Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-06-06
THE IDOL OF THE SOUTH.
GENERAL ROBERT EDWARD LEE
THE EQUESTRIAN STATUE AND
MONUMENT ERECTED in HIS
HONOR UNVEILED WITH r.Pos.
ING CEREMONIES.

mond today has been the scene ot
ceremonies and events which will
90 into history and worthy to be
c!assed with any that have han.
pened in the existence of tins conn
try.
The weather could not have
been better suited for such an
occasion if it had been ordered
especially for the event by Gen.
Greedy.
Troops of veterans ard military
we're arriving all night and the
sound of the fife and drum before
daylight warned the population
which had been increased not less
than $4,000 that the day of impos.
ing ceremonies were being ushered
in.
The skies were bright and the
air was cool and balmv. 1t was
neither too warm nor too cool but
a happy medium between the two
extremes.
BY five o'clock the bnStling be.
gan. Tens of thousands of people
were hurting to and fro, some to
breakfast and others to find Old
comrades and friends.
At 10 o'clock ShockOe Slip was
the scene Of the gathering of the
cavalry, and a reunion took place.
The old soldiers, as rule, were
mounted on fine looking steedS
and presented a very handsome ap.
pear nee.
For fully two hours The troops
OF veterans, military and other or.
carnations winch were to take
part in the parade were marched
to their places aud BE bands play.
ell "Dlxie.' My Maryland" and
other southern airs aud the people
cheered. Fully so per cent. of the
Richmond people were on the
rreets. Business was practically
suspended.
The procession was one the most
imposing pagGauts ever seen in the
south, but. aS is usual when snch
large bodies are moved, ard after
some TIM" WAS spent on Main
street in trying 10 get them cor
rectly in line, the procession dl.
vided and "a portion OF 1t went Out
to the monument The military
did not all arrive at the grounds
until paSf five o'clock.
The parade started firm Broad
aud AdAmS streets promptly a.
noon, headed 10y "A detachment of
moan ed police AMI police On foo.
Next came Chief Marshal Fitz.
Lee and his assistants. There
were over one thOnsand cavalry
aud they were superhlV mounted.
A II along the rOutr Lee L0ngStreet,
Gordon. II vmpton aud Early were
received with great enthusiasm.
The old battle.scarred flags we're
numerous and were cheercd wher.
ever they appeared.
The crowd began to assemble At.
the monument early this morning.
and at noon the number OF per
Sons there ran mp into the ten
thousands Ga the Gle, qted seats
that had been erected the crowd
seemed 10 be beyond number
They were on band early and
patiently waited for the coming of
the procession.
At the base Of the monument a
squad Of veterans iron the Con.
federate Soldiers Home stood
guard "frOm early morn till dewy
eve" 1t was a labor of love with
them, and when the exercises were
over they walked back to the home
regrettinS that the day had passed
so soon.
1t did not take long to ill mp the
two thousand reserved seats in
and around the speakers stand,
and that crowd Of two thousand or
more were some of the most dis.
tlngulshed men in the south.
1t was fifteen minutes to four
o'clock before the meeting was
called to order. For three hours
the crowd on the platform waited
patiently for the old and Young
soldiers to arrive. Ii seemed tina
all OF them never did arrive though
they were marching in the dIrec-
ton of the monument even until
after the statue was unveiled
Never again will so many Con.
federate generals assemble. The
speakers stand was fairly filed
with them. Old Joe Johnston was
in the centre of them all and Jubal
Early was on JohnstOn's right.
Wade Hampton was close up to
Early and Fltz Lee was seated
little in the rear. Harry Heth and
David Weisiger both wearing the
Office plumes Of a general renewed
old acquaintance and recalled mo.
ments of the past while the Stone
wall band from Stanton rendered
a favOrlte air. General Heth is
looking as young as he did fifteen
years ago.
General LOngstreet was loudly
all along the line OF march
and now and then he tipped his
hat to thousands of admiring
friends. John Daniel leaned on
his crutch and bowed right and
left, acknowledging greetings from
old army friends. Gen. Butler, of
South Carolina, and Gen. Gordon,
of Georgia, thrilled the hearts of
many an old veteran by their no.
BILE military bearing.
1t was difficult even to get a full
list of the generals who were in the
big crowd upon the platform. RO9.
ser was there and so was James a.
Walker. Rooney Lee with his
wife and two boys were accorded
the best seats. Longstreet was the
last to arrive upon the platform,
hnt when he did come ha racaivad