The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-08-02
THE PARADE.
A Brilliant Pageant-The Chief Features of the
Procession.


Procession.
The interchange of greetings over, the order
" Fall in was given, and, about o'clock the
long line of nearly 4,500 veterans passed be-
yond the camp and took up their line of march
to the city, three miles away. And yet fully
one-half of the veterans in the city were not in
line at all, owing to the intense heat of the day
! The soldiers of 1861 are boys no longer. The
gray threads among the raven locks are too
many to be counted now. Their knees do not
bend so supply to the serjeant's muttered left
left!" There is a twinge in the back which
spoils the symmetry of the columns called to
form They wonder they cannot march shout
der TO shoulder without warning lurch, and
they have a consciousness that when the lag
ging foot IS lifted it has peculiar weight about
it, never eyea equa!ed by the swollen ankles of
the long and rugged march.
No, disguise it as you may the soldiers of
the Union are fast becoming aged and infirm
Even the boys who ran away from home to re-
pleni5h the decimated ranks of the victims of
the camp and battle and pTison-pen are fur
rowed and worn. What wonder that they
shrink froin the long ami weary march, and
find more glory in the repose OF the campfire
than IN the glory of the parade?
But 1900 or 5000 men make no mean show
IN line, and no more enthusiasm ever greeted
the veterans returning from the war than bub-
bled up and ran over as the line fled by. Won
derfut indeed was this popular uprising, and
even the babes in the street were carried away
with the spirit OF fraternity that was in the
very air Afterall, there is something which stirs
the blood to fever heat when the music from
a dozen bands ring out such tunes as March
ing through Georgia, ' John Browns Body"
"The Girl l Left Behind Me- and sRally
Round the Flag" Then it is that one wishes
for the lotus of forgetfulness that stills the
sharp pain OF the heart which remembers only
too we'll the recruiting days of a score of years
ago, remembers all the warnings of bitter war
to which they pointed.
And how the dear old boys kept their cour-
age as they dragged their weary limbs along
that unaccustomed march Beside the gay and
gallant militiamen who led helong line they
were as weary brigade returning footSore and
weary from a long and exhausting march. But
it mattered not if man here and there gave
out, and felt as though he must drop in the
ranks. For that one march, if never again. he
was enlisted, and once more he was bound to
follow his old flag through if he had to lean
upon the shoulder of his comrade in the ranks
to do it. So on they went, while hats were
swung and cheers rent the clear Colorado air,
and even the little children were half mad with
delight, nameess to them, but none the less
beautiful, because it was the tribute of happy
innocence Joined to the testimonies of patriot
ism and fidelity which their fathers and moth
ers had so freely given.
The largest representations in the procession
were from Colorado, Kansas Nebraska, and
Iowa. Ohio made magnificent appearance
under command of Department Commander G.
t. Clarke General Mead Post, of Pennsyl-
vania, are superb looking body of men. The
patriotic soldier State of Michigan was in line
under command of Department. Commander
Oscar A. James. Iowa, under command of De-
partment Commander Cook, had representa-
tives from about 100 Posts, accompanied by two
brass bands and drum corps. Pennsylvania
had several hundred men in line--Col. E. s.
Osborne, Department Commander. Massachu-
setts, though its delegation was small in num-
bers, did honor to the "0ld Commonwealth" :"
led by Department Commander George S.
Evans. Indiana had a notable delegation, the
gallant Colonel Carnahan in command, The
First Colorado cavalry carried their elegant
new banner, made after the design of their
regimental badge. The Dodd Post, of Golden.
Colorado, were crowded into an old army wagon,
drawn by six mules and driven with the old
army check line. They had evidently Just
come in from foraging expedition A
part OF the Illinois delegation dropped from
the procession upon reaching the heart of the
city, and entertained the multitude under the
trees by singing the songs of the war. The
parade was the finest ever seen in Denver, and
ii is not probable the like of it will ever be seen
again
THE c1IiLDREN's PART IN THE DAY.
One Of the most beautiful features devised to
houor Che Grand Army on the march, was the
singing OF Professor BirdsaPs reception chorus,
composed of 200 girls the greatest number of
them being not over ten years of age. The
children We're seated upon an amphitheater
erected under a clump of trees in beautiful
grove ON Curtis street, between Eighteenth and
Nineteenth. They We're dressed in white and
tastefnily bedecked with ribbons bearing the
National eolors each one holding the stars and
stripes in her hand. When the head of the