Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-19
HEROES In THE WOOD.
Merry Gathering of Grand Army
Members at Rock Point.
CAMPFIRES AND DRESS PARADES.
Thousands of Veterans Attend and Enjoy
the Picnic.
AN ABUNDANCE OF MUSIC AND DANCING

Rock Point swarmed with blue coats and
brass buttons yesterday. More than l0,OOO
people were there attending the outing and
reunion of q. A. r. comrades. They came
from all parts of the State.
Early in the morning the Union depot
was crowded with them, and from that
station alone six long trains were required
to carry the crowd. 1t was midday before
all were on the grounds. The exercises of
the dav were largely of an informal nature.
Nc regular programme had been prepared,
but all understood that there would be no
lack of entertaining features.
Detachments of veterans from the Sixty
first. Sixty-second, One Hundred and Sec
ond. One Hundred and Fourth, One Hun
dred and Thirty-ninth, One Hundred and
Thirty-fourth and Sixty-third regiments.
The survivors of the Seventy-ffth New
York Regiment were also in attendance.
Pittsburg WAS of course more largely repre-
scented than any other place, scores Of old
soldiers coming from all parts of the city.
A FIT DAY FOR THE PICNIC.
The day was a beautiful one for such an
affair, and the soldiers appreciated it.
Grand Army Band, Griffin Post No.207 Drum
Corps and the Italian Orchestra. About
O'Clock in the afternoon the great event of
the day, the dress parade, took place. Each
post and regimcntal organization was rep
resented in line with a large number OF men
in full uniform. several Thousand men were
in the ranks altogether. The parade was
reviewed by Department Commander
Bower and Past Commanders Denniston and
Stewart. SIX hundred uniformed Sons of
Veterans, who were present. also gave a
dress parade.
Then followed numerous eXtemporaneous
addresses by prominent members of the Or
der and the remainder of the day was given
I'D to enjoying the natural comforts of the
place, TecOunting the oft-told but ever-en-
Pertaining stories of battle field and camp
life the renewing of rusty acquaintanc
ships and a general good time, each individ-
nal in the manner he chose. Hundreds of
women, young and old, the wives and daugh-
tiers OF the veterans, were there. In manv
cases the entire families went with the hero
fathers to the gathering OF veterans. Dane
ing was one of the principal features OF the
nimble feet to make the dancing floor de-
cidedly attractive. Games and amusements
OF all kinds were provided for the younger
ones who attended.
THE OFFICERS OF THE DAY.
commander of the Day George G. Boyer
appointed other officers of the day as fol-
lows: Lieutenant Commander, W. y. Russell
oi Post l5l; AdJutant, Comrade samuel p.
Town: officer of the Day, Hugh Morrison
Post S5: officer of the Guard, f. c. Calhoun,
Post l57.
Among the prominent men present were
Captain Sayes, Past Commander 7. J. Stew
art, of Philadelphia, and Past Commander
Austin Curlam, of Philadelphia: Adjutant
General William McClelland W. Hays Grier
of Columbus O.: W. G. Williams, of Phtla-
delphia; A. P. Burchfield, of Altoona, and
Captain Robert Smalls, a former slave whose |
exploits during the war made him famous.
1t was a late hour last evening when all the
comrades had left the grounds.
THE RAILROADS KEPT BUSY
While there were many features of the day |
that will make it one long to be remembered |
by those who took part in the exercises, the
principal one was the crowds Every one |
who had occasion to travel on q railroad |
passing Rock Point yesterday will attest /
that one train on the Erie and Pittsburg
Railroad consisted of Is cars. and every one /
was crowded like so many sardine boxes.
Trains coming into the city at the Union |
depot all day were crowded to suffocation. !
All etiquette was abandoned. No one pre- |
tended to give up his seat to a lady, be that |
lady old or young. The day was warm |
enough to make man avoid all kinds of ex- |
er1ion but the hardest kind of work had to |
be done by many. That work was to get a /
seat and hold to it.
4 gentleman who passed the picnic grove 4
in the afternoon says there was nothing to /
he seen but heads-scarcely a tree was in /
sight. The peopled congregated were so /
huddled together that they made the grand
est sight of the daV.