The evening times., 1897-03-04

The escort e. the caEFt1-i moved prompt
ly at 1880. Organization nc IN iine pc
fore that time needed no rebake for
their delay nor orders TO direct them what
Ia do &c find place IN the parade. iiey
moved across the city 10 TIE rear OF Tue
q'.,ird brigade, Second division OF bhe
Military GRIND Division, ON East Nap1oi
street and reported 60 Gen. Gr0Ut, the
marshal there. for assignment &c place
fn his line.
For nearly an hour before the order
.sForward- was given the blue coats bad
been moving back and forth and the air
had been cut now and again with tie
snort sharp commands that denote good
atseipllne in the ranks and confidence ia
the accuracy and correctness OF their
evolutions on the part OF the officers.
AZ the head OF the column rode a
nlatoon of District police. They were lit
orally -,of tao finest Their uniforms were
glossy, their buttons polished 10 the last
degree oT brightness aud their hcTses and
caparisoEs were smooth as silk, not
hair turned anywhere, and Major Moore
had no reason TO be ashamed OF the ap-
pearanee of his men, even in that splendid
line of professional and citizen solmery.
Next came the Governors Island Band,
from New York AT the first step they
struck up stirring air that, under 'he
conatians would have carried forward
brisldv the most spiritless military com
many chat ever came to Washington TO zee
q president inaugurated. 1t bore the head
of this Column along with sweep that
was inspiring to behold dhe New Workers
had done themselves proud with color and
gold Lace and braid. They made bril-
liant spot ia the line of moving blue
After the hand. rode the grand marshal,
Gen. Horace Porter, reoen5iy OF New YORK,
for the next four wears probably OF the
nistrict Of Columbia. About him were
,y-ouoed for a time. Col A. Noei Brakeman,
chief of staff; Col. II. c. Corbin. q. s. A;
Adtt. gen. Capt. John A. johnson, u.
s a. ch!ef of aides, and dozens OF prom-
nent soldiers and citizens, as aides and
special aides.
Gen. Porter, as he sat in conImando OF the
forces. looked back over lifetime TO the
dav ia 1861 when, with hopes OF early
victory. shared by all the North. he rode
forth as an ordnance officer To win ilis
way through many long march aud fiery
sEirrnish and history-naking engagements
to a pIace on Gen Grant staff he doubt
less also recalled the days when he was here
in Washington, in the seventies. as one oi
President Grants trusted friends, and Ieit
satisfaction now 20 be hOnOred with an
imDortant duty in the inauguration OF
President Grants worthy successor.
Az thehead of the first division was that
gray veteran who rode with Stoaeman on
Richpondin April, lS63-Gen. Wesley Mer-
rtt He was gazetted for gallantry after
stoneman's S raid and promoted He went
into action with the cavalry reserve at Get
tvsburg and came out a major Afterward
ne went with the Sixty third Regiment
through Central Virginia. He folio wed Sher-
maniu 1so4, and fought at yellow Tavern,
beinr made lieutenant colonel and colonelin
quick succession in May OF that year Later
he was in tile battles OF Opequan, Cedar
Creek. Fishers Hill and up the Shenandoah
valley For Five Forks he was bTevetted
major general Of volunteers, and not long
after recsived his commission- After peace
had been declared he saw service IN the
West with the Ninth Cavalry, and in SIS
was appointed colonel OF the regular
army In 1882 he was superintendent OF
the Military Academy at West Point.
With Gen. Merritt were Col. j. B. Bah
cock. C. s. A, as adjutaBt general, and
L,euts. L. H. Strother, Harry C. Hale, and
T Bentley Mott Col. Babcock won his
title by service in thecivil war when he
had lust graduated at West Point, and
at the Sabine River in Louisiana, where
ne met the Indians The others are much
more recently from the Military Academy
and have spent most of their time in the
East
Col. John S. Poland rode at the head OF
the long line of blUecoats that formed The
first brigade. He was a young man in
1862. but followed his flag at Antietam
and Shepherdstown, at Fredericksburg and
CbanceTlorsyiue His staff had on IT
First Isieuts Robert w. Dowdy and William
c. Wren. both West Point men. The
lead of the ranks was held by body
rarely seen in a parade. These were the
engineers. the only battalion Of them IN
the army. under the command ofMaJor John
c. ID Knight, with First Lieuts. William
E. Craighnl and E. W. Van Lucas as aides
The engineers marched 400strong in splen-
did order, a fine body Of men as are
found any where in the service.
The Seventeenth United States Infantry
marching in columns of companies, made
a broad expanse of blue ouly broken by the
regiuental cOiors, the brass buttons, to
gether with the gold stripes OF the coIn
rnissioned officers. and the drum corps an
sfne lead. IL would have been monotOnous
10 watch the long line file by, but Tor The
excellent display of marching.
The regiment comes from Columbus lar
racks at Columbus, O., where is has been
stationed since October, 1894. Prior 70
Irgf Tl.lE,
where most of ITS men were engaged in
the fighting with the Indians at Pine Ridge
in IssO-sl. Some OF its men boast OF
nearly thirty years service on the plains.
Col. Poland, who is commanding officer
OF the first brigade for the day, is the CHIEF
officer of thE regiment. His place WAS
taken this morning by Capt. G. 5. Roberts,
not Capt. Tracey, as ON the official pro
gram Such a man is unknown 70 the army.
The First Battalion was led by Capt l.
NJ O'Bricn, with Second Lieut.. Hardway
as adjutapt TbecOmpanics underhiIn wer'
Company c, LIeuts. Clay and Willard; Com
pany b. Lieuts Grmley and Hart, Com.
many f, Lieuts Chubb and Smith. Com
pany @, Lieuts. Dickinson and Davis.
The Second Battalion, Under Capt. w
p Rogers with Lieut.. ID. NJ. Niche aE ad
.utant, was made up Of Company ID, Lleuus.
johnson and Perry; Company L, Capt
Burns, Lieuts. Chynoweth and Lyon: Com
pany A, Capt Nickerson, Lieut.. Durfee
Company II, Capt. Mann and Lieut. Rose
In all there were 416 men and twenty-siN
non-commissioned officers in the ranks.
The artiTerymen added a touch Of coloI
20 the blue of their lines, with an occa
sional cape turned back showing its rec
lining There were four companies from
Fortress Monroe, three from the First Reg1