The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-05-17
THE OLD VETERANS
They Marched Once More Under
Their Old Flags.
THE MEMORIAL EXERCISES,
Officers and Men Were Cheered
TO the Echo by the Tens
of Thousands of
Spectators.
Spectators.

through the streets of Charleston We'd
nesday afternoon, triumphantin peace,
under the same colors they defended
with their lives when old Fort Sumter
doomed and swept the sea with shot and
she'll. And the parade was indeed the
feature of the Reunion, for no speeches
however patriotic, can stir and thrill as
does the proud step of the soldier and
the throbbiug, moving line Of men, and
the beat of the drum corps and the bu-
gle's blast.
As division after division, and COM
pany after company, passed in review
hats were waved with patriotic frenzy
anG cheers came from the thousands
who had patiently awaited for the line
to pass. Youth and old age, in one
conglomerated mass, mingled their
shouts and did not fail to applaud the
| appearance of even the most humble
private in the ranks. Gen. Gordon
shared the applause with his standard
bearers and the white haired drummer
received hero fame
The parade was one of the longest
ever given by the Veterans since they
began holding their Reunions. Ere
quently it has been the case that the
weather has interrupted the parade, but
more auspicious day than Wednesday
could not have been possible. The
column formed at Meeting and Broad
streets, and moved forward at 4.25
o'clock. Gen. Gordon sat erect upon a
magnificent horst, and was accompanl-
ed By his full staff mounted. On every
side he was accorded enthusiastic ova-
tions, and his time aud attention wee
wholly consumed in acknowledging the
shouting and applause; so it was for
brave old Hampton, and so it was for
Stephen D Lee and Gen. Cabell and all
of the glorious heroes.
From beginning to end the parade
was an interesting spectacle to those
who witnessed it. Old soldiers, worn
and weary by weight Of years, many
burdened by poverty, held their heads
erect Wednesday, and followed thelr
leaders as they did more than thirty
years ago. 4 blind drummer kept step
to his tattoo, playing the same drum
he carried through the war. An aged
Veteran sounded sweet and soft his old
brass bugle, whose notes had urged his
comrades years ago into battle and, he
says, he never learned to sound retreat.
Magnificent beyond expression was the
moving, waving column, as the aged
and infrm and manned hobbled over
the Belgian blocks, waving their hats
to the crowd, and cheering the names
Of Gordon and Hampton and Lee and
Cabell in particular.
The crowd was almost exhausted
from cheering when the tattered and
torn battle flags appeared, and there
was moments silence-the calm be-
fore the storm-theu mighty shout
went up from many thousand throats:
The color bearers waived THEN flags and
lifted their hats in reverence to the
banners which they had followed all
but to death. Gen Wade Hampton was
the centre of all, and he was compelled
to carry his hat in his hand, as it was
impossible to lift it to the thousands OF
ladies who waved their handkerchiefs
and clapped their hands, and so as one
after the other of the generals were re-
coguized cheer after cheer went up
from the great throng, which lined
Meeting street and Marion square and
the entire line of march. almost to the
very doors of the Auditorium. The
scene was one to be seen only once in a
lifetime and the old Confederate gray
uniforms together with the general
makeup opened up tender picture to
the young as well as the old.
How many were in the line Of parade
it would be difficult to say, but there
we're thousands, estimated all the way
from three to five thousand and the
length of the line was fully mile or
more.
MoBLIZING THE VETERANS.
It took considerable engineering to
get the line into good shape:
Under the orders promul gated the
various States modified their eterans
as follows:
First South Carolina Divison-Right
resting on St Michael's alley. facing
west. ~.
Second Virginia DivisioR-Right
resting on Water street, facing west.
Third North Carolina Division
Right resting halfway between Wa
ter street and the Battery, facing west.
Fourth Maryland Division-On the
Battery, right resting on Meeting street
facing south.
Fifth Kentucky Division-On the
Battery, right resting on Churh street,
facing south.
Sixth West Virginia Division-On
the Battery, right resting corner South
and East Battery, facing east.
Army Tennessee Department-On
Broad. west Of Meeting, with its right
resting on Broad, and facing north
First Mississippi Division-Right
resting on Postoffice lane.
Second Florida Division Right rest
ing on King street.
Third Alabama Divisior-Right rest
ing on Orange street.
| Fourth Georgia Division-Right rest
ing on Logan street:
Fifth Louisiana Division-Right rest
ing opposite Trapman street:
Sixth Tennessee Division-Rleh Mt
resting on Rutledge avenue.
Trans-Mississippi Department-On
Broad street, east of Meeting, on north
side, facing south, its right resting at
Meeting.
First Texas Division--Right resting
near Meeting street.
Second Arkansas Division-Right
resting near Meeting street.
Third Missouri Division-Rlght rest
ing half way between Church and State
streets.
Fourth Indian Territory Division