Born on November 5, 1865 at Boston, Massachusetts, he was a long-standing Member of Congress from Massachusetts. He resigned his office at the outbreak of World War I and at the time was the second ranking Republican on the Ways and Means Commitee and there were only thirty-four Members of Congress who had more service than he. He died on January 15, 1918 at Camp Wheeler, Georgia, while on active duty with the Army. He was returned to Washington and buried in Section 3 of Arlington National Cemetery.
His wife, Constance Gardner (the daughter of Henry Cabot Lodge) is buried with him.
Courtesy of the U.S. House of Representatives
GARDNER, Augustus Peabody, (uncle of Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr.), a Representative from Massachusetts; born in Boston, Mass., November 5, 1865; attended St. Paul’s School, Concord, N.H., and was graduated from Harvard University in 1886; studied law in Harvard Law School, but never practiced, devoting himself to the management of his estate; captain and assistant adjutant general on the staff of Gen. James H. Wilson during the Spanish-American War; member of the State senate 1900 and 1901; elected as a Republican to the Fifty-seventh Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of William H. Moody; reelected to the Fifty-eighth and to the seven succeeding Congresses and served from November 3, 1902, until May 15, 1917, when he resigned to enter the Army; chairman, Committee on Industrial Arts and Expositions (Fifty-ninth and Sixtieth Congresses); during the First World War served at Governors Island and in Macon, Ga., as colonel in the Adjutant General’s Department, and later was transferred at his own request to the One Hundred and Thirty-first Regiment, United States Infantry, with the rank of major; died at Camp Wheeler, Macon, Ga., January 14, 1918; interment in Arlington National Cemetery.
MAJOR GARDNER’S LAST RITES IN ST. JOHN’S
Military Funeral Today in Washington Church
Body Reaches Capital – Burial Will Be In Arlington Cemetery
WASHINGTON, January 16, 1918 – At the request of Mrs. Gardner, the plan of Congress for a public funeral for Major Augustus P. Gardner was abandoned today, and announcement was made that the service would take place at St. John’s Protestant Episcopal Church, “The Church of the Presidents,” tomorrow afternoon at 2 o’clock. Rev. Dr. Roland Cotton Smith, Rector of the church will officiate.
As it will be a military funeral, no pallbearers have been named, but the ushers will be Brigadier General Charles R. McCauley, Senator Brandegee, Representative Nicholas Longworth, son-in-law of Colonel Roosevelt; Clarence R. Wilson, Representative W. W. Lufkin, formerly Major Gardner’s secretary and his successor in Congress; Thomas Spring Rice, brother of the British Ambassador, and Elliott Wadsworth.
Under military escort, the body will be taken across the Potomac to Virginia for burial in Arlington National Cemetery.
Accompanied by Mrs. Gardner and Major General F. Kernan, Major Gardner’s body reached Washington today and was taken to his late home at 1817 H Street, Northwest. Many persons of distinction left cards at the house.
At a meeting of the Massachusetts members of the House of Representatives, John Jacob Rogers and M. F. Phelan were named as a committee to frame resolutions on Major Gardner’s death, to arrange for floral tributes and for attending the funeral in a body. The resolutions will be presented to Major Gardner’s family.
As St. John’s Church is small, not a fraction of the persons anxious to attend Major Gardner’s funeral will be able to find places. A large cortege of civilians is expected to follow the body to the grave.
SAYS MAJOR GARDNER GAVE LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY
MACON, Georgia, January 16, 1918 – Tributes to Major A. P. Gardner, ex-Congressman from Massachusetts, who died of pneumonia Monday at Camp Wheeler, is contained in an order issued by Brigadier General John L. Hayden, acting commander of the Dixie Division. The order follows:
“It is with genuine sorrow that the Commanding General announced the death of Major Augustus P. Gardner, 121st Infantry, which occurred at Camp Wheeler today.
“The whole country knew him as the leading exponent in Congress of the cause of preparedness.
“The Dixie Division, which he named, knew him as a faithful and sympathetic friend and as a deeply patriotic, unselfish, duty-loving and hard-working officer.
“He gave his life for his country just as truly as though he had been killed going over the top over there.
“To the members of his family is extended the heartfelt sympathy of each and every member of the Dixie Division.”
GARDNER, AUGUSTUS P
- MAJ 121ST INF USNG 31ST DIV
- VETERAN SERVICE DATES: Unknown
- DATE OF DEATH: 01/14/1918
- DATE OF INTERMENT: Unknown
- BURIED AT: SECTION S DIV SITE LOT 3891
- ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.
Reviewed by: Michael Howard