BRIG.-GEN. WINTHROP.
His Funeral Service--Grand Military De-
monstrations--Sketch of his Life.
Brevet Brig.-Gen. FREDERICK WINTHROP, a gal-
lant officer in the Army of the Potomac, was killed
at the battle of Five Forks, near Petersburgh, Va.,
on the 1st instant, and buried with fitting ceremony
in Trinity Church-yard, yesterday afternoon. In pur-
suance of orders from headquarters the Seventy-
first, Twelfth and Twenty-second regiments were
detailed as escorts for the remains of the deceased
and formed near Union-square at 3 o'clock. At the
residence of Gen. WINTHROP's parents, in Fourteenth-
street, a large assemblage of near friends met early
in the afternoon and participated in the solemn ser-
vices which were led by Rev. Dr. SEABURY, the Pastor
of the church whereat the deceased was wont to at-
tend. At the conclusion of these ceremonies the
more public testimonies of esteem and respect were
manifested, the coffin being placed in the hearse,
and the grand procession formed in line. A more
imposing cortege has rarely been seen on Broad-
way, and the silent crowds which uncovered as it
mournfully moved along, regarded with an affec-
tionate interest the enflagged coffin, which contained
all that was left of him who but a few days since was
the light of a loving home, and the pride of a fight-
ing host.
THE PALL BEARERS
were men of whom the country has reason to be
proud, men who have fought under the true flag
and received stout blows in its behalf. Their names
are:
Brig.-Gen. Warren, Brig.-Gen. Morris,
Brig.-Gen. Sweeny, Brig.-Gen. Van Vliet,
Lieut.-Col. Clitz, Lieut.-Col. O'Beirne,
Lieut.-Col. King, Capt. Ellis.
Accompanying these veteran soldiers of the Re-
public were a large number of officers of the army
and navy, and very many of our most respected cit-
izens. The street was cleared of vehicles of every
description, and the procession marched to the
grand music of the regimental band down toward old
Trinity.
AT THE CHURCH
the crowd was immense. Capt. HELM, with Sergt.
GARLAND and fifteen men, had their hands full to
keep the outer way clear; while the church itself
was thronged to excess, with the exception of the
pews in the middle aisle, which were reserved for
the friends of the family. Officer WICKS, of the
Twenty-seventh Precinct, was stationed in the church
to keep the aisle free from intruding visitors, while
Mr. PLACE, at the vestry door, was fairly overwhelmed
by ladies, who insisted upon getting in.
At a little after 5 o'clock the hearse reached the
church of the rev. Dr. CUTLER, and his admirable
choir had taken their stations. Rev. Dr. MORGAN
DIX, Rev. Dr. VINTON, Rev. Dr. OGILBY, and Rev.
Dr. SEABURY walked to the vestibule to receive the
remains; while the solemn tones of the organ
thrilled the house, and the entire congregation arose.
Intoning the initiatory portion of the service, Rev.
Dr. DIX preceded the coffin and the procession up
the broad aisle. The body was enclosed in a hand-
some rosewood coffin, lined with lead, and wrapped
in the American flag, upon which were laid wreaths
of flowers of purest white.
After the lesson, which was sung antiphonally by
the choir, Rev. Dr. VINTON read the service, which
was followed by CUTLER'S service in G minor. The
scene was an impressive ine. The full attendance
of the clergy, the choristers in their robes of white,
the silent coffin upon the tressels, the presence of a
brilliant staff of officers, the bereaved mourners, and
the vast sympathizing audience, formed a picture of
dramatic intensity not often seen.
IN THE CHURCHYARD,
the DEPEYSTER'S family vault was opened, and drawn
up on one side were Companies B and F of the Seven-
ty-first Regiment, under charge of Capt. UNDERHILL,
detailed as the firing party. At the close of the
solemn services in the church the coffin, accompa-
nied by the pall-bearers and preceded by the clergy-
men and the choir, was taken to the vault. Here too a
scene pregnant with beauty and sadness was dis-
played. From a score of flagstaffs drooped at
half-mast the national colors, in the street stood
the escorting regiments, on the sidewalks thronged
the multitude, all eyes intent upon the official
group at the grave, and the narrow box in which lay
the mortal part of young WINTHROP.After the ser-
vice appropriate to the occasion had been read by
Rev. Dr. Vinton, with responses by the choir, the
coffin was lowered, and the order given to the troops
to load at will. Three volleys were fired in honor of
the dead, and to a quickstep his old companions
marched away into the street again crowded with
bustling men and noisy carts.
It will be interesting to our readers to know that
GEN. FREDERICK WINTHROP
was a native of this city, born in 1839, and
entered the ranks of the famous Seventy-first in April
1861. His conduct on the field at the battle of Bull Run
was conspicuous for coolness and gallantry, and
insured him a Captaincy in the Twelfth Regiment
Regular Infantry. He at once proceeded to raise
his company and organize the same at Fort Hamil-
ton, New-York Harbor, and with the first battalion
of his regiment, joined the Army of the Potomac on
the 11th of April, 1862. From that time until the day
of his death, he was on duty with that army, parti-
cipating in all its famous battles.
Conspicuous in every action for his intelligence,
cool courage and determination, he won for himself
not only the love and respect of his comrades, but
the commendation and esteem of his Commanders.
He rose steadily from one position to another, until
he reached the grade of Brevet-Brigadier-General,
which rank he held at the time he so nobly sacrificed
his life on the field of battle to save a friend.
From private in the ranks to General commanding
a brigade, hisrecord has been stainless. Participa-
ting in all the principal battles fought in the East,
his conduct in each was worthy of the man who in
the heat of battle could die as he did in an act of
quiet heroism and noble self sacrifice. He was a
splendid soldier, skillful, gallant, cool a,d accom-
plished.
But those who knew him simply as a soldier were
ignorant of the things that most endeared him to a
multitude of friends. How many who served with
him in the army of the Potomac or who met him in
his few brief intervals of recreation will mournfully
remember his kind gentle manner, his generous love
of pleasure, his frankhearted bearing and gentle
courtesy in act and word, long after the victory with
which his name is connected shall have become a
tradition in the land.
Maintained by
Sue Greenhagen.
E-mail:
greenhsh@morrisville.edu