The Evening critic., 1884-08-26
THE INFANTRYls RETURN.

huhrFct betWcth AWo VI aho WIN"
panies.
Tho citizens of Washington turned out
en- masse last evening to welcome tho re-
turning Washington Light Infantry on
their arrival from Long Branch.
The entire neighborhood of the depot
was crowded, the route Of the procession
was thronged and arrangements were made
everywhere for display Of fireworks and
complete ovation. Never had higher
compliment or most hospitablc reception
prepared for the citizen soldiery.
train arrived at the Baltimore & Po-
depot on time and the Infantry was
d with hearty aud long-continued APP
r.. ..
returning military, happy, but
n,aiIed in appearance, filed out into Sixth
street and were received with shower of
fireworks, while tho imposing escort
Formed In Line In the Following
order:
First section, Marine Band; National
Rifles, seventy men, under Lieutenant
Oyster National Rifle Cadets, thirty men,
Captain Domer; Union Veteran Corps,
"Old Guard" fifty men, under Captain
Thomasson Union Veteran Cadets, forty
five men, Captain Hammar; Washington
Continentals, forty-six men, Captain
Trims; Corcoran Cadets Companies A and
b, Colonel George Edwards Union Veteran
Company No. 1, forty-nve men, Major
Urell Washington Cadets, seventy-flvo
men, Captain S. A. Fleetwood Capital City
Guard forty five men, Captain Il. s. Kelley.
The Light Infantry mustered 200 rank and
file, and, headed by the Wilson Post q. A.
II. band, of Baltimore, occupied the left Of
the line.
1t was whispered at the depot that the
Rifles and the Veterans
QuarreIed About which Had the
Right OF Precedence
in the procession, and when the Rifles and
their cadet corps wheeled into position at
the head Of the line and led the way up tho
Avenue, many of the friends Of both organi-
cations queried what the Veterans would
do about it,
The question was soon solved.
. At Seventh street tho Rifles and Rifle
Cadets, with the Marine Band, continued
westward, following the route Of the pro-
cesson as announced in tho papers and
universally understood, and receiving an
ovation all along the line with red and
green fires bursting rockets and roman can
dies, etc.
Tho Rest OF the Procession Did Not
Follow.
The Veterans wheeled into Seventh stree.
and proceeded northward to New York
avenue, thence to Ninth street, to street,
to Fifteenth street, to the Avenue, to Sew
enth street, to the Infantry Armory, fol-
lowed by the remainder of the escort and
the returning heroes from the Branch.
The split in the procession was naturally
and rrnpnr1u ennrpn nf gnyprn nnnul ar
condemnation.
While the reasons were not understood,
and the blame was not located, it was very
manifest that
A Stupid Observation-Disclosures or Dis
credItable Quarrel
had deprived an immense number Of citi-
zens of pleasure to which they were en-
titled, an oilense had been offered to the
large number Of prominent business men
and others who had arranged to welcome
the popular command with fireworks, the
crowds were disappointed, the friends of the
companies were disguised, and brilliant as
was the reception, dense as were the crowds
1t was universally conceded that mismau
agement or ill-temper had turned an i'm
| posing popular reception and rejoicing int
| an occasion of disappointment and grum
bling.
what Lieutenant Oyster Says.
Lieutenant Oyster, commanding the
| Rifles, states, in order to correct any mis-
apprehension, that the tender Of an escort
by his company having been accepted, ht
marched his command to the usual place
formed it upon the ground heretofore occu
pied by the Rifles and awaited the return
Of the Infantry, the other commands form
ing on the Rifles left. "After the Infantry
had passed and formed on our right" he
300 I;.,a &c Il
route published in the daily papers and
had passed over part of it before We dis.
covered that the column had been broken
by the Veterans, who were next to the
Rifle Cadets, turning into Seventh street
and thus taking the balance of the process
sion off the published route. Recognizing
the expectations of the public, we com.
pleted the line Of march. We regret OK
ceedingly that by an arbitrary action thu
Infantry were deprived Of the generous
reception intended for them by the citizen
along the prescribed line of march, but a
no one assumed command or assigned us ,
place in line We feel justified in the position
we have taken"
Colonel Moore regretted the unfortunate
split, when informed Of 1t, but said tina
the Infantry followed the only allowable
course in following their immediate escort
Another Account of the Affair.
1t is estimated that there were between
10000 and $4,000 men, women and children
on Pennsylvania avenue last night to wit
ness the military parade in honor Of tn
return of the Light Infantry. These peo
pie had just as much right to expect tn
programme for the line of march to be car
ried out as they would have to expect
theatrical troupe to perform according t
the programme. That the whole affair re
suited in fizzle is known to all. 1t wa
all on account of q quarrel between two o
| the companies, each of which wanted tn
| right of line in the procession. Both com
| panies could not have it. Any diferenc
| existing between Captain Oyster and Cap
| tain Thomasson should have been settle
before coming ON the Avenue.
1t is claimed by the friends Of Captain
| Oyster that he was entitled to tho right o
line because of the fact that he was tn
| first to tender the escort of his command t
| Colonel Moore.
| Captain Thomasson's friends say tina
this was not so, and even If it was, tina
| Thomasson, by right of seniority, ought
have led tho parade.
| The people who were fooled have nothin
| to do with and don't care anything abou
who should have the right Of line.
| As matter Of fact, however, there wei
several men in Washington who knew o
Sunday night what was going to take plac
in the event that the commanders of til
Veterans and Of the Rifles could not com
to some definite agreement. The member
of the respective corps talked about th
matter themselves.