2
THE GREEN BAG
Chief Justice and Lieutenant-Governor, the president of the state Historical Society and delegations from the societies of the Cin cinnati and Sons of the Revolution. At Norfolk, the remains, in a severely plain but massive cedar coffin of colonial design, provided by the Saint Andrews Society of Philadelphia, were received by Captain Fechteler, U. S. N., commanding the United States man-of-war, Dubuque, under orders from the Navy Department to convey the body of General Wilson to Philadelphia, according it all the honors of his rank. As blue jackets of the United States Navy carried the coffin on board the U. S. S. Dubuque, the flag was half-masted, the bugle call sounded, and a major-general's salute of thirteen guns fired, the United States marines attached to the man-of-war being drawn up in line and presenting arms. The remains lay in state on the main deck covered by a Union Jack, under guard by marines until their arrival at Philadelphia. As the Dubuque sailed from Norfolk, every man-of-war in the harbor half-masted its flag, and the forts fired a major-general's salute. The saluting was repeated as the Dubuque passed the fortifi cations on the Delaware, and as the body was brought ashore at Philadelphia, the Dubuque again fired thirteen minute guns, and an Italian battleship lying in the har bor, as a mark of respect to James Wilson and the nation which was honoring his memory, half-masted its flag. The bell at Independence Hall at once began to toll, and so continued until the burial. On landing, the remains were met by the Governor of Pennsylvania, Admiral Craig of the United States Navy, Colonel Dickinson, commander of the marines at League Island Navy Yard, representatives of the municipal government, as well as by thousands of citizens. A battalion of United States marines served as a guard of honor to Independence Hall to which place the coffin was carried by blue jackets of the navy; and there the remains lay in
state at the sacred spot where Wilson, liv ing, had achieved his greatest triumphs. A wreath from the President of the United States was placed upon the coffin and this with a thirteen stars flag from the Pennsyl vania Society of the Sons of the Revolution was buried with the body. On November 22, at 1.30 p.m., the body, guarded by the City Troop, was escorted from Independence Hall to Christ Church by an imposing procession. The coffin, which was carried according to an old time custom, was followed on foot by the venerable Chief Justice of the United States, Hon. Melville W. Fuller and Associate Justices White, Holmes and Day, by the then Attorney -General of the United States, now Mr. Justice Moody, and other high federal and state officials, including representatives of the Congress, also by a delegation from the American Bar Association, headed by its president, Hon. Alton B. Parker, the last nominee of the Democratic party for the presidency, and by Hon. Joseph H. Choate, the last American Ambassador to Great Britain, by Dr. S. Weir Mitchell, who was the author of the movement to bring Wilson's body home to Pennsylvania, and who had himself some years before gone to North Carolina and located the grave, also by delegations from the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Bar Association of the city of New York, the Law Association of Philadelphia, the Wilson Law Club of the University of Pennsylvania, etc., by the color guard of the Sons of the Revolution with their flags and banners, and represen tatives of virtually all patriotic societies in Pennsylvania. At the tomb of Benjamin Franklin, Wilson's friend and collaborator, the cortege halted in silence for an instant. At Christ Church the procession entered through the tower room, and with stately tread moved up the aisle as "My Country 'tis of Thee" was sung as a processional. The Chief Justice and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States sat in the pew occupied by Washington in
