The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-09-22
BATTLE SCARED HEROES
THE GRAND ARMY REUNION AT WASH
INGTON A GREAT SUCCESS.
The Grand Parade One Of the Most Elabor.
ate Displays Ever Witnessed-Griz-
zled Warriors Happy as School
Children-A Joyous Day.

dense lines of thousands of people who
lined the pavements and side streets,
past buildings whose lavish display
of fluttering banners, flags and stream
ters, attesting the cordiality of well
come of their owners, cheered on by
the fresh voices of hundreds of school
children singing patriotic airs, the
Grand Army of the Republic, many
thousand strong, today marched
up the broad smooth asphalted
Pennsylvania avenue, along whose
rough cobblestones as members of the
greatest of modern armies they
marched twenty-seven years ago,
tired, dusty, travel stained and war
worn, but with the fierce exultation
and pride horn of the courage of their
deeds and accomplishments. 1t was
the last time many of them would see
the national Capitol. The long roll
call had carried off many of those men
who were with them in their trium-
phant march to which nearly all their
minds reverted.
ALI the most famous leaders are
gone-Grant, Sherman, Sheridan,
Thomas, Logan, Mcpherson, Hancock,
Blair, McClellan-and still the call
might go on. Grizzled, aged, frequent
ly infirm, the appearance of those left
showed that all had passed their
prime and if they returned to another
reunion here it must be with great
sadness at the thinned ranks. SO it
was they decided to make the parade
the greatest feature of this, the twen-
ty-sixth annual encampment.
The eutire line marched with deco
rated banners, bunting, corps, ensigns
and flags until each block of the
stretch between the capitol and the
treasury department was picturesque
and CAV as the decorators skill could
>ynake it. The weather was perfect,
One of those rich autumn days for
which Washington is famous. And
as nearly as an autumn day can
resemble a, spring day did this morn
ing resemble that memorial I'D OF
May, 1865, when the battle stained
veterans of the army of the United
States began their march along
Pennsylvania avenue to be reviewed
for the last time by the great COM
mander now no more. But the
weather goddess was tickle and as
the hour arrived for starting the pro-
cession an east wind began to blow,
bringing raw chill wind. The sky
began to fill with light
drab clouds and soon the day was gray
and gloomy. The veterans formed in
line at their respective headquarters
and marched chiefly by side streets to
the place of formation. Adjoining the
south wing of the treasury building,
on large covered stand named in
honor of Lincoln and prettily deco
rated, some 800 young school girls,
with waving of flags. merry shouts of
joy and ringing peals of gladness,
spend on the way to the veterans,
whose preliminary march to the Capt.
tol to let them past their stand.
Further down the Avenue, near the
Central market, colored school girls
were massed on the stand and renew
= cd the greetiffg to the march OF the
Grand Army posts.
at the hour for the start the Capitol
was the central point OF the friendly
army which massed for half mile or
more square on most of the streets ra-
dating from it. From the Botanical
gardens down to the diagonal avenues
as far as the Pennsylvania station and
railroad tracks, stretched the Illi-
nois and Wisconsin departments. 10
the south and east from the flank of
the Sucker and Badger states di-
visions to the navy yards were Penn
sylvanians and Ohioans. south of the
capitol the New Workers spead out in
long, irreglar, broken formation,
thanking the men from Connecticut
and Massachusetts, whose right col
unIn faced the park to the east front
of the capitol. The commands
from New Jersey and California
occupied the streets directly east of
the Capitol. North and east were
veterans from the states of Michigan,
Nebraska, Iowa, Maryland and Vlr-
ginia.
The order of parade was as follows:
Citizens committee, escort OF COM
mander in chief, Old Guard of WASH.
ington, Grand Army Battalion OF
Albany, commander in chief, junior
vice commander in chief, senior vice
commander in chief, official staH OF
commander in chief, aides de camp TO
commander in chief, escort to the
Grand Army, First Defenders, sixth
Massachusetts, United states veteran
Signal association, department. OF
Wisconsin, Department of Pennsyl,,
yania and then in the order named
the Departments of Ohio, New York,
Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine,
California, Rhode Island, New lamp
shire, Vermont, Virginia, North Caro-
lima, Maryland, Iowa, Nebraska
Michigan, Indiana, Colorado, Wyo'
ming, Kansas, Delaware, Missouri,
West Virginia, Kentucky, Arkansas,
Tennessee, Louisiana, MISSISSIPPI;
Florida and Oklahoma. Texas dld
we'll and in it's ranks was Gen. A. b.
Norton with his long hair. Alabama,
south and North. Dakota and the
Indian Territory turned out many
veterans, numerous and splendloiy
equipped. The post of the depart,
ment of the Potomac were near the
end of the procession, followed ny !
naval veterans. Rear Admiral Wells
of New Haven, was at the head OF the
latter association and was followed
bv representatives from different asso-
Citations composing the national asso'
citation.
The scene from the vice president,s
reviewing stand during the parade