Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-09-25
For the Journal.
Plttsburg Soldiers and Sailors Con-
vcntiOn.
PIrrsnuRo. PA., Sod. 10. 1s72

storm lose all the elements OF grandeur anu
terror when pictured on canvass or described
by words. There are scenes and occasions
before which descriptive language stands ap-
palled, powerless to reproduce either in form
or color the appearance or event. OF such
as these are the scenes aud incidents of the
Grand Soldiers Convention that has just
closed its session in this city. Words and
figures become alike meaningless when they
attempt to convey an idea of the numbers Of
the people, or the appearance Of the city du-
ring the past two days. 1t is with many
misgivings therefore that | attempt to write
you about the grand and glorious occasion.
The telegraph aud Associated Press reports
have already furnished you with the details
of the organization and work of the conven-
ton | shall therefore couiue myself to an
attempt to give you some idea Of the magni-
tude Of the gathering, and the spirit that in.
spired the occasion The call for the conycn.
ton seems to have been acccpc ed by the SOL
diers and sailors everywhere, from Maine to
California, as a summons to arms and was
responded to in the spirit Of 1861. The sol.
diers everywhere seemed to understand that
the grand result which they had won by their
arms, must now be protected by their ballots.
None better than they know the necessity and
importance Of discipline and cooperation,
and hence by an intelligent and common i'm
pulse they rallied upon Pittsburg, where the
lines were to be reformed and the columns or
ganizcd for the campaign.
Every city and town in the country sent its
clubs or its delegates The city of Wash.
inglon sent two clubs en- maSse one, The
National Veteran Club composed Of sol.
diers from nearly every state and territory in
the Union, mustered $50 veterans, accompan.
led by the celebrated Marine Band went as
the personal escort Of Senator Wilson. The
other, The 10 West Club, composed large
ly Of Pennsylvanians, turned out $50 mem.
bers These clubs left Washington Sunday
evening on a special train. While waiting
at the Northern Central depot in Baltimore
the old rebel spirit Of 1861 manifested itself
by volley Of stones thrown into their rank,
from the darkness, by which one Of the com,
pany was seriously wounded. The timely
flight Of the cowardy miscreants making tho
attack, and the immediate departure Of tn,
train, prevented the indignant veterans from
shaking bands across the bloody chasm
/ with their Democratic assailants, in a manner
not contemplated by Horace Greeley.
Upon arrival at Pittsburg, on Monday
morning, we found the local organizations al
+ ready under arms to receive US and to cscor
the Clubs to their respective quarters Tn,
t city was already full of hustle and excite
, ment. An army Of mechanics were busy il
r erecting lofty arches over the street interscc
e tons, which were draped with bunting, hung
G with flowers and eyergreens, and covered with
D banners bearing notices Of cheer and wei
p come. All day long and all through tn,
d night of Monday, the work Of preparation
and decoration went on and at intervals o
f few minutes long trains came screaming il
f from every direction, bearing thousands o
visitors, who Immediately upon arrival formec
f with military alacrity and precision, anC
marched off with band and banner to thci
/ pre-engaged quarters
e Pittsburg seemed like the vortex Of an ia
D. mense whirlwind into which the population .
o the entire country was being drawn.
Tuesdays sun, as it pierced and seatterc,
S the black smoke-cloud that usually hang
over Pittsburg, looked upon a scene Of en-
chantment The magic arts Of the CENT, an,
e not the hands Of man, must have wrought tn
bewildering transformation. The dull an
> dirty streets had disappeared and bannere
z arbors canopied by rainbows had taken thei
d places The smoke.grimed walls, from tn
C city's center to its remotest suburb, blossoms
e with flags and flowers The windows wer
hung with Chinese lanterns, and every pro
= ecting point was draped with bunting. TIL
e streets were vistas Of prismatic euchantment
e Old city residents, used to decorative display
D stayed their steps at every corner, to gaz
c in astonished admiration. Immense masse
i filled the streets and all day Tuesday fro
S quently arriving trains added their thousand
c to the numbers The convention assemble
, at 10 O'Clock at the Grand Opera House
q which was Immediately filed, without seem
: ing to diminish the crowd in its immedat
vicinity by single man.
Wednesday had been devoted by the Pre-
gramme to grand daylight procession, an
mass convention. AT an early hour the street
were filled by the various local clubs an
- visiting delegations waiting for their tim
= and opportunity to file into their appointe
: place in the procession. All the bridges an
other avenues leading into the city wer
= crowded with incoming professions from tn
neighborug cities aud the surrounding coun
try. As soon as the heads of these rivers 0
humanity reached the already crowded city
they were compelled to halt and await tn
> slow formation aud movement Of the obstruct
ing thousands ahead. At nine O'Clock in tn
morning, in company with few other visitors
your correspondent started to inspect tn
Glass factories and Rolling mills at Birm
ingham on the opposite side of the Alleghau,
river. Arriving at the suspension bridg
connecting the two cities, we found it occu
pied by dense procession slowly moving int,
the city. To avoid crowding against tn
counter current, we waited for half an hou
for it to pass. But it was like waiting fo
the river to run by, that we might pass owe
dry shod. At last, cdging our way across
we found the procession without end as far al
the eye could reach. Upon our return a
two O'Clock in the afternoon the procession
still held the bridge, aud was still moving int