CROWN his blood-stained pillow With a victor's palm; Life's receding billow Leaves eternal calm. At the feet Almighty With deliverance freighted Let him rest serenely In a Nation's care, Where her waters queenly In the greenest meadow Our First Hero, living, Made his country free; Heed the Second's giving Death for Liberty !" Julia Ward How. VII. THE RITES AT SPRINGFIELD. At last, on the 3d of May, the funeral train, after travelling by a circuitous route about seventeen hundred miles, reached Springfield, the home of the fallen President, where he had been so long personally known and admired. The remains were received at the Chicago, Alton, and St. Louis Station. A procession formed in the following order :Brig.-General Cook and staff; military escort; Major-General Hooker and staff; the guard of honor; relatives and friends in carriages; the Illinois delegation from Washington; Senators and Representatives of the Congress of the United States, including their Sergeant-at arms and Speaker Colfax; the Illinois State Legislature; the Governors of different States; delegations from Kentucky; the Chicago Committee of Reception; the Springfield Committee of Reception; the judges of the different courts; the reverend clergy; officers of the army and navy; firemen of the city; citizens generally; colored citizens, etc. The hearse which carried the coffin was splendidly adorned, and drawn by six black horses. The procession moved through Jefferson, Fifth, Monroe, and Sixth streets, the houses on which all being deeply draped, with appropriate mottoes, and in many cases the portrait of their great townsman. On reaching the State House the coffin was borne with the usual ceremonies through the north entrance into the Hall of Representatives, a semi-circular colonade of eleven Corinthian columns, supporting a half dome, the straight side being toward the west. At the apex of the dome is a rising sun. On the floor a dais was erected, ascended by three steps. On the dais a hexagon canopy, supported on columns twelve feet high, the shaft covered with black velvet; the capitals wrought in white velvet, with silver bands, and filled the canopy, tent-shaped, rising seven feet in the centre, covered with heavy black broadcloth in radiating slack folds, surmounted at the apex and at each angle with black plumes having white centres. A draped eagle was perched on the middle of each crown mould. The cornice was of Egyptian pattern, corresponding with the capitals covered with black velvet; the bands and mouldings were of silver; the lining of the canopy was white crape in radiating folds over blue, thickly set with stars of silver, and terminating at the cornice in a band of black velvet with silver fillets. Between the columns was a rich valance in folds, with heavy sil ver fringe, from under which depended velvet curtains extending from each column two-thirds of the distance from the capitals to the centre of the cornice, looped with silver bands. Twelve brilliant jets of gas, burning in ground globes, sprang from the columns, and lighted the interior. The catafalque was covered with black velvet, trimmed with silver and satin, and adorned with thirty-six burnished silver stars, twelve at the head and twelve on each side, and was built after drawings made by Colonel Schwartz. The floor of the dais was covered with evergreens and white flowers. The steps of the dais were spread with broadcloth banded with silver lace. The columns of the room were hung with black crape, and the capitals festooned and entwined with the same. The cornice was appropriately draped, and, in large antique letters, on a black ground, were the words of President Lincoln at independence Hall, Philadelphia, Feb. 22, 1861: "Sooner than surrender these principles, I would be assassinated on the spot. In front of the gallery were black panels nine feet by two and a half, having silver bands and centres of crossed olive-branches; above the gallery looped curtains of black crape, extending around the semi-circle; below the gallery white crape curtains overhung with black crape festoons. Each column was ornamented with a beautiful wreath of evergreens and white flowers. On the top of the gallery, extending the entire length was a festoon of evergreens. The Corinthian cornice was fes tooned on the west at each side, twenty-four feet forward the centre, supported by pilasters of the same order, the space between being surmounted by an arch. At the extreme height, in the upper portion, was placed a blue semi-circle field, sixteen feet across, studded with thirty-six stars, six inches in diameter, and from which radiated the thirteen stripes on the American flag in delicate crape, two feet wide at the circumference of the blue field, increasing to the extreme lower angle, breaking on the dais below and the pilasters on either side, the whole crowned with blue and black crape, and so disposed as to correspond with the blue field, the stars and radiated panels of the ceiling. The central red stripe fell opposite the opening in the curtains at the head of the catafalque. On the cornice, each side of the flag work, were placed two mottoes, corresponding with that on the semicircular frieze, forming together these words: Washington, the Father, and Lincoln, the Saviour." A life-sized portrait of Washington, the frame draped in blue crape, stood at the head of the dais. Here, as elsewhere, the citizens of the place, with thousands. who came pouring in by every mode of conveyance, sought to gaze on the face of the corpse. All night long the streets of the handsome and generally quiet city, resounded with the tramp of feet. It was estimated that more than seventy-five thousand passed into the hall. During the morning minute-guns were fired by Battery K, Missouri light artillery. About ten o'clock the coffin was closed forever. Meanwhile a choir of two hundred and fifty voices, and Lebrun's band from St. Louis, sang Paesello's "Peace, Troubled Soul," and as the coffin was borne out, Pleyel's Hymn, "Children of the Heavenly King." After the remains had been placed in the hearse, the procession moved to Oak Ridge Cemetery, under the immediate command of Major-General Joseph Hooker, Marshal-in-Chief. It consisted of eight divisions, three of which preceded the hearse, with its group of eminent men, and included the 24th Michigan, 146th Illinois, 46th Wisconsin, and other veterans of the war. The municipal authorities, sanitary commission, the professions, Masons, Odd Fellows, firemen and citizens, closed the line. On the arrival of the procession at the Cemetery, the re mains were placed in the tomb, after which the choir sang the "Dead march in Saul"-" Unveil thy bosom." Rev. Albert Hale then delivered an eloquent and appro priate prayer. At the conclusion of the prayer, the choir sang a dirge, com posed for the occasion; music by George F. Root, words by L. M. Dawes. It was sung with much feeling and effect. FAREWELL FATHER. FRIEND AND GUARDIAN. All our land is draped in mourning, Hearts are bowed and strong men weep⚫ For our loved, our noble leader, Sleeps his last his dreamless sleep— Gone forever, gone forever, Fallen by a traitor's hand; Though preserved his dearest_treasure, Through our night of bloody struggle Bravely, gently forth he led us, Till the morn burst on our view Till he saw the day of triumph, Saw the field our heroes won; Then his honored life was ended, When from mountain, hill and valley, Honor'd leader, long and fondly Shall thy mem'ry cherished be; Rest in peace. |