The Red Cloud chief., 1899-09-01
First Nebraska in the Arms
Of Friends
SURRENDER UNCOMFORTABLE
Greeted at Lincoln by From Fifteen to
Twenty Thousand Peop,e-Cannon
and Whistle Boom and Blow n
Wcicomc-Half OF the Boys
Go On to Omaha

The First Nebraska regiment reached
Lincoln last Tuesday evening. The
first section came in Mt $3.50, over twelve
hours later than schedule time. The
second section came in at OILS and the
third at 0:25. About half OF the com
panies dropped off and took trains for
home, only about 400 or 500 going to
Omaha, where a big reception was had
Wednesday.
Forty minutes before the first train
came in the whistles broke loose. The
fire whistles, the creamery whistle,
many locomotive whistles and the big
siren on the Burlington round house
filed the air with noises. But little of
the noise made by the whistles could
be heard in the vicinity of the depot.
The greater noise was drowned by
the lesser, the screech of tin horns and
the explosions made by small firearms.
The regiment was glad to surrender
themselves to the kind friends who
crowded around them and wept for
JOY over their return. The termina-
tion of the long agony to the friends
and the certainty Of the luxuries of
home to the men with the relief from
strain all around was a time of happi-
ness to everybody. The welcome the
men received left them no doubts as to
their standing in Nebraska.
The soldiers knew that they were
the heroes of the state and that what
they wanted was theirs for the asking.
Men scrambled from doors and win
dows of the train and people emerged
from underneath and descended from
on top till the boys were fairly
smothered.
Friends Of long standing embraced
each other and more than n man
kissed his friend who had been so long
away. The wives and families OF some
OF the officers soo pushed their wav
through the crowd and found their
loved ones. Quite as affecting scenes
as at the time of the leave taking were
enacted.
Company of Lincoln came in on
the last section. The second and third
sections arrived close together. The
second section blocked the way of an
proach to the train carrying the home
boys and as soon as it was discovered
that Company ID vas here, n jam occur
red between the two trains which al
most caused serious trouble.
The men of the company seemed to
vanish as in the air. Their relatives
sought them out and bore them away
and in five minutes it was a difficult
matter to locate a Company ID man.
Members of the regiment began to
leave the trains west of Oxford and go
to their homes. At Oxford company
ii of Nelson left the third section and
took the valley line of the Burlington
for home. Company c of Beatrice left
the second section of the train at Crete
and took a special train for home.
Company A of York returned home by
way of Aurora. Some of the Nelson
boys and h Geneva company left the
train at FairmoDt. No. 81 was held
ut Lincoln to take the Columbus com.
pany home. A special train was run
from Lincoln to Bennett to
date the members of company l.. The
Lincoln boys left the train at Lincoln.
There were a great many Lincoln boys
In other companies besides company ID
and this fact caused desertions from
nearly all the companies when the
trains reached Lincoln. Nearly all of
the Broken Bow boys went through to
Omaha, as well as the Fullerton boys
who were members of company IL.
The trip across the state was n per-
feet storm of ovations. Great demon
strations greeted the returning heroes.
At most OF the towns stops of consider
able length were made to allow the
pent up enthusiasm of the cities to
give itself expression.
The First regiment boys are the only
people in Nebraska ut present.
MANY XII E0 IN THE EIGHT