2 February 1906 Obituary of Col. John B. Richardson
(Daily-Picayune, New Orleans)
COLONEL RICHARDSON BORNE TO HIS REST,
And Despite Family's Attempts to Observe His Wish To Simplify the Ceremony,
Much Honor is Paid, Active Military Commands,
Including His Beloved Washington Artillery
And the Various Confederate and Ladies' Organizations
Uniting to Honor Gallant Leader Gone.
With honor befitting his reputation as a gallant soldier and leading citizen, the remains of Colonel John B. Richardson, Commander of the Washington Artillery, were yesterday laid to rest in the tomb of the Army of Northern Virginia in Metairie Cemetery. There were present at the funeral the Governor of the State, a number of the members of his staff, representatives from all the military organizations of the city and also of all the Confederate associations. The funeral services were marked with all the simplicity which was so much liked by Colonel Richardson during his life, with the exception of the military display, which was the old soldier's due.
All day the body lay in state in Washington Artillery Hall, surrounded by a guard of honor, and here the men who had fought with him through the five years of the war went to take their last look on their leader and friend. By the expressed wish of the family, there was no address at either the Armory or the grave. The only formal exercise was the reading of the short burial service of the Presbyterian Church by the Rev. Dr. Wallace Palmer, and the reading of the beautiful ritualistic service of the Episcopal Church by the Rev. A. Gordon Bakewell, the aged Chaplain of the Louisiana Confederates. Then, after a short prayer, the casket was placed on one of the draped caissons of the Washington Artillery and borne to the grave. A notable feature of the military display was the presence of almost seventy-five members of the Washington Artillery who fought with Colonel Richardson through the war. This was more than has been present at one time at any gathering of veterans in recent years.
The body of Colonel Richardson lay at his home on Prytania Street on Thursday night. The casket was watched by a guard of honor from the artillery veterans, composed of Charles Smith, Sumpter Turner, Frank Lobrano and Charles A. Harris. At 7 o'clock yesterday morning this guard was augmented by the addition of John W. Watson, George Walker, P.B. Lynch and L.C. Fallon, and by a guard of the active members of the battalion.
The casket was carried out of the house and placed on one of the caissons of the battalion, which had been draped with black. On this it was carried to the Armory, where it lay in state until the funeral in the afternoon. The casket was placed on a stand on the St. Charles Street side, and was draped by the silk flag of the artillery, which they carried with them through the war, and which was used at the burial of President Jefferson Davis. About the casket were placed the many floral offerings which had been sent in such profusion by the friends of Colonel Richardson, despite the family's request to omit. The Committee of Veterans, headed by Mr. Sumpter Turner, remained as a guard of honor, and sentries paced back and forth beside the casket throughout the day. During the morning hundreds who had known and loved Colonel Richardson called at the Armory.
The funeral service was held promptly at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Long before that time the great armory was filled with the friends and with the veterans and members of the various military organizations who were to participate in the sad ceremony. The members of the family were seated at the head of the casket and behind them all the veteran members of the Washington Artillery, including those from the Soldiers' Home. Just back of them was placed the life-size painting, in his Confederate uniform, which was next week to have been presented to him by the members of the battalion. Colonel Richardson was buried in the plain blue uniform of a Colonel in the National Guard and with his badge as a member of the artillery. On one side of the casket the members of the Ladies' Confederate Memorial Association were seated, and on the other side were the members of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. At the foot were the veterans from the various local camps, Governor Blanchard and several members of his staff, together with Mr. Thornwell Fay, Traffic Manager H.A. Jones, Mr. Charles S. Fay and other officials of the Southern Pacific who had come here to attend the funeral.
The service was opened with prayer by Dr. Bakewell, after which he read the full Episcopal burial service. At the close he spoke for a moment of the brilliant record of Colonel Richardson as a soldier, and in the most feeling manner of the rapidity with which the veterans of the battalion were passing away. Dr. Wallace Palmer then read the burial service of the Presbyterian Church and spoke briefly of the satisfaction which all the friends of Colonel Richardson should feel in the noble example as a soldier and Christian gentleman which he had left to them. The service closed with a prayer, after which the military organizations formed in line on Girod Street and the casket was borne to the waiting caisson by six of the active members of the battalion. The veteran members acted as a guard as the casket was carried from the Armory.
There was no music at the service or in the funeral procession, as the family had asked that this feature of the military funeral be omitted. The funeral procession was formed under the direction of Captain J. W. Bostick, commanding the Naval Brigade, and the following order was observed: The Naval brigade, the Louisiana Field Artillery, Second Battalion, First Cavalry Troop, the Blanchard Rifles, the Jefferson Guards and the Stafford Light Artillery. The veterans from the Army of Northern Virginia, the Army of Tennessee, the Cavalry Corps, the Washington Artillery Camp, followed by the active battalion, Washington Artillery, came next, after which was the caisson hearse, draped with the Confederate flag. A number of drummers furnished the only music.
At Basin and Canal Streets a train of special street cars were in waiting, and took all the unmounted troops to the cemetery.
The ceremony at the tomb was simple, but impressive. The casket was taken from the caisson and carried to the entrance of the tomb, and Dr. Bakewell pronounced the closing words of the burial service. The casket was then carried into the tomb, followed by the members of the family and others. As the casket was placed in its final resting place the Second Battery, Washington Artillery, commanded by Captain T. McC. Hyman, fired the final salute of eleven guns. Then the drummers sounded taps, and the ceremony was over. A number of the veterans who were present were profoundly impressed by the solemnity of the ceremony, and the tears trickled down their cheeks as their leader was laid away.
The floral offerings were so numerous that all of them could not be taken into the tomb, and a great arch was made with them above the doorway. The offering of the Washington Artillery, the badge of the Association, done in immortellos and roses, occupied the center. Another offering which was sent by the Southern Pacific was the blue ensign of the Morgan Line in violets.
Among the others who sent offerings were the Carnival organisations of which Colonel Richardson was a member, the Associations of the Army of Northern Virginia and Tennessee, Mrs. Sumpter Turner, Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Cantson, Miss Sophie B. Wright, Miss Jennie Gordon, Mrs. J.M. Sherrouse, the Daughters of the Confederacy, the Junior Memorial Association, Mrs. Frank Lebrano, Mrs. H. Dudley Coleman, Mr. and Mrs. Julius Kruttschnitt, Mr. and Mrs. W.J. Behan, Mr. Jacob Rosenberg, Mr. and Mrs. D.D. Colcock, Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Whitney, Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Degrange, Charles S. Knight, Mr. and Mrs. S.S. Grosjean, Mr. and Mrs. Charles S. Fay, Mr. and Mrs. T.A. Edwards, Mr. and Mrs. W.P. Randolph, Mr. and Mrs. C.P. Ellis, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Hero, Mr. and Mrs. W.O. Hart, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Batturs and Camp Beauregard, Sons of Veterans.
The body of Colonel Richardson will remain in the tomb of the Army of Northern Virginia until the Washington Artillery secures a tomb of its own, when it will be moved. Colonel Richardson was one of the leading spirits in the movement to secure this tomb, and since his death it is probable that it will be secured at once.
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