The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1892-09-10
THE GRAND ARMY.

The Reunion IN Washington to Eclipse
An Former Events Of Similar Character
-Sous Of the Features that VIII Rem
der the Occasion Memorabie-A Con-
trast with the Grand Rsveiw OF 1855
Tho Corps Reunionss
WASHINGTON, Sept. h-Two weeks
from to-day the twcnty-sixth grand
encampment of the Grand Army of the
Republic will begin in this city. Prep
arstious for the occasion have been
made on q scale 50 grand that It will
eclipse all previous reunions OF the or
ganizstion. One great feature OF the
whole affair and one to which consid-
cradle historical interest is attached
will be the review in which the veter.
ans taking part will march over the
same route they covered in 1865. when
peace had been proclaimed after four
years of war, and $4,000 boys in blue
celebrated the occasion bv marching in
their war worn uniforms up Pennsyi-
vania avenue from the capitol to the
White House. The review Of twenty
seven years ago consumed the beseer
part of three days, but that of this year
has been so arranged that by marching
in double column the survivors will be
an hour in passing over the entire
route.
The formal opening will take place
Monday. September 10, ON the grounds
Surrounding the Washington monu-
ment, which have been christened
"Grand Army Place" President Har-
rison will make the opening speech, and
there will be an address of welcome
and one on behalf of the Grand Army.
Patriotic songs will be sung by traned
vocalists.
The programme of entertainment iu.
cludes reception by the president,
reception at the capitol and prone
made reception in the pension office
building where the Cleveland and Har-
rison inaugural balls were held.
Grand Army Place will be the prin-
cipal point of interest. There huge
fac simile of the ship Kearsarge, which
sunk the Alabama, is in course of con-
struction. and it will be manned by
sailors who served on the vessel
Prominent among the attractive fea-
lures of the encampments in the past
have been the reunions of survivors OF
the old army organizations While
these have been largely attended.
it is now known that all pre-
vious records will be eclipsed at the
Washington encampment. A beautiful
and convenient site has been selected
on which large tents will be pitched to
accommodate all of the organizations.
These reunions will not be for one day
alone, but will continue all the week,
and day and night Grand Army Place"
will be made merry by camp fires.
Nearly as possible all the sur, ivors
of those who fought under the leader
ship of Porter on the peninsula, Butter
field ut fredericksburg, the gallant
Meade at Charlottesville, Sykes at
Gettysburg and Warren on the bloody
fields of the Wilderness and Spott-
sylvania, Petersburg and Five Forks,
will come together in the re-
union of the Fifth corps. And the
meeting of other corps will be fully as
interesting. Nearly all of the surviv-
ing corps commanders will be present.
The grasping of hands again by COM
rades so long separated, and the remin-
iscences which their meeting will call
out. will make each of these reunions
more Interestingly than the most thrilling
work of fiction that could be penned.