The morning news., 1899-11-24
MEATH BATTLE
SCARED BANNERS
Two Thousand Old Soldiers
Marched.
CHEERS AND TEARS
Greeted the Remnant of the
South's Chivalry.
HOARY HEROES N TATTERED GRAY
Kept Step to Dixie.
Georgia Divisions Parade the Greatest
Confederate Survivors Gather
ing in History.
Kept Step to Dixie.
REVIEWED BY THE GOVERNOR
While Thousands AppIauded.

Not since Gen. Hardee with his army
of ragged and war-worn veterans crossed
the pontoon bridges over the Savannah
river in December, 1864, on the retreat
through the Carolinas have so many OF
the upholders of the Lost Cause been seen
in line together, marching in honor OF
their victories and their defeats, as were
seen in Savannah yesterday.
Nearly 1900 veterans, old and grizzled
and gray, many one-armed and some one
legged, marched together in line carry
ing their old battenags and stin as true
TO the principles for which they fought
as when starved and ragged and worn
out with hardship and privatlons they
laid down their arms in Difference to the
commands of their leaders and returned
to their homes to build up the fortunes of
the wasted South.
The men who marched in line yesterday
were not the lean and hungry veterans
Of Lee and Johnston who faced the world
in arms and only quit fighting because
they had worn themselves out whipping
their enemy. With the exception of a
missing arm or leg here and there the
scars of war had disappeared or were in
visible. but the long battle with adversely
had left many lines, and their faces were
furrowed with care, and the hands which
once handled gun and saber were harden
ed with the toll of years.
OF those in line many were still erect
and with every evidence of health and
strength, giving promise OF many years
and feeble and plainly showed the signs
of age. Some showed the marks of pros
perity, but with the large majority life
had evidently been one of toll and strug-
gle, filled with cares and hardships. AL
together, though, 1t was a hearty and
hardy-looking lot Of old men, and they
marched and cheered with a vigor ana
energy which was hardly to have been
expected of men of their years The
stirring strains of Dixie" put new life
in their blood. and with their tattered
. battle flags waving over them they forgot
their years and marched as If it were only
yesterday that they stood ready to re-
spond to the bugle's call.
The parade is justly regarded as the
crowning feature of the reunion. Savan-
nah has always been noted for the sue
cess of her parades, and her people have
many times witnessed successful affairs
of this kind participated In by the local
and visiting military, and a year ago the
boys ia blue tramped the streets of Sa-
vannah by tens of thousands. But no
more inspiring sight has been witnessed
here since the summer OF 81 at least than
the parade of Georgia's old veterans, es-
corted by the military OF the city and
headed by their beloved commander.
1t would be hard to say how many
thousands viewed the parade. The streets
were rather quiet during the morning, and
It was thought that many of the visitors
had left the city. This was true, but the
places of those who had departed were
more than filed by the large accessions
which came in by the morning trains. Al
most the entire city populat ton was out
and from the point of starting to the final
conclusion at dusk In the military pa
rade ground. thousands lined the streets
filled squares and crowded the fronts oi
buildings at every point of vantage alona
the route The military appeared in its
usual handsome style. but for once the
soldier boys were eclpsed by those who
had marched and fought on CORY fields
The feature Of the parade was the old
veterans, and they received the lions
share of attention and applause.