The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-03-11

conspicuous in their blue storm coats.
/ with crimson Innings; the golden striped
hussars, on every black steed, while over
them tloated flags, regimental banners
and tluttering guidons.
Behind Gen. Porter and his mme-
date military staff there were 200 splen-
, did mounted aides, each with a high silk
| hat, yellow gauntlets, and broad sash
extending from the left shoulder to the
right side.'
Immediately behind the group of spe-
cial aides came the escort to the presi-
dent, the black horse troops of Clevc-
lana o. Then up and down the ave-
nue. rose cheer that rose ahead and
| echoed back and was repeated again and
again as the carriage with the president
and ex-president rolled into sight. Pres
ident Mckinley held his nat in his hand.
rais'' it now and then aloft in response
to some particularly enthusiastic cheers.
He still looked pale, but he was smiling
| as he neared the end of his triumphal
| pilgrimage. Ex-President Cleveland,
now. seated on the left of President Nc
kinley. was smiling, in contrast to the
stolid expression he bore most of the
day.
| Behind the carriage of the president
and ex-president marched little band,
| perhaps hundred in number, in the
plain dark blue coats and SLOUGH hats
of the Grand Army of the Republic.
They were not young men, for every
head was grey, and there were grey
boards among them and stopped shout
ders, but they stepped proudly, bearing
blue pennons blazoned with "The Tween
ty-third Ohio in gold. They were vet
Grams of the old regiment with whom
the president had won the title of major,
and fittingly they were given the place
of honor, directly beside their old COM
radc.
Then in full array swept down the
| head Of the first grand military division,
led by Gen. Melville Dodge, chief mar
shall. Next came Il group of mounted Of
ficers, headed by Gen. Wesley Merritt.
United States army, the marshal of the
first brigade, and behind this column was
Col. Poland, commanding the corps of
United States engineers, and staff.
Thus the whole great body of military
officers rested like gigantic wedge
against the broad front of the dismount-
ed forces that followed. Rank after
rank, the dismounted squadrons swept
by. Then Il break, and the mounted
staff of Maj. Ray, commanding the Sew
enteenth United States infantry, whose
swung in an oblique circle to gain the
center of the Avenue, and while facing
the thousands of thousands moved with
machine-like regularity, leg overlapping
leg like the bas relief of sculpture, APP
parently without perspective.
Behind came the mounted regiment of
United States artillery under Col. Gun
Their. Like great acknowledged mon
ster the regiment wound by its arms az
a carry.
When the next section appeared there
was cheer that started with the Wash
ingtonians. who knew them, and was
taken up by the remainder of the crowd.
1t was the United States Marine band,
fifty pieces strong, with their bandmaster
in scarlet and gold, swinging his baton;
side to side and up and down. The band
broke out into the familiar strains of Go
lumbiu, the Gem of the Ocean" This
relocated, gold-blazoned section was one
of the most striking features in the
whole brilliant military division.
Behind the Marine band followed the
infantry company Under Capt. Lancas-
| ter.
Then there was clatter of hoofs car
ryng the fighting troopers of the Sixth
cavalry, Col. Summer commanding.
They rode astride their horses like cow
boys.
! Following the regular forces came
detachment of 1900 District of Columbia
Guards under command of Cecil Clay.
/ Next swept into view the second di-
| vision, consisting of troops of the Ma
| ti0n0l Guard of the several states rep
| resented ut the Inauguration. At their
head, in many instances, were the gov
errors of the states. Commanding this
division was Governor A. s. Bushnell
as marshal, with Gen. Akin as assist
/, ant.
A warm welcome was extended to Gen.
o. o. Howard, as he rode at the head of
the third division made up of veteran
organizations, such as Grand Army Of
the Republic posts and Union veterans.
This wound up the military division of
the grand parade, and while there may
have been more troops in an inaugural
parade in times gone by, yet in the point
of display and regularity, nothing was
left undone.
Next came the civil organizations, fol-
lowed by probably as many aids as was
in all the rest of the line. Division after
division passed, representing II majority
of the states of the Union.
There was prolonged cheer as II great
campaign banner stretched from wheel
frame came in sight. It bore the
pictures of Mckinley md Hobart and
was labeled "rhe first republican cam
paign banner that swung to n southern
breeze Its attendants were the At
lanta Mckinley club, Il. ii. Martin, com
mander
Without exception the finest display by
any band in the civic division was the
mounted Peace Corps OF Washington, II
boys zouave corps of ninety-fve, all
thoroughly trained young musicians
The great crowd broke through the
ropes as soon as the last marcher filed
past and surged about the reviewing
stand with a cheer. The great parade
was over. SO far as the general public
was concerned, though it continued on
until Gen. Horace Porter's reviewing
stand on X street was reached, where
it disbanded.