The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-12
The Procession Led by Men
Who Fought Under the
Stars and Bars.
MANY FRUSTRATED BY HEAT.
General Walker Leads In the Race
for Commander in
Chief.


thousand ex-soldiers of the Union army
marched through the streets of this
Southern city to-day. Before them, at the
head of the column, rode two Ken
tuckians who enlisted in the Confederate
service at the outset of hostilities and
fought to the last ditch. One bore aloft
the stars and stripes, the other silken
banner of virgin white. having in its
center golden dove and in its mouth an
olive-b branch. Thus was typifed "The flag
of peace" the reunion thirty years after
of the victors and the vanouished.
Three hundred thousand people lined
streets and windows and housetops and
gave the marching hosts reception that
will be memorable in Grand Army annals,
and remembrances of which will be car
ried by every participant to his last hour.
In these great throng3 OF spectators were
tens of thousands of those who fought on
the other side, who even to-day speak
with pride of the fact that they rallied
under the stars and bars and wore the gray
that was so dear to Southern hearts,
These were the loudest in their plaudits
and the most vociferous in joining in the
chorus when the strains OF "Rally Round
filed the air, and proudly the great un-
armed army received the plaudits of their
one-time foemen. Full of sentiment and
pathos also were the demonstrations of the
women folk when MANNED or crippled
veteran came hobbling along.
For fully a mile in the aristocratic resi-
dence district the lawns and gardens were
filled with the iairest buds of a State of
beautiful women, their costumes of white
adorned by tricolored sashes or miniature
American flags. and those not content with
the waving of handkerchiefs and similar
feminine modes of greeting showered
flowers on the heads OF the aged and Grip
pied as they passed along.
From start to finish it was more the
homecoming and passage of victorious
army fresh from the battlefield than a
reunion of conquered and conquerors three
decades later.
In accordance with the resolution
adopted last year by the Council of Ad-
ministration, the route of march was linn.
tied to twenty-six squares, or distance of
two and quarter miles, complaints hav-
ing been made that the routes heretofore
chosen were too long for the veterans, who
TO stand long march in the heat of the
day.
The early morning trains from interior
points of the State, as well as from Indi-
ana, Illinois and Ohio, brought tens of
thousands of spectators, and these, added
to the hundreds of thousands already in
the city, made the central streets well nigh
impossible. Ample police arrangements,
however, had been made, the roadway
over which the parade was to pass had
been roped off, and altogether the arrange
ments for the proper movement of the
parade were admirable. Numerous public
reviewing stands had been erected along
the line of march, and every seat was oc-
cupied long before the time appointed for
the procession TO move.
At s o'clock the citizens committee were
assembled and mounted, while the Grand
Army band of Canton, Ohio, and the
Louisville Legion drum corps awakened
enthusiasm about the City Hall square
with inspiring music and tattoos. At $50
the signal was given for the first division
of the column to form, and half an hour
later the head of the division, comprising
the commander in chief and staff, his
escort, the Columbia Post of Chicago, the
citizens committee and board of managers,
the mayors of Louisville, Jeffersonville
and New Albany and the visiting Cover
nors and their staffs were en- route from
the Gait House to the locality assigned
them. Every division was in readiness at
0:15 but it was not until fifteen minutes
later that the signal was given for the
head of the column to move. Then, with
flags flying and torrent of patriotic music
the parade moved.
One of the features of the parade that
attracted attention was Old Ned, who is
believed to be the only horse now living
that participated in the rebellion. He is
not member of the G. A. R., but of recent
years he has been pretty regular in his at
tendance at encampments. He was at
Pittsburg last year with Post No. 81, from
Erie, Pa. Ned is now 40 years old, accord
ing to tradition. His present owner, r. F.
Crawford of North East, Pa, got possession
of him thirty.two years ago, and he says
Ned was then years old, according to
his mouth"
Ned was captured from General Jubal
Earlys corps near Washington by Union
scouting party shirty-two years ago, and
was given to his present owner to replace
an animal he had loaned and which had
been shot in skirmish.
The parade was four hours and quarter
passing the reviewing stand. 1t moved
like cIockwork and was remarkably free
from tedious breaks. Despite the intense
heat the large majority of the paraders
went over the entire route of two and
half miles. although many were compelled
to drop out early in the march.
There were numerous cases of heat pros
tration, which were promptly treated by
the emergency corps. Among the victims
were four members of the crack Columbia
Post of Chicago-H. w. Martin, V. Bas-
com, S. P. Walters and John Carver
James P. Neil of the National Military
Home at Dayton, Ohio; Harry Bowen OF
the Old Guard of Philadelphia. Colonel