The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-06-07 00:00:00

VISIT OF AMERICAN TROOPS TO
MONTREAL.

A despatch from Montreal in the New York Times, de-
scribing the reception of the 13th Bro,,klyn Regiment on
their arrival in Montreal on the 23rd of May, to take part in
the celebration of the Queen's Birthday, says :

Here (at St. Armand) began one of the warmest and
heartiest receptions that any body of troops over re-
ceived in a foreign country. Everywhere the Stars
and Stripes floated beside the English flags. People
turned out along the line by thousands, and the 13th
were welcomed as if they were natives just come in
from conquering an enemy. Montreal was first
reached at five o'clock, but the train ran on through
the suburbs and up to Lachine, where the regiment em-
barked on a small river steamer to "shoot the rapids."
The first person seen ab ,ard the steamer was Chaplain
Henry Ward Beecher, who was to have joined the
regiment at St. Albans. Mr. Beecher is too old a
traveller to be caught in a train with an 'excursion
party of 500 men, and he quietly came on the night
before, and was quartered in the Windsor Hotel
here before non to-day. He was in his full
uniform, with cocked hat and . epaulettes, and
had a front place on the upper deck of the
boat in shooting the rapids. The boat reached
Montreal at 6.30 p.m.,_ in front of the City Hall, or
Bonsecours Market. The plaza on the Water front of
this building was lined with Canadian troops, and the
places not set aside for the soldiery were occupied by
thousands of people, who cheered the Americans
heartily. Folly 10,000 spectators were gathered here.
The Canadian and American troops having been
drawn up in lines facing each other, the Canadian
bands played "Hail Columbia," and the Americans
cheered. Then the Americans played "God Save the
Queen," and the Canadians cheered. Several carriages
titled with ladies were on the grounds—the wives and
friends of the officers—and nearly all the ladies were
warmly cI,KI in furs. A beautiful silk flag, with the
Stars and Stripes on one side and the English colours
on the other, was pre3ented to the regiment by Mayor
Rivard in a brief address. The Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher then stepped for ward and return° the thanks
of the regiment in the following words
"We have not come here, Mr. Mayor, as an idle pleasure,
nor have we come in our own names. We represent our
fellow-citizens of Brooklyn, one of the (West and certainly
one of the largest cities in the United States; a city on
whose banner is written the motto that should be written on
the banner of every city in the world, the out Dutch motto,
'sight makes migat.' We come in that spirit, bearing to
you our good-will, and not only ours, but the good-will of
the great State of New York. We accept this gift as a token
of amity, sympat'iy, and friendship. As the Stars and
Strikes mingles its colours with those of our your banner, so
may the flags or Great Britain and America never be seen
bearing against each other in the field of conflict. Your flag
and ours express the literature of liberty and the religion
of humanity May these figs always go together and never
meet in opposition. We shall take this banner home and
place it in the moit conspicuous place in our armoury, and
when, in the future, some representative corps of Montreal
visits the city of Brooklyn they will see that that flag has
not been neglected or dit honoured."

After this ceremony the staff officers of the 13th,
including Chaplain Beecher, mounted their horses,
and the processi.n moved up to the Rink, in the rear
of the Windsor Hotel, abont a mile and a half. All
along the route, the streets were so crowded pith
people that the soldiers could hardly make their way
through. The appearance and performance of the
American regiment were in every way creditable, and
compare favourably with any of the Canadian troops
that have thus far shown themselves. At least 20,000
Canadians turned out to see them enter the city, and
cheered them all along the line. The rink is about
half the size of Gilmore's Gardens, and five hundred
little cot beds have been spread in it for the use of the
privates, the officers being quartered in the Windsor
Hotel. The whole pity is decorated with American
flags. Nearly every residence on the line of march
and every business house displayed the Stars and
Stripes. No description could adequately describe the
cordiality with which the American visitors are re.
c,eived. On the streets crowds cheer them till they
are hoarse, and everything indicates the kindliest feel-
ing towards the United States,