The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1884-05-30
STREWING FLOWERS
OVER THE SOLDIERS GRAVES.

The March OF the Grand Army
Through the streets--A Large At
tendance at Arlington and other
Cemeteries.
The beautiful custom of paying tribute
to the Union dead was observed to-day
very generally in Washington.
II was a beautiful day for the ccremo-
MES.
The weather was cool, the sun bright
and the flowers plentiful. Tho interest
taken In the decoration of tho graves of
those
who Died That the Country Might
live.
shows no abatement
The Grand Army made its annual doings
of the day very interesting
The streets were filed with people who
watched the procession after 1t had formed,
and tho different bodies of men on their
way to the rendezvous. Bands gave their
music, and uniforms flashed in the sun
light There was one section of music
which for uniqueness is certainly entitled
TO mention. 1t consisted of q snare drum,
bass drum and an invalid trumpet. The
combination of sounds produced was some
what startling, but the body of
good-ookipg colorcd men who followed be-
hind it seemed to DO perfectly satisfied.
There was, during tho carly part Of the
day, pervading sense that somebody was
going to cat something. Every othor per-
son met had a lunch basket. The picnickor
was abroad in full force. Many people
took to the woods. The river boats carried
hundreds down tho Potomac. A great
crowd went to Harper's Ferry.
An old veteran, In conversation with a
reporter of The Carrie said that since
May 80 last there had been more done to
bring about good.feeling between those who
wore the blue and those who wore tho gray
than during any five years since the war.
There have been visits to each other, aud
Union men and exC onfederates have jointly
gone over some of their old battle fields.
The result has been to bind the late enc
mics very closely together.
Tho Scene ut Arlington.
Arlington looked very pretty. The red
roadways running through the domain con-
trasted very prettiy with the green of the
trees and grass The grounds are in excel
lent order. The people scattered almost as
soon as the house on top of the hill was
reached. Many Of them did not attend the
ceremonies. They had come to picnic.
The amphitheatre was crowded, however,
and many stood around outside the awning
which covered 1t. The other stand was
very prettily decorated with flags and ban
nercts. The pillars of the amphitheatre
were dressed with flags.
PIaced around tho Wholo STRUCTURE were
shields bearing tho name of some distin-
puished general of the late war.
Al tbe entrances 10 tbe group5s tbaro
was the usual number of lemonade, ice
cream and sandwich vendors, and they
made their usual anonnt of noise.
The Procession and the Proceedings
ut Different Cemeteries.
The Grand Army people are Just as promp.
to move in "theae piping times of peace" as
they were In the old days when tho roaring
cannon called them to time. Promptly at 10
o'clock this morning, the hour named for the
various commands to assemble, the rendez-
vous on ID street, from Seventh TO Ninth, was
blocked with old veterans, who were ready to
march long distance to place upon the graves
OF their dead comrades beautiful flowers.
Tho procession formed and marched In the
following order:
Union Veteran Corps, Captain S. E. Thoma.
son, commanding; 90 men In line, preceded
by Inc Marine Band.
Custer Camp, Sons OF Veterans, Captain 81. J.
Clifford, commanding; 80 men.
Department Commander d. s. Alexander,
| Vice-Commander III. N. Money and stan OF 10
officers.
| Post Department Commanders Burdette,
Richardson, Royce, Gibson and Hawkes., with
6oaros Of NsW JsrsSy as saest
John A. Rawlings Post, NO. i, 100 men;
george Holmes, commander.
hH Saiooh 1oois NJ. =, Dc VI n. butBoib Ooh-
mander; so men and drum corps
Lincoln Post, No.3, j. NJ. Pipes, commander;
100 men.
o. p. Morton Post, No. a, James Butcher,
commander; 80 men and drum corps.
George @. Meade Post, No. 8, NJ. A. Dillon,
commander; 80 men.
John Il. Reynolds Post, No. q, O. W. Sher-
| wood, commander; 80 men.
z James A. Garfield Post, No.7 W. o. Drew,
commander; 80 men.
Burnside Post, No. 8, O. p. Crandall, COM
mander; 30 men.
Charles sumner Post, No.e, William George
Hall, COMMANDMENTS men. =.
The column moved down Ninth street 10
pennsylvania avenue to Fifteenth street, and
out the Avenue to Nj street, West washington,
and thence to the Aqueduct bridge and to Ar
lington.
Tho following order Oh exercises was OBJ
| served at the Arlington National Cemetery
| National salute at ~ m by a detachment OF
| united states signal Corps, under. command OF
| Lieutenant j. A. swift, signal Corps; music by
| the Marine Band choir, under direction OF 8.
ii. Jecko.
tno iunitou Buests, uomoo.o u tno ". a. ~,