New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-17
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC
REUNION OF ITS VETERAN SOLDIERS.

AND AN oRAIIoN BY MAJOR MAGIYNIs
tBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUNE
| WASHINGTON, May l6.-Eighteen years less one
week nave passed away since the Army of the Poto-
mac, 100000 strong, and led by General Meade,
marched through the ragged dirty and ill-paved
! streets OF Washington and passed in reve " before
PRESIDENT Andrew Johnson Secretaries Stanton and
Neles. General Grant. and hundreds OF other dig
nitarles and MISUNDERSTANDING General Hunter
and the other members of the Military Commission
then engaged in the trial of the assassination con.
splrators, and who took a recess for two days
10 witness the last great military spectacle of the
great war Hundreds of thousands of spectators then
gathered to and to cheer the broDzed and scared
! heroes of scores OF bloody fields On that bright
| May day when soldering was still the business Of
hundreds of thousands of American citizens, Penn
sylyania-ave from the Capitol to Georgetown. for
a few hours held what General Mcclellan had,
with soldiers enthusiasm described as "tho
finest army on the planet Meade. Han
cock, Merritt, Parkc, Griffin. Barlow,
Humphreys, Burnside and scores Of Others who had
won distinction, were there. Custer. who went
unscathed through hundred fierce cavalry charges
to meet his tragic end in an Indian fight, there
Mt the mead of n cavalry division The grand
stand" occupied b. the President, his Cabinet and
hundreds OF tie most distinguished men in the UnOn
wa sl20 feet long and half as wide and was halt
buried in flags aud faced with banners bearing tho
names Of fifteen great battles of the war-battles
which are scarcely more than names to the younger
generation of newspaper readers to-day.
THE CORPS BADGES NO LONGER FAMILIAR.
As the badges of the different corps of the old
Army of the Potomac appeared upon banners in va
nous parts OF the city this morning and upon the
breasts Of modest-lOOking men in the streets, their
meaning was a subject of curious speculation to
large proportion of the passers-by. Here was q
man with one empty sleeve wearing clover
Leaf badge but there were few who knew or re-
membered that it denoted service in the "Old Sec
ond Corps "-iIancock's. Even the badge of the
Sixth Corps recognized by few; yet that
the corps which, under the command of Wright,
saved the National capital from falling into the
clutches of the rebels under Early nineteen
years ago the coming july But if
the citizens of Washington do not
recognize the badges or the who
wore them. they remember the Army of the
Potomac, and the little remnant of it which gather
ed here this morning to hold its fourteenth annual
reunion was received with hearty hospitality and a
warm welcome.
TIE DAY AND THE MEN.
The weather was perfect. Yesterdays rain had
cleared the atmosphere, and this morning tho
shaded streets were clean and COOL The volunteer
militia in their dresSy uniforms and headed by
bands OF music were atOOt early the
Veteran Corps and several posts of tho
Grand Army of the Republic were promptly
in line and General r.. b. Ayres, who commanded
a brigade Of regulars and afterward Division in
the ARM of the Potomac, came up from the arsenal
with the regular troops of the little garrison to
greet his Old comrades. The Society of the Army
of the Potomac, headed by General Humphreys, tn
historian OF that grand army who commanded thu
Second Corps at AppomattoX and led il through
Washington on the day of the grand
review. eighteen years ago. formed on G-st with
Its -ht resting on Fifteenth-st. The number OF
veterans il line here was less than 3OJ but the
corps distinction was nevertheless preserved with
flags and badges. The column moved az 1880 a. IN,
General Ayres, with a light battery OF four pieces
ANA four companies of artillery foot. advance,
followed by the Washington Light Infantry bat
talon, 40 men, and the National Rifles.
seventy-Gve men. These the crack
military organizations of the District
and finer looking and marching bodies of men can.
not be found anywhere. The National Rifle Cadets
and the Washington High School Cadets. composed
of youths from fifteen to eighteen years of age,
were in line and presented a sOderiy appearance
Next came the Society of the Army OF the Poo mac.
Men vino had commanded corps, divisions and br-
gades kept stem in the ranks with men who had
served under them corporas and privates.
More than one veteran carried necessary
cane and there were empty sleeves 10 be seen ss
one glanced down the long column Occasionally
vouihful-l looking face seen. but nearly every
head ana beard were touched with gray or frosted
with age and exposure
VETERANS AND Sons OF VETERANS.
The Union Veteran Corps had sixty men in line.
many of them old soldiers OF the Army of the PotO-
mac. They followed by the Union
Veteran Cadets, sons of the veter-
ans bearing army canteens which had
evidently seen service. Next came Commander
Burdett of the Grand Army of the Republic with
his staff. at the head of 1000 men. Most OF
them were in uniform and wore their Grand Army
badges as well as the badges of the corps to which
they formerly belonged. battalion of colored
volunteer militia attracted attention by its
soldiery appearance and fine marching.
The rear of the column was brought up
By the disabled veterans in carrages-nen whose
marching days were over before tha
war ended. The route of the process
sion was not long, but 1t took
in the statues Of Mcpherson, Thomas Scott and
Faragut, and led through par OF Washington
now filled with fine residences, but which eighteen
years ago was mainly given up TO military barrach
and hospitals.
THE PRESIDENT AND COMPANIONS.
In front of the White House stand had been
built and gayly decorated with hags and bunting.
before " Inch the column passed in review. Tho
President was surrounded by number Of
men, among whom
the Attorney General, the Secretaries Of
the Interior and War, the Postmaster
General General Sherman, Vice-Admiral Rowan,
the English French, Chinese, Spanish and Brazilian
Ministers the Swedish Minister, w. W. CorcOrau,
General Scholied, Justice Field. the Commissioners
of the D strict, Marshal McMichael, Rear-A Admiral
Nichols, Acting Secretary of the Navy;
Senators ingalls, Butler s. c. aud Miller