last solemn words a company of troops stepped forward. Three times were given the commands, "Load!" "Ready!" "Aim!" "Fire!" and three times the rifles spoke their loud farewell salute. Then the artillery posted near by thundered forth their echoing responses. When the last reverberations died away a solitary trumpeter stepped forward to the foot of the soldier's grave and sounded "Taps."
Thus ended the last impressive scene.
In his life Sherman had left with his friends full instructions concerning his funeral, his grave and his monument. He directed that the only inscription above his dust should be his name, his rank, the date of his birth, the date of his death, and the simple words, "True and Honest." A fitting epitaph for one who was truly, as was written of another great soldier, "In his simplicity sublime."
A National Outburst of Grief—The President's Message to Congress—The Senate's Memorial Resolutions—Senator Hawley's Eulogy—A Touching Tribute from a Southern Senator—Speeches by Senators who were also Soldiers—Eloquent Words from Lawrence Barrett—Judge Gresham Recalls Sherman's Prophetic Words—A Comparison Between Sherman and Lee—General Slocum's Reminiscences—Chauncey Depew on Sherman in Social Life.
A National Outburst of Grief—The President's Message to Congress—The Senate's Memorial Resolutions—Senator Hawley's Eulogy—A Touching Tribute from a Southern Senator—Speeches by Senators who were also Soldiers—Eloquent Words from Lawrence Barrett—Judge Gresham Recalls Sherman's Prophetic Words—A Comparison Between Sherman and Lee—General Slocum's Reminiscences—Chauncey Depew on Sherman in Social Life.
During General Sherman's last illness the entire nation listened with anxious suspense to every word of news that came from his home, and millions of hearts hourly offered fervent prayers for his recovery. The announcement of his death was not unexpected, for it had been known for several days that recovery was impossible; but it was none the less a shock to the public. Everywhere expressions of grief were heard and emblems of mourning were seen. Flags were placed at half-mast and buildings draped in black; bells were tolled and memorial meetings held. Messages of sympathy and condolence came to his family by mail and telegraph from every part of the world. Only a few irreconcilable spirits here and there in the South spoke against him, and made his death an occasion for venting their spleen against the patriot who had subdued the rebellion.
When the news of Sherman's death reached Washington, the President, who had himself been an officer in Sherman's army in Georgia, sent a message announcing the fact to Congress, in which he said:
"The death of William Tecumseh Sherman is an event that will bring sorrow to the heart of every patriotic citizen. No living American was so loved and venerated as he. To look upon his face, to hear his name, was to have one's love of country intensified. He served his country, not for fame, not out of a sense of professional duty, but for love of the flag and of the beneficent civil institutions of which it was the emblem. He was an ideal soldier, and shared to the fullest theesprit de corpsof the army; but he cherished the civil institutions organized under the Constitution, and was a soldier only that these might be perpetuated in undiminished usefulness and honor. He was in nothing an imitator.
"A profound student of military science and precedent, he drew from them principles and suggestions, and so adapted them to novel conditions that his campaigns will continue to be the profitable study of the military profession throughout the world. His general nature made him comrade to every soldier of the great Union Army. No presence was so welcome and inspiring at the camp-fire or commandery as his. His career was complete; his honors were full. He had received from the Government the highest rank known to our military establishment, and from the people unstinted gratitude and love. No word of mine can add to his fame. His death has followed in startling quickness that of the Admiral of the Navy; and it is a sad and notable incident that when the Department under which he served shall have put on the usual emblems of mourning, four of the eight Executive Departments will besimultaneously draped in black, and one other has but to-day removed the crape from its walls."
Senator Hawley, of Connecticut, at once offered the following resolutions, which were unanimously adopted by the Senate:
"Resolved, That the Senate receive with profound sorrow the announcement of the death of William Tecumseh Sherman, late General of the armies of the United States.
"Resolved, That the Senate renews its acknowledgment of the inestimable services which he rendered to his country in the day of its extreme peril, laments the great loss which the country has sustained, and deeply sympathizes with his family in its bereavement.
"Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be forwarded to the family of the deceased."
Mr. Hawley said: "Mr. President, at this hour, the Senate, the Congress and the people of the United States are one family. What we have been daily expecting has happened; General Sherman has received and obeyed his last order. He was a great soldier by the judgment of the great soldiers of the world. In time of peace he had been a great citizen, glowing and abounding with love of country and of all humanity. His glorious soul appeared in every look, gesture and word. The history of our country is rich in soldiers who have set examples of simple soldierly obedience to the civil law and of self-abnegation. Washington, Grant, Sheridan and Sherman lead the list. Sherman was the last of the illustrious trio who were by universal consent the foremost figures in the armies of the Union in the late war. Among the precious traditions to pass into our history for the admiration of the old and the instruction of the young was their friendship, their most harmonious co-operation, without a shadow of ambition or pride. WhenGeneral Grant was called to Washington to take command of the armies of the Union, his great heart did not forget the men who stood by him."
Here Mr. Hawley read the letter from Grant to Sherman, written at that time, expressing thanks to him and McPherson as the men, above all others, to whom he owed success, and Sherman's letter, in reply, saying that General Grant did himself injustice and them too much honor.
Mr. Hawley closed his remarks, his voice frequently giving way from grief and emotion, by reading the following passages from Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress": "After this it was noised about that Mr. Valiant-for-Truth was taken with a summons. When he understood it he called for his friends and told them of it. Then said he, 'I am going to my fathers; and though with great difficulty I got hither, yet now I do not repent me of all the trouble I have been at to arrive where I am. My sword I give to him that shall succeed me in my pilgrimage, and my courage and skill to him that can get them. My marks and scars I carry with me, to be a witness for me that I have fought His battles who will now be a rewarder.' When the day that he must go hence was come many accompanied him to the river side, into which as he went he said: 'Death, where is thy sting?' And as he went down deeper he said: 'Grave, where is thy victory?' So he passed over and all the trumpets sounded for him on the other side."
Senator Morgan, of Alabama, said: "On this occasion of National solemnity I would lead the thoughts and sympathies of the American Senate back to those days in our history when General Sherman was, by a choice greatly honorable to his nature, a citizen of the State of Louisiana, and presided over a college for the instructions of Southern youth in the arts of war and the arts of peace. Those werenot worse days than some we have seen during the last half of this century. In those days, notwithstanding the conditions of the South, in view of its institutions inherited from the older States of the East, every American was as welcome in Louisiana and the South as he was elsewhere in the Union. We are gradually and surely returning to that cordial state of feeling which was unhappily interrupted by the Civil War.
"Our fathers taught us that it was the highest patriotism to defend the Constitution of the country. But they had left within its body guarantees of an institution that the will of the majority finally determined should no longer exist and which put the conscience of the people to the severest test. Looking back now to the beginning of this century and to the conflict of opinion and of material interests engendered by those guarantees, we can see that they never could have been stricken out of the organic law except by a conflict of arms. The conflict came, as it was bound to come, and Americans became enemies, as they were bound to be, in the settlement of issues that involved so much of money, such radical political results and the pride of a great and illustrious race of people. The power rested with the victors at the close of the conflict, but not all the honors of the desperate warfare. Indeed, the survivors are now winning honors, enriched with justice and magnanimity, not less worthy than those who won the battles in their labors to restore the country to its former feeling of fraternal regard and to unity of sentiment and action and to promote its welfare. The fidelity of the great General who has just departed in the ripeness of age, and with a history marked by devotion to his flag, was the true and simple faith of an American to his convictions of duty.
"We differed with him and contested campaigns andbattlefields with him; but we welcome the history of the great soldier as the proud inheritance of our country. We do this as cordially and as sincerely as we gave him welcome in the South, as one of our people, when our sons were confided to his care, in a relation that (next to paternity) had its influence upon the young men of the country. The great military leaders on both sides of our Civil War are rapidly marching across the border to a land where history and truth and justice must decide upon every man's career. When they meet there, they will be happy to find that the honor of human actions is not always measured by their wisdom but by the motives in which they had their origin. I cherish the proud belief that the heroes of the Civil War will find that, measured by this standard, none of them on either side were delinquent, and they will be happy in an association that will never end—and will never be disturbed by an evil thought, jealousy or distrust. When a line so narrow divides us from those high courts in which our actions are to be judged by their motives, and when so many millions now living, and increasing millions to follow, are to be affected by the wisdom of our enactments, we will do well to give up this day to reflection upon our duties and (in sympathy with this great country) to dedicate the day to his memory. In such a retrospect we shall find an admonition that an American Senate should meet, on this side of the fatal line of death, as the American Generals meet on the other side, to render justice to each other and to make our beloved country as happy, comparatively, as we should wish the great beyond to be to those great spirits."
Senator Manderson said that as the hours of the last two or three days passed away he had not had the heart to make such preparation for the event which he had fearedand dreaded, as might seem to be meet and appropriate. The death of General Sherman came (although one might have been prepared for it) as the unexpected. It was a day of mourning and grief. Here, at the Capital of the Nation, lay the body of the great Admiral, the chief of the Navy; and in New York was being prepared for the last sad rites the corpse of the greatest military genius which the Nation had produced. General Sherman had been great not only as a military leader, but he had been great as a civilian. Who was there that had heard him tell of the events of his wonderful career who had not been filled with admiration and respect for his abilities? It seemed to him that General Sherman was perhaps the only man in the North who, in the early days of the war, seemed to appreciate what the terrible conflict meant It was recollected how it was said in 1861 that he must be insane to make the suggestions which he made. These suggestions were so startling to the country that he (Mr. Manderson) did not wonder that men doubted General Sherman's sanity. Like men of great genius, he seemed to have lived in that debatable ground existing between the line of perfect sanity and insanity'.
After a review of General Sherman's military career, opening at Shiloh and closing at Atlanta, Mr. Manderson read General Sherman's letter to the Mayor and Common Council of Atlanta, beginning: "We must have peace, not only at Atlanta, but in all America."
In conclusion. Mr. Manderson said: "General Sherman was estimable as a citizen, and as fully appreciated the duties of a civilian, as he was admirable as a soldier. But this strife, which we have watched for the last few days, has ceased. The conflict has ended. The Nation has witnessed it. Sixty millions of people have stood insilence, watching for the supreme result. Death, ever victorious, is again a victor. A great conqueror is himself conquered. Our Captain lies dead. The pale lip sayeth to the sunken eye: 'Where is thy kindly glance? And where thy winning smile?'"
Senator Davis said he could hardly trust himself to speak. He had been a soldier under General Sherman, and had received acts of kindness from him when he was a subaltern. As the years had gone by, and the widening avenues of life had opened up ways of promotion, that acquaintance had ripened into friendship, and, he might say, into intimacy. He had first seen General Sherman at the siege of Vicksburg, twenty-eight years ago, when he was the very incarnation of war; but to-day that spirit had taken up its rest in the everlasting tabernacle of death. It was fit that the clanging of the great city should be hushed in silence, and that the functions of government should be suspended while the soul of the great commander was passing to Him who gives and Him who takes away. No more were heard the thunders of the captains, and the shouting. The soul of the great warrior had passed and was standing in judgment before Him who was the God of Battles, and was also the God of Love.
Senator Pierce, as one of the soldiers who had served under General Sherman in the Army of the Tennessee, gave some reminiscences of the war and paid a glowing eulogy to his old commander.
Senator Evarts said that the afflicting intelligence of the death of General Sherman had touched the Senate with the deepest sensibilities; that that grief was not a private grief; nor was it limited by any narrower bounds than those of the whole country. The affections of the people toward its honorable and honored men did not always finda warm effusion, because circumstances might not have brought the personal career, the personal traits, the personal affectionate disposition of great men, to the close and general observation of the people at large. But of General Sherman no such observation could be truly made. Whatever of affection and of grief Senators might feel was felt, perhaps, more intensely in the hearts of the whole people. To observers of his death, as they had been of his life, General Sherman had been yesterday the most celebrated living American. He was now added to that longer and more illustrious list of celebrated men of the country for the hundred years of National life. One star differed from another star in glory, but yet all of those stars had a glory to which nothing could be added by eulogy, and from which nothing could be taken away by detraction. They shone in their own effulgence, and borrowed no light from honor or respect. It had been said already that General Sherman was the last of the commanders. If those who had passed out of life still watched over and took interest in what transpired in this world (and no one doubted it), what great shades must have surrounded the death-bed of General Sherman! And who could imagine a greater death-bed for a great life than that which had been watched over in a neighboring city during the week? It had been reserved for him (Mr. Evarts) at the declining hour of the day, as a Senator from the State which General Sherman had honored by his late home, and in which he had died, to move, out of respect to his memory, that the Senate do now adjourn.
Lawrence Barrett, the eminent actor, paid this eloquent tribute to his friend in the columns ofThe New York Tribune:
"The funeral cortege has passed. The emblems of war,which had for many years been laid aside, have once again been seen sadly embellishing the soldierly equipage whereupon the lifeless body rests. Old comrades, lifelong friends, statesmen and great civilians have followed the mournful pageant with fruitless regrets. The instruments which in battle days sounded to the charge or the retreat, which sang reveille to the waking morn or gave the sternest good-night, when all was well; which through a quarter of a century of peace have greeted the retired warrior at feast and civic parade with harmonies upon his achievements—these now beat the last mournful cadences leading to an earthly camping-ground beneath whose sod the mortal remains of our great soldier shall rest beside his loved ones, forever dead to triumph or threnody.
"The last of the immortal trio has joined his waiting comrades. Already in the fields of the blessed one may believe that their spirits sadly regard our simple tributes to the earthly casket which holds the dust of Sherman. The mourning thousands who have lined the highway of the sad procession have gone to their homes with a tenderer reflection upon the meanings of existence and death. And even as his valor in the written story had awakened a stronger patriotism than had before existed, so in his death and in the last tributes paid to the hero a fresher and purer sense of patriotic duty springs up in our hearts to link us to the inheritance he helped to gain.
"History will gather up and weave into enduring form the achievements of the soldier and the statesman. In that final summary sectional prejudice and personal bias may bear their natural parts. Only in a remote future, when all the sorrowful effects of the great Civil War have lost their nearness—only when its beneficence in knitting closer the bonds of friendship and National brotherhood shall berecognized, when no newly-made grave sends up reproachful reminders to bereaved hearts, only then can the hero's place be immutably fixed on the heroic calendar. To the scholar and the sage may be left that office. The records of his military life, his general orders, his plans, his deeds, will guide the historian into a proper estimate of the dead soldier's station in the military Valhalla.
"But how shall the innumerable civic deeds of this dead man be recorded or find place for reference? In the musty archives of no war office are they registered. Upon no enduring parchment are they written. They would escape definition in the attempt to define them. They are engraved upon hearts still living—they sweeten the lives still unsummoned—they are too sacred for utterance. Yet they are the crown of Sherman's achievement. Wherever this man's hand was extended it brought glad strength; wherever his voice was heard it aroused emotions of grateful tenderness; wherever his form was seen it gladdened loving eyes. He survived a civil war for a quarter of a century—to show to us that the soldier's armor is less becoming than the garb of civil life, that the pomp and circumstance of war are loud preludes of beneficent peace.
"No intrusion of personal relation shall sully this poor testament to the dead. No one can claim the inheritance of such a large-hearted bounty. But in the name of the drama which he loved, in the names of the actors whom he respected, it is proper that no tardy recognition should follow his death. He had a scholar's love for what was highest in the art—whether in the walk of tragedy or comedy. He had a warm affection for those who labored in this atmosphere. He had also a large sympathy for those performances which afford recreation and amusement to the largest class of the community. His voice wasnever hushed when called to aid in the needs of the player. He was no ordinary first-nighter. He had a simple and affecting belief that his presence might be useful to those who were seeking public suffrage across the foot-lights, and he could not but know that his indorsement was valuable and trustworthy. He was one of the incorporators of 'The Players,' upon whose muster-roll no nobler name appears. His imposing character gave dignity to those deliberative meetings out of which that organization grew into its present useful life.
"And should contemporary history fail to do him justice—should the bitterness of the Civil War make a just estimate of his worth impossible in biographical annals—should envy or malice deface the white shaft which should symbolize his deeds—then the dramatist will lovingly bear up the garments of his glory—keep them from soil within that Valhalla where Cæsar and Alexander, Frederick and Gustavus, live imperishably enshrined. Therein shall be cherished the insignia and the characteristics of the most notable figure of modern or ancient soldiery.
"Again in future nights shall we see the pomp and glory of Union making war—once again its gallant leader shall pass before the eyes of a curious posterity in the drama's immortal keeping, and the gallant spirit whose influence in life so often attended the presentment of Cæsar and Antony and Cassius and the Roman group shall, in death, mingle with their essence, tenderly restored by the dramatists whom he inspired, by the actors whom he loved."