Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1824-10-14

Oh -CUe brll guar VI WuiCH NOIS lbO "A
cures 1875. and on The right, 1924. The
| flag of the United States, in all the CO.
| lors of blue and white, red and white,
&c, and in all their different forms
| from the Ensign to the Jack, were,
handsomely and tastefully disposed in
| folds, relieved with wreaths OF laurel
| and festoons attached to the ander side
! Of the arch. while to the upper edge
| was continued wreath of laurel from
pillar to pillar. 0a the top the thIr-
teen Stars in circle round large star,
were handsomely painted over these
the letter Ct, in laurel wreath, anG on
the face of the arch the motto ''WEL.
COME OUR FRIEND" Two side
arches were attached to. the main one.
and decorated similarly to the first, the
one on the right bearing the name OF
LA FAYEFTE, the left that OF
WASHINGTON.
The citizens of the wards adjacent,
erected most splendid Civic Arch at
the Bridge, the pillar on the right OF
which bore the names of the states at
| the close Of the revolution, the lett the
| ma mes of the present states In the union,
| and the other side of each bore the
names of several Of the worthless Of The
revolution. On the right of the arch
likeness of La Fayette, and on the
| left likeness o 'sWash,neton was paint.
ed. The whole was hung with white,
blue. and crimson drspery. disposed in
| ia steful folds, and entwired with ever.
greens and laurels, and surrounded
with the Star Spangled Banner. The
| middle cf the arch bore the motto,
.Welcome La Fayette to oar hearts
and oar homes"
At the junction Of Forest aud Mont
gomery streets, q most beautiful Civic
Arch was also erected. 1t bore on ore
side the motto, WINE, and
Cd the other YORKTOWN. 1t was
decorated with flags. and crimson dra.
perry tasefully folded, and entwined with
laurel. and the top wassurmounted by
an Eagle, 10 canopy of evergreens.
holding wreath of laurel in it's beak.
Besides the Arches, a Canopy was
erected at the head Of Light street,
where the general received the march
ing salute of the troops.
Bot we need not attempt descrip
ton Of all that was done. The city ex
! hibited itself in its best dress--iD its
most gay attire. To describe it in it's
real character is beyond the power of
common pen. To paint its different
features separately. too great task for
the minor pencil. 1t may be brought
within the powers of the imagination
by comparing the city to family pre-
pared for the wedding of favorite
daughter. Early in the morning eve.
ry thing was prepared-evergreens,
laures and flowers decked each window
and every piece of furuiture bore some
mark of the approaching joyful coca.
sion. Each member of the family, from
the grey.headed father-whose very
wrinkles seemed effaced by the smooth
ing hand of hsppiness-aRd the aged
mstroD-who seemed TO have had forty
gears stricken from the record OF her
sge-to the youngest, and, at other
times, lowest Of the family circle, wore
the countenance Of JOY glowing with
the flush paieted By warm heart,
each in its best and most tasteful array
At about ten o'clock. preparation ceas-
ed, and every one was on uP.toe wait.
ing the arrival of the GROOM.
The military exceeded any thing we
have ever seen, and had Wetlimgton
have seen them, he would have said,
"mine are veterans, but these are in
viucibles." They looked not like sol
diers prepared to meet an enemy, but
like an army that loved peace but did
not fear war-,hey seemed to prefer
the olive, but the greenest laurel would
be acceptable. There were too many
for US to particularize, even by regi.
ments or companies, and we shall not
make the attempt.
Among the various companies from
abroad we observed two very hand.
some companies from Y ork, Pennsy|va.
MIA, commanded by captains Mace and
Small-in these companies were mum.
Der of the volunteers who marched to
I the defence of Baltimore in 1914, and
were in the battle of North Point.
At about six the people began to stir
in the streets, pretty generally, and we
could discern vast numbers of strangers
Indeed it seemed as if every carriage
within an hundred miles, and every
vessel from every stream that empties
itself into ,he Chesapeake, had arrived
l. l. ~ L. IL