Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 August 1885 — A SOLEMN PROGRESS. [ARTICLE]

A SOLEMN PROGRESS.

The Remains of General Grant Transferred from Albany to the Metropolis. Imposing Civic and Mia'ary Procxsiou to the New York City Hall. The remains of Gen. Grant lay in state at th? Capitol building in Albany from 4:30 p. m. of Tuesday until 10:4') Wednesday morning, the sth inst., during which time they were viewed by 77,200 people. At noon of Wednesday the funeral t:ain started for New York, Gen. Hancock and Gov. Hill, with their staffs, and committees representing the State Legis'ature and the city of New York, being on board. Great crowds were gathered at all the stations along the rout?, and when the metropolis was reached avast multitude was waitn.’. The following incidents ot the journey and arrival at New York we clean from the copious reports telegraphed West: At the Executive Mansion in Albany the sons of Gen. Gran’, with Drs. Douglas and Newman, breakiasteU quietly with the Governor. The morning papers were a terward scanned in silence by the party, the voluminous details calling forth no comment from the sons except among themselves. The clay had dawned bright, and from the country side tarmers and their famil.es had come in early to view the dead. Trains east and west added to the number of strangers in the city, and the morning boats brought many more. At to :30 o'clock this forenoon the Capitol doors were swung shut. The compact line of waiting visitors, which extended over a block, was shut off thus, and those who had entered were permitted to pass rapidly out, when the State street doors were closed. Slowly the funeral car, drawn by six black horses with their mourning trappings, moved to the State street side of the Capitol. Gen. Hancock, mounted upon a black charger from W'est Point, and followed by his staff, approached the Capitol, as also did Genjl' arnsworth and staff. Eleven o’clock had passed, and it was half an hour later when the great doors ot the Capitol swung open on the State street side. The somber car was waiting at the foot of the steps in the street. Four men were inside the car, and assisted in lifting the remains to the black dais within the mounted cataialque. Then Colonel Black and Major Brown ranged their companies of regulars on either side of the car, the front being level with the heads of the horses. The Grand Army gUMrd took positions, the blare of ‘ trumpets rang out, and the procession started at a measured p ee down State street, the various organizations falling in to form the procession —reaching Broadway’ amid the dud boom of cannon and the toiling and chiming ot I ells in the steeples. The march through Broadway to Steuben street, and thence to the depot, was viewed by a dense throng. Guns boomed while the remains tare being placed in the car Woodlawn, and the bells tolled s owly. The committee from New York entered their cars, Gen. Hancock and staff were aboard, the regulars were quartered, and the great train started. At the instant the train started a dirge came uj> to ti e ears of all in the train from the b ind ot the Jackson Corps, that stood in line and saluted. Hundreds ot persons standing nearest the tracks laid coins on the rails to have them flattened beneath the wheels of the train that carried Gen. Grant on his last journey. On the roofs of the houses in the vicinity hundreds witnessed the start, and, as the black train rumbled across the long br dge ot the Hudson, it was between two . dense lines of people, who filled the foot-paths on either fide. There was no clang ot Dell, no scream of whistle, only the dull rumble ot the wheels beneath the memorable train. Across the river were crowds ot people. The shops and stores and factories had closed their doors to business. All who work and those of leisure seemed to have come out to stand with uncovered heads to witness a scene never again to be enacted. The long, sweeping curve was rounded, and the black train straightened out level with the Hudson on its way to the metropolis. Looking back from th? engine cab as the trailing train swept around this curve a s Greenbush the impressive effect was thrilling. c At every town ar.d station along the rout, from Albany to the metropolis the people range a themselves along the track, and with bared heads testified their respect to the memory ot the illustrous dead, as the funeral train swept by. A few minutes before 5 o’clock p. m. the train arrived at the Grand Central Depot. As soon as it halted all the passengers alighted and formed a long line on the raised footway beside the train. Facing it ahead, drawn up in the line, were the regular army soldiers—Company E of the Twe fth Infantry, under Maj. Brown, and Company A of the Fifth Artillery, under Capt. W. B Beck. The thirteen men of Grant Post, G, A. IL, of Brooklyn, who have acted as the guard over the coffin since the Sunday after the General’s death, were the last to leave the train. They went to the car that contained the coffin, lifted it out, and put it on a new and handsome baggage-truck that had been brought to the side of the car for the purpose. The soldiers presented aims as the coffin came in sight, the civilians removed their hat*, the truck bearing the coffin was rolled to the front of the depot, and transferred to the funeral car, while a band played a solemn dirge. The funeral cortege marched in the following order: Battalion of Mounted Police. Maj. Gen. Hancock and staff. Light Battery F, Mounted, from Fort Hamilton, Capt. W. F. Randolph Commanding. Company A of the sth United States Artillery. The Fort Hamilton Military Band. A Battalion, Comprising Four Companies of the Sth United States Artillery, on Foot. Two companies of marines and blue jackets, under Lieut. Command’ r W. W. Mead. Two companies ot sailors under Lieut. Emory. Maj. Gen. Alexander Shaler and staff. Second Battery, First Division, National Guard. Brig. Gen. Ward and staff. The First Brigade N. G. S. N. Y., comprising the 9th, 11th, 12th, and 22d regiments. The catafalco. The guard of honor, consisting of members of the U. 8. Grant Post, of Brooklyn, the George G. Meade Post, of Philadelphia, and the Loyal Legion, ot the United States. Brig Gen. Fitzgerald and staff. The Second Brigade N. G. 8. N. Y., comprising the 7th, Bth, 69th. and 71st regiments. The Mayor’s Committee ot 101. All along the line of march the people stood with uncovered heads, silently and reverently gazing at the purple-covered casket that contained the remains ot the great soldier. It was an imposing pageant and one long to be remembered. When the head of the funeral cortege reached the eastern entrance to the City Hall plaza the line was reformed, 'lhe Twentysecond Regiment, a fine body of men, splendidly uniformed, formed on either side of the entrance to the City Hall, and, forming a line from the steps to the catafalco, the marines and regulars were drawn up in a line fac.ng the entrance. Again the command to present arms was given, and the bearers carried the coffin into the rotunda of the City Hall through a glittering wall of steel. Here it was deposited on a catafalco erected in the center ot the rotunda. At 0:15 the central iron door was swung open to the public. The five thousand people who had been massed out-ide of the police lines on the plaza were ranged in double file at the edge of the plaza opposite the gale, end marshaled across the plaza straight up the steps. They passed through the gateway two at a time at the rate of 160 a minute. Each one who passed the catafalco bent over slightly to lock at the face of the dead hero, and then hurried on. In the first live minutes 4.mj had passed, and a count made during the first hour showed that 5,880 had passed tne coffin. All sorts and conditions of people were in the throng. Two Chinese laundrymen, wearing fluttering shirts of silk and embroidered Chinese slippers, stooped far down over the coffin and looked at the face of the General until a Grand Army veteran caught their sleeves and hurried them on. One of the Chinamen pressed his handkerchief to his eyes and went away with bowed head. Barefooted newsboys, negroes, and aaed men passed up quickly, and women and girls walked by in groups. Every man lifted his hat reverently as he entered the building It is estimated that 34,w0 persons passed through the corridors of the City Hall and viewed the remains between 9p. m. and la. m.