Honouring a Great Nenagh Man

IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY AT

WASHINGTON

The funeral of the distinguished Irish-American leader, General Emmet Urell, who established his fame during the American Civil War, has taken place in Washington under circumstances of a thoroughly impressive character. It was a public funeral, in which men of the highest walks of life in the United States participated. This was but fitting, for the hero thus honoured played a big part in establishing the American Union, and displayed bravery in the field of battle that should make Irishmen and Americans treasure his memory with enduring affection. In that sanguinary struggle from which the country of his adoption emerged free and united, there was none braver than he, and there was none even among those representatives of the gallant race who had "blossoms of blood on their sprigs of green," who held a kindlier thought for the land of his fathers than Michael Emmet Urell. It is pathetic to recall that the brave General passed away during the course of a visit to Ireland. Hi died at the house of a relative in Cork City while on his way to Nenagh, whither his body was removed, and interred in Kilkeary cemetery. The American Government felt however, that it would be poor and inadequate recognition of Urell's bravery and of his services to the United States, to allow his remains to be committed to earth without a great public ceremony, which would testify to America's appreciation for all he had done for her. Accordingly, Messrs Desmond and Sons, Pembroke Street, Cork, were commissioned to undertake the arrangements for the transfer of the body from Kilkeary graveyard. Messrs Desmond carried out their commission promptly  and well. They sent a special staff to Nenagh where the remains were disinterred under tha supervision of Mr. Chamberlain, the American Consul at Queenstown. The body having been hermetically sealed, was enclosed in a couple of coffins, sent by boat to Liverpool, whence they were carried to New York by the SS Baltic. The committee who undertook to have the Irish American warrior's remains transferred to the soil of the United States sent

AN AMERICAN FLAG TO BE PLACED OVER HIS BIER,

and under the folds of the star spangled banner the casket was taken across the ocean. Urell's funeral was certainly an inspiring demonstration of sorrow. Grey-haired veterans with whom he fought side by side in the civil war, members of the Spanish War Veterans, of whom he was formerly national commander, men hig in public and official life, and large delegations from every patriotic organisation in the District of Columbia gathered at St Patrick's Church to pay a last tribute to the memory of Brigadier General Michael Emmet Urell. Following the celebration of Solemn Requiem High Mass, the procession, several blocks in length, formed in front of the church, and at two o'clock in the afternoon accompanied the flower-laden caisson to Arlington National Cemetery. The body was taken from Gawler's undertaking establishment at 11.30 o'clock, where mass was celebrated by Rev. T. Russell, the services lasting more than an hour. Hundreds of men and women who had known General Urell congregated in front of the church, and stood with bowed heads as the casket was being carried in. Led by the grand marshal, Major F.S. Hodson, and Lieutenant-Colonel Anton B. Stephen, district commander of the Spanish War Veterans, between 2,000 and 3,000 persons on foot and in carriages, were in the line that marched the caisson to the cemetery. AT Fort Myer the procession was joined by a troop of United States Cavalry. Five hundred members of the Spanish War Veterans and the Second Regiment of the District National Guard, the regiment that General Urell Commanded, led the procession on foot. After them came the Grand Army veterans and the representatives of the different patriotic organisations which rode along in carriages. At the grave Simon Wolf, a lifelong friend of General Urell, paid a beautiful tribute to his memory in a short address of eulogy. The formation of the procession was as follows:- Second Regiment of the District National Guard, Spanish War Veterans, Grand Army, Union Veteran Legion, Loyal Legion, Patriot Sons of America, and the Elks. Delegations from the ladies' auxiliaries of the different organisations also rode in the procession. Notable among the many floral tributes were those from the G.A.R. and the Spanish War Veterans, and a large piece made from American Beauties sent by Mrs. Gurdon H. Wallace, of Brooklyn. The honorary pallbearers were - General Nelson A. Miles, General S. Burdette, General Whittaker, Colonel R. A. O'Brien, Colonel R. D. Sims, Colonel Henry May, Captain E. V. Schafer, Senator Miles Poindexter, E.C. Dyer, Dr. H. Johnson, Dr H. Clifford Cox, Patrick F. Moran, William E. Downey, and John L. Smith. The acting pallbearers  were members of General Urell's battallion which served during the war with Spain General Urell was one of the

BEST KNOWN FIGURES IN WASHINGTON.

Despite the fact that he was 66 years of age and had spent the greater part of his life in the army, in the roughest kind of service, he was a man of unusual physique. His personality was remarkable. Dr. William Tindall, one of his closest friends, related an incident of the civil war, when General Urell was a non-commissioned officer, but as such was an intimate acquaintance and companion of General Hancock, at the time the two armies were located at Lexington. General Hancock disregarded all military customs and had as his guest after each day's fighting the young sergeant whose personality had made such an impression on him. General Urell was retired from the District National Guard in 1909, after serving a great number of years in that brigadiers post(?).  He was commanding officer of the Second Infantry and was retired with the rank of brigadier-general. General Michael Urell was born in Nenagh on 5th November 1844, and went to the United States when a child. He attended public schools in New York. At the outbreak of the civil war he enlisted with the Eighty-second New York Volunteers, and served with distinction in the battles of Bull Run, Ball's Bluff, Fair Oaks and the seven days' peninsula campaign. At the battle of Bristow station he was severely wounded and left on the field as dead. He later received a Congressional medal of honour for conspicuous bravery, and was breveted major for gallant and meritorious service. He was discharged from the army just before the close of the war on account of wounds received earlier in the campaign. In 1864 he entered the Government service, where he remained until his death. He enlisted with the District National Guard at the outbreak of the Spanish-American war and commissioned major of the First battalion, and was at the battle of Santiago. At the close of the war he was made colonel of the Second Infantry, D.C.N.C.  General Urell of the National Army and Navy Spanish War Veterans, past department commander of the Grand Army of the Republic and past exalted xx (?) B.P.O. Elks.