Jasper Republican, Volume 1, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 October 1874 — The Marriage of General Sherman’s Daughter. [ARTICLE]

The Marriage of General Sherman’s Daughter.

Washington, Oct. 1. Lieut. Thos. W. Fitch, of the Engineer Corps of the navy, was married to-day to Miss Maria Sherman, eldest daughter of Gen. W. T. Sherman. The ceremony took place in St. Aloysius’ (Catholic) Church. The marriage was solemnized by Archbishop Purcell, of Cincinnati, assisted by clergymen from New York and Brooklyn and the resident priests of the District. The bridesmaids were Misses Lizzie and Ella Sherman, sisters of the bride; Miss Phillips, of Cincinnati; Miss Fanny Marcy, daughter of Gen. Marcy, United States Army; Miss Alice Bartley, or Washington; Miss Maria Patterson, of St. Louis; Miss Ella Ewing and Miss Bessie Smith, of Cincinnati. The groomsmen were Charles Rae, of the Engineer Corps; Lieut. Hunter, Paymaster Cochrane, Edwin Wells, of the Engineer Corpse Lieut. Wood, United States Navy; Lieut. Russel, of the Marine Corps; Thomas E. Sherman, brother of the bride, and Mr. G. Alvin, of Boston. The bride leaned upon the arm of her father. The groom stood within the sacristy, near a door leading to the sanctuary, and as the bridal party approached the altar he passed through the sanctuary, leaning upon the arm of Gen. Hugh Ewing, the brother of Mrs. Sherman, and met the bride near the sanctuary, where he received her from her father. The entire pstty then approached the altar railing, and, after kneeling a short time, took the positions assigned them. AH being in readiness, the Archbishop entered the sanctuary from the sacristy, and proceeded with the marriage ceremony. The bnde and groom first received the holy communion. At the conclusion of mass a special blessing was given, and the ceremony ended. Before the mass Archbishop Purcell read portions of the Scripture relating to the sacrament of matrimony and then addressed the congregation. He said that the marriage ceremony had never before been performed in the United States under more interesting circumstances than the present He was told that among those in the church was the ruler of the great Republic, the greatest

nation of ancient or modern times. Here also was the father of the bride, who had achieved such fame as a soldier and was a most devoted patriot. There were other brave officers and Generals present who had gained the admiration and respect of every nation of the earth. He then referred to the sanctity of the marriage tie, and said when the marriage union was consummated under such auspices as were witnessed to-day there was every reason to believe that Almighty God would bless the couple. The Archbishop next spoke of the family of the bride, referring to her grandfather and grandmother, Judge and Mrs. Ewing, and the noble traits at their’characters. ’ He again spoke of the sacrament about to be administered, and said marriage is essentially a religious ceremony, and not a mere civil contract. It had been raised to the dignity of a sacrament by the Savior of the world. He congratulated the vast assembly in attendance upon the good order maintained, by which was shown respect.for the house of God and for our divine Lord here present, as well as His Excellency the President and the bride and groom. The ceremony over, the bridal party returned to Gen. Sherman’s residence and received their friends from one to four o’clock—the bride and groom in the back parlor, while Gen. and Mrs. Sherman occupied the front parlor. The bridal party received congratulations in the front of a niche containing a bust of Gen. Sherman, under a canopy of flowers draped with smilax, from which also was suspended a marriage bell of snow-white flowers. During the reception ceremony the Marine Band,stationed on the grounds west of the parlor, played appropriate airs. The newly-married couple left in the evening for a bridal tour North and West, intending to reach St. Louis, their future residence, about the 15th.