The times., 1899-06-16
SCENES OF THE LAST
DAY At CAMP ORDWAY
The Annual Dress Parade and
Review of the Guard.
A Distinguished Gathering Wit
Hesses the Maneuvres.
MINOR General Miles, Assistant Sec
rotary MeiISIejohn and Commis-
sioner Wight Present.

unguished visitors, the annual encampment
of the District of Columbia Guard was
brought to an end late this afternoon with
brigade dress parade and review.
The day was a gala one for guards
men, and stood out in remarkable con-
trast to the damp. murlSy week which
they had spent in dull monotony at the
camp by reason of heavy showers and
thunderstorms.
Many visitors were on the camp ground,
in addition to the distinguished guests,
who arrived in the afternoon, and half the
population of Leesburg and the surround
ing country turned out to behold the long
line of District soldier boys. Many of
them, veterans of the Spanish war.
maneuvred on the green campus of the
valley in which the Guard has been en-
camped
The crowds were not the only feature
of the closing day of camp life. The ele
ments were as favorable as could be de-
sired, the warmth of the bright June sun
being tempered by the cooling breezes
which blew across the hills and dales of
Virginia, from the direction of the upper
Potomac, throughout the day. During
the afternoon Jupiter Pluvius threatened
TO break up the review and the enjoyment
of the day with a heavy downpour of rain,
but the Dense black cloud which had
loomed up in the south moved eastward.
and poured its volumes of water down
upon the farm lands intervening between
Alexandria and Leesburg, but not single
drop of rain fell in the neighborhood OF
the camp.
Early Morning Scenes.
The sun dawned brightly over the crum-
| bling breastworks of Fort Beauregard in
the morning. The guardsmen were up
| with the larks and the sounding of the re-
veille call in anticipation of the conclud-
| ing ceremonies of the last day of their
| camp outing The crowds began to arrive
| before noon and by half-past O'Clock all
the improvised streets OF the white city
were alive with people. Early trains car
ried many persons TO the quaint Virginia
| town, whence they were transported a dis
tance of almost a mile to the camp in om-
nibuses and various other kinds of con-
| veyances.
| The special train which brought the
distinguished guests to Leesburg left
| the Sixth Street station, in Washing
ton at 1 o'clock. It consisted of
three handsome coaches belonging to
/ the Southern Railway, one of them
| being the private car Of Superiutend-
| ent E. Ryder, who with L. S. Brown,
General Agent of the company, completed
| all arrangements for the transportation
and comfort Of the party.
| Among those who occupied seats In the
special train were Maj. Gen. Nelson A.
| Miles, commanding the Army; George D.
Meiklejohn, Acting Secretary of War; Col.
| Charles Bird. Assistant Quartermaster
| General; Capt. H. II. Whitney aide to Gen
| eral Miles, and who is remem bered by rea-
| son of his daring reconnaissance of the ISL
and of Porto Rico at the beginning of the
war with Spain: Col. John A. Johnston,
Assistant Adjutant General and aide to
Secretary Meiklejohn; John c. Scofeld,
Chief Clerk Of the War Department; Dis
| trict Commissioner John B. Wight; Dr..
| William Tindall, Secretary to the Board Of
| District Commissioners; J. T. Petty, Au-
ditor of the District OF Columbia and sew
erai newspaper men. The special made a
stop at Falls Church. where Capt. George
F. Chase and Capt. George H, Hunter, of
the Third Cavalry, stationed at Fort Myer
boarded the train. They went from their
post to Falls Church over the electric line
Arrival of the Guests.
The party reached Leesburg shortly after
2 o'clock. General Harries and his staff,
mounted. we're in waiting. General Miles,
in full uniform, was provided with mag
nifcent thoroughbred Virginia horse at the
station. The animal was lively one, and
when the journey OF the party toward the
camp was begun, pranced down the road
with remarkable activity. Some of the
military men thought the steed was too
lively for the general, and offered him the
use OF any OF their horses which he might
select but he gracefully refused all such
| offers. saying that he could manage the
animal that had been reserved for him. He
| gave every evidence that he could do this
both on the way to and from the camp and
his admirable horsemanship elected much
praise. Some of the farmers along the
road were surprised at the manner in
which General Miles handled the horse,
and. after his arrival at Camp 0rdway,
several made their way to the reviewing
stand and heartily grasped the generals
hand, telling him they we'll remembered
the day that he was a captain at Harper S
Ferry. Colonel Bird. Colonel Johnston,
Acting Secretary Meilklejohn, and Com
| missioner Wight rode to the camp in a
hack, while the others of the party went
in omnibuses and stages.
| The National Guard Brigade Band struck
up Sousa's march. The Stars and Stripes
| Forever" as General Miles, escorted by
| General Harries and his staff wheeled into
the camp from the dusty Leesburg and
| Front Royal turnpike. salute of sew
enteen guns was then fired while hand
ful of signal corps men, located with their
| instruments on a high mound, commune
Gated by heiograph with another detach-
ment of men near Leesburg, almost mile
across the rolling country. informing the
town of the arrival of the distinguished
guests at the camp. The salute fired when
the party arrived was in honor OF the Dis
trict Commissioner 1t being the same
salute as that fired in honor OF Governors
OF States. The Commissioner was re-
garded as occupying the same official ca
pacity as State executive.
Two long lines of guardsmen, selected
from the First Separate Battalion. coored
| extended from the entrance OF the camp
TO the large mound upon which was To-
Gated general headquarters and from
which the guests reviewed the maneuvres
of the troops, Major James Bell and Wal
ter Davidge, who came to Washington to
accompany the visitors to the camp, saw
that the distinguished company was COM
fortably seated on camp chairs under q
broad canvas tent. and then announced the
first feature of the days programme, which
consisted Of the presentation of crosses
bars trophies, and qualifications for sharp
shooting. These were distributed among
regimental battalion and company teams
The successful competitors formed in front
OF the reviewing tent. and as their names
were called by Major Bell, stepped forward
and received the insignia. The dstribu-
. tion of the crosses and bars was managed
by Major General Miles and Acting Secre-
tary of War Meiklejohn, each taking turr
: about handing the medals to the winners.
Among those who were rewarded wert
. | General Harries, Major Bell, Capt. A. p
Robbins Corporal w. W. Stillwell. Lieut.
A. NJ. Allison Sergt, W. e. Brown, Ser