The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1865-07-07
The Grand Celebration
The Glorious Fourth on Mann's Hill
5000 People in Council!
A Procession Of Carriages Mile and half
in Length
SldierS, Citizens and Ladies endorse the
Old Fashioned Fourth O. July!
The Political Meeting In Dehbaugh's
woods, Cast in the Shade!
me Bedford Split Clique Terribly Rebuked !

vas ushered in, by the firing of canron, fling
ne of bells aud the shouts and cheers of the
jubilant people Early in the morning the del
| egations from the country began pouring into
! the town, preparatory to the grand march to
/ tie place of rendezvous, on Mann'S fIih Cam
h.rl,nd Waller, the home and nursery Of patrl-
ots sent large and well arranged delegation
q Clais and Union poured in their faithful
ig.feas, whilst glorious old Napier, Juniata and
Harrison, cane laundering in with q crowd
that struck terror into the hearts of tho Bed
ford "Splitters" Colerain, Snake Spring and
the Providences also came in with strong
| delegation, and even the distant Woodberries,
| Southampton, Monroe, Broadtop, Liberty and
Londonderry were represented. The process
| sion of carriages alone was a mile and half
in length, and many carriages drove to the
grounds before and after the procession. There
was continuous stream of people going afoot,
from town to Mann's Hill, for an hour and a
half These It was found impossible to ar
range in the procession, as the delay in getting
to the grounds would have been TOO great.
The best judges estimated the crowd at Mann's
Hill, at 5000 people, and some placed it rs
high as G,000. Hon JAMES Burns WAS Chief
Marshal Of the day. Lieut.. w. Hafer, Capt.
! p. G. Moraart. John W. Beeier, A. e. Schell
G. w. Gump Esq, David Barclay, Simon
Gump, and others whose names were not re-
ported to US, acted as Assistant Marshas. The
procession was headed by the Berlin Brass
Band. Next came wagon beautifully wreath
ed, drawn by eight horses, with bells, and dec
GRATED with tiny flags, and red, white and blue
streamerS In the wagon were seated thirty
SIX little girls, dressed IN white, with coronals
of flowers upon their heads, and red and blue
sashes thrown across from one side of the waist
over the shoulder, each bearing in her hand a
little flag, emblematic of the Union and the sew
! eral States. A prettier sight cannot be imag-
ined The Union wagon was driven by Mr.,
Jonathan Bowser, of Colerain tp., who deserves
great credit for the manner in which be dis
charged his part Of the performance. In sup
( port of the Union and the States, came large
| procession of returned soldiers. In this pro-
cesson was pretty silk banner, beautifully
wreathed with evergreen, bearing on one side
the inscription, "Our Whole Country" on the
other, eft Wagner" ''Gettysburg," "Monoc-
acy," "Cold Harbor," petersburg" This
banner was carried by Mr.. James Gibson, one
! Of the brave boys lately returned from the ar
my. Another banner in this procession, was
a large Sixth Corps Badge, encircled by pret-
| ty wreath, carried by George r. Imler, another
returned veteran. This part of the procession
was under charge Of Sergeant Alex. Boor, who
! suffered long Imprisonment in the South, and
! Sergeant Daniel Beard one of the veterans of
! the 138th p. V. This was most interesting
and gratifying episode iR the history of the pro-
ceedlngs, serving TO show the intelligence and
! fidelity to principle, of the returned soldiers.
After the soldiers came large troop of horse
| men and ladies on horseback, and then the va
rious delegations from the country, with flags
| and banners conspicuous among the latter, be-
| ING the beautiful one carried by our patriotic
/
blage had gathered upon the Hill, the little
| girls representing the Union and the States,
were placed upon the stand, which was most
tasteful structure hung with wreaths and fcs-
toons of evergreens mixed with flowers, having
suspended in the centre front large picture Of
| Washington The Band and the Gee Club
were also disposed upon the stand. The meeting
was then called to order by the appointment Of
the CHEZ Marshal of the day, as President who
acknowledged the compliment in neat little
speech. Rev. S. Kepler then addressed the
Throne of Grace in a most feryent and touch
| ing prayer. The Glee Club sang the patriotic
| song, F'Red, White and Blue The Declara-
| ton of Independence was read by Mr.. W
Hartley. The Glee Club sang and the Band
the Grafton by G.. II. Spang, Esq. an address
couched in most beautiful and eloquent Ian
guage, entirely free from all partizan illusions,
and purely of patriotic character. ''The
Prisoners Hope was sung by the Glee Club
and after some excellent music by the Band,
tie meeting adjourned for dinner. The tables
were 800 feet in length yet it was almost i'm
possible to feed all the people present. though
food had been prepared in abundance After
dinner the toasts given below were read by O.
f. Shannon, Esq. The afternoon was then
spent in pleasant recreation, but many persons
having come from great distance, started
home at an early hour. At night there was
singing and dancing and music by the Band un-
til late hour. On the whole this celebration
was the grandest success ever known in Bed
ford. 1t was an awful rebuke to the "Fourth-
of-July- Splitters'' in this place, casting their