Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-09-16
THE BOYS IN BLUE.
Once More They Win Parade the
 Streets of Washington.
The Grand Review in the Spring of 1865 The Contrast Between Then and NOW = The Citizen Soldier
 and His Valor.
Especial Washington Letter.l

Grand Army of the Republic has been anticipated and provided for by the peo- pie of this city, under congressional au- thority. It is believed that over one hundred thousand survivors of the greatest of all the grand armies of the world will attend this twenty-fifth an- nual eneampment, and that probably half of them will participate in the parade.
 On bright May morning in the year 1865, peace having been procured and accomplished after four years of inter- necine struggle, the armies of the east and the armies of the west marched up Pennsylvania avenue in grand review, passing before a grand stand on the sidewalk, far in front of the white house, where the president of the United States, members of the cabinet, loyal senators and representatives in con gress and members of the diplomatic corps, representing the nations of the entire civilized world, viewed with emo tions of wonder, pleasure and pride the disciplined thousands of the armies of the union.
 The Army of the Potomac, under command of Gen. George G. Meade, with the Army of the Middle Military Division, and the cavalry corps of the Army of the Potomac under command of Philip H. Sheridan; the Army of the West Virginia with that gallant officer who distinguished himself at Antietam and Cedar Creek, Gen. Ruth erford B. Hayes, at their head; these, with the detached soldiers of contiguous departments, marched all of the first day in the presence of the commander of all our armies, Ulysses s. Grant, and the dignitaries before mentioned.
 On the second day there came march ing over the same route troop after troop, through all the hours from early morn until dewy eve, hundred thou sand citizen soldiery, looking less like the superior army of a great people than their predecessors of the eastern armies. Yet these men were at that time characterized rather as the real heroes of the civil war than their bet ter-clad comrades of the first days pa rade. The men who marched on the second day of the gra nd review in 1865 were known as "Sherman's Bummers." " They had tramped not only from At lanta to the sea, but from Chattanooga through all the bloody conflicts to Sa- vannah, Charleston, Columbia, Benton vile and Arlington Heights. Writing of them officially to the secretary of war five days before the grand parade, his letter being dated 'Near Alexan- dria, Virginia" Gen. Sherman said: My men will not look as well as the veterans of the east, but a better set of legs and arms, and truer thousands of loyal hearts never existed in any army on earth.''
 Following, or rather amalgamated with, this splendid army of successful | soldiers was the Fourteenth army corps of the Army of the Cumberland, under command of Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas, the hero of Iuka, Corinth, Stone river, Chiclzamaugua, Missionary Ridge, Franklin and Nashville. Proud est of all the soldiers on that days parade was Gen. George H. Thomas, 8 Virginian by birth, who had remained loyal to the union despite many adverse influences at the commencement of the war. Early in December, 1864, after his continued refusal to give battle tc Gen. Hood, his removal was ordered