AMERICA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume II, Issue 534, 29 July 1865, Page 5

AMERICA.

Ws take "from the Xcw York Timos the following portion of the description of the funeral ceremony ot the late President Lincoln: — "At about 11 o'clock the various distinguished bodies and committees began to arrive, and to be ushere-i into their appropriate positions in the ea room. On the west side of the room, against the door leading to the main corridor, were placed fifteen chairs, all draped, which were especially reserved by Secretary Harrington, of the Arrangement Committee, 'for the use of the press. Thi3 grand cast room presented a solemn appearance. It was hung with black everywhere. All glitter and gay colour, save in the carpet beneath our feet, had been covered witli the emblem of grief. The only relief from the mournful shade which met the eye everywhere were the white silk sashes of the marshals and committees, the rich silver ornamentation of the coffin, and the beautiful white piponicas, roses, and green leaves which shed their peifume and incense over the dead.

" The first to enter were the officiating clergymen, Rev. l)r. Hall, Eector of the Epiphany, Bishop Simpson, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Rev. P. 1). Gurlsy, of the New York-avenue Presbyterian ' Church, the President's pastor, and Rev. E. H. Gray, Chaplain of the Senate and Pastor of tho E-street Baptist Church. Soon after came the Merchants' Committee of New York, followed by the Committee of the Union League. "At 11.25 tho Mayor of Washington and the Common Council entered, escorting the Committee of the New York Common Council. Then came tho officers of the Senate and House of RepresentatiTJS, followed by delegations from Kentucky and Illinois, the States of tho President's birth and residence ; the diplomatic corps in full court dress, the pallbearers, 22 in number, then tirant and Farragut, arm in arm Burnsido and llnnter, General Dyer, of the Ordnance Department, t-ix lady mourners, tho only ladies present, save one or two of the nurses of the hou-ehoid, Mrs. Sprague, Mtss Nettie Chase, Mrs. Stanton, Mrs. Usher, Mrs. Welles, and Mrs. I'ennison.

" At just twelve o'clock President Johnson, escorted bv the venerable Preston King and the members of the Cabinet entered and took their places on the right of the coffin. Private Secretaries Nicolay and Ila.y and Captain Tiobert Lincoln, tho resident's eldest son, and only member of tho family present, then General Todd,"of Dakotah, and relative of tho family, who were seated near tho foot of tho catafalque. " The room was now fud, but no crowding, no disorder of any kind. The representative men from eveiy part of tho country impressed the beholder with tha vastness of tho power and influence of the form that lay cold in death, and the services which followed, tho "earnest prayer and eloquent sermon impressed upon all minds the viitues and great national services of Abraham Lincoln. " At ten minutes past twelve, tho Kev. Hr. Hall opened the service by reading the Episcopal burial service for the dead." Then was read the les3on from the 15th chapter of St. Paul to the Corinthians, beginning with the 20th verse. The Bight Rev Bishop Simpson then delivered a most eloquent and all'ect;ng prayer, after which tho J3-v. Dr. Gurley, of tho Is'ew York-avenue Presbyterhn Church, in which the deceased President had worshipped, delivered the funeral sermon. Tho corpse was then removed to the hear.-.e which was in front of the door of the execu-tivc"man-:ion, and at two o'clock the procession was formed. It took the line of tho Pennsylvania-avenue. The streets were kept clear of all incumbrances, but the sidewalks were dousely lined with people from the Y> kite House to the Capitol, a distance of a m le and a-balf. The roofs, porticos, windows, and all [elevated points were occupied by interested spectators. As the procession started minute guns were fired near John's Church, the City JUall, and the Capitol. The bells of the churches in the city and of the various eLp'ino-houses were tolled. f < First in tho order of procassion was a detachment ! of coloured tivoos, then followed white of in f antrv av.d bodies of artillery and eavuu-y, navy, marine? and army oliie.rs on foot i the pall-bearers in eaniagis next; tho hearse drawn by six white horses —the coiiiii prominent to every beholder. 1 hj floor oil which it rested was .strewn with evergreens, mid the collin covered with whito flower,-'. llieu followed

physicians of the lato President, then ths grand jieorso and the guard of honour and the pall-bearers. Captain Robert Lincoln and Little Tad, the President's favourite son, in a carriage, and Tommy behind. Sirs. Linous \vu* not present at either the ceremony or in !.iif |>roi'essi"ii, she not having left her bed since Saturday. The mourners, the delegations from IllitiM, and Kentucky, came next in order, and then President Johnson in a carriage, with Honourable Pr.-ston Kinir and the Cabinet Ministers.. # ,»##■* Then came on. l of the taddest scenes in the entire I column, a battsdion of scarred and maimed veteranß, with bandaged limbs and heads, with an arm or a leg i gone, but hoV.lili;ij along on crutches, determined j that their liomr ce to their great chief should be as sincere as that '1 their companions. | "On the arrival :it tlie eastern gate of the Capitol the remains wer- ronv.-yed into the rotunda, where a catafalque, like that in the executive mansion, had been erected to revive tlieni. Hero the attendants assembled, and, amid profound silonce, tho Rev. Dr G-urle? read the burial service. The vast assemblage 1 then began to dispose, and tho obsequies of the lamented dead \v:e over." In New York the funeral day was strictly observed. The body of the president left Washington on tho 21 st, and arrived in Halti'nore at 10 o'clock. From the railway station in tho latter city an immense civio and military proccssi. in attended its conveyance to the Exchange, where it remained until two o'clock in tho afternoon. Tli' neo it was conveyed to Harrisburg, reaching l'n'-o in tho evening. Next day til? body would anivo at Philadelphia, and remain there till the 21tli, whence it would be brought on to New York. The remain* would lie in state until tho hour for tho grand procession to move on the following day.