Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-06-24
e. A. II.
Second Day Of The National
ElcamDnGlt.
The Greatest Parade Ever
Seen in Maine.
Over Twenty-Five Thousand
Men in Line.
The Procession Three Hours
in Passing a Given Point.
Grand Reception in Citv Hall
in the Evening.
Grand Reception in Citv Hall
in the Evening.
Speeches BY Commander-in'
Chief Kountz, Gen. Logan
and Others.
PORTLAND, June %.

PORTLAND, June %.
To-day has been one solid procession. 1t
is hard to say when it began and it has GER
tainly not left off. The troops were march,
ing at o'clock this morning and they are
marching now. AT this hour two companies
of veterans were marching up Munjoy Hill
and were supposed to be the last till morn.
came bass drum around the corner.
Cheers Tore the Midnight Air.
and another noisy procession went by. Right
on the heels of this came drum corps and
another body of enthusiastic veterans and SO
they kept going all the morning.
At Z o'clock A. M, the militia began to
arrive. The second regiment came from
Lewiston on fiat cars, and were covered with
cinders. Train loads poured in from all di-
rections, and the stream running up Munjoy
Hill became regular torrent.
Post after post, company after company,
marched in. So many people came that it
seemed as if nobody stayed at home. Port
land was regular heaving ocean of men,
women and children at o'clock in the fore
noon.
At the camp all was marching and counter
marching. Gen. Beal in white helmet was
stationed in front of the headquarters tent
receiving and sending reports from aids and
orderies on richly caparisoned horses. The
click of spurs and the rattle of trappings
made jingle novel to the ears of civilian.
A uniformed aid-de camp on a spirited black
horse dashed up.
General, have to report that the Wis
consin battalion will fall in at their head
quarters, said the aide.
"They may report to their division COM
mander and not to me" said the General.
This sort of thing was going on for three
hours. 1t is an immense task to form ten or
twelve thousand men for a parade. At IL
o'clock
Wave After Wave of Cheers
rolled over the camp. The tumuit began at
the western end and swept over the mile of
its length, gathering force as it proceeded.
The cause was soon apparant. Gen. Logan
and Congressman Read were riding along
the promenade in barouche. Every soldier
who caught sight of the general moved his
and fiourished it until it lost its shine and
looked as though it had been through show
er. Near the Cleaves monument the car
riage stopped and four or five soldiers actu-
ally pulled the General out of the vehicle
and gave him a tremendous squeeze from
which the friendly offices of Congressman
Reed rescued him. They then cheered and
cheered again for Johnny Logan. The bat
tery fred ten guns at 10 O'Clock. This was
the signal for the grand getting ready, The
activity, which seemed already as great as it
could be, redoubled. There was so much
marching on Congress street, so many COM
panies of men and nice bands went up the
hill to take position that the crowd thought
that the grand parade had at last begun.
Custer Post with Perkins Band playing
grandly marched to position at l5. 1t is
the greatest day Portland ever saw and by
common consent the greatest demonstration
ever made by the Grand Army of the Repub-
lie. At 1886 the great host was nervous,
waiting for the command, forward march"
which was given promptly at IL o'clock,
when the signal gun belched out, and the
procession moved in the following order:
Platoon of Police
City Marshal B. f. Andrews commanding.
Chambers Band,
Company N. 4th n. 5. Artillery,
Lieut.. c. P. Miller, commanding. Lieut.. H. 4. An.
derson, Lieut.. j. S French, escorting
Geo. l.. Beal-Chief Marshal.
Headquarters Flag, yellow.
staff.
Reni. B. Murray. chief of staff: George e. Seiders