The Irish standard., 1900-09-01
GRANDARMY PARADE
Thousands of Veterans of the Civil
War Pass in Review.
Forty-Fivc States and Territories Are
Represented in the Line-White
banner of Peace and Stars and
Stripes in the Lead.

Chicago, Aug. 29.-The second day
of the Grand Army of the Republic
encampment opened Tuesday morn
ing with the formation of what is
probably the largest parade of civil
war veterans witnessed in three
decades. Soldiers representing As
states and territories marched through
struggling masses of humanity, past
giant structures decorated with gay
colors, where red, white and blue
predominated, through valleys whose
sloping sides were made by throngs
of people. And this maze of brass
buttons and the slouch Lat wended its
way to goal, the court of honor.
All Had Part.
1t was a pageant in which foreign
dignitaries, men and women of ma
tional prominence, local celebrities,
and survivors of the war of the rebel
lion all ha>. a part. Extending south
in Michigan avenue was solid col
umn of o4d soldiers. Of the many
hundreds of posts in the United States
and Alaska all were represented except
about 200. 1t was the big feature of
encampment week and proved to be
a magnet which drew hundreds of
thousands into the downtown dis
trict.
Bent with Age.
In the long line of blue which passed
under the festoons and banners were
marchers bent with age. The cane
and the crutch took the place of saber
and musket. There were 10000 men
in uniform to represent the 2,500,0OO
soldiers who went out of service after
AppomatoX.
Old Soldier Falls Dead.
But there was a blot upon the
standard. Right in the midst of the
glitter and the eclat of it all vet
eran dropped dead. Patriotic mu-
sic was sweeping over the swarm
of people at Madison street and
Michigan avenue when suddenly
Charles Beckivith, 65 years old, bowed
and bent, fell to the cobble stones,
dead. He was with Sheridan post No.
4, department of Michigan.
The Start.
The white banner of peace and the
stars and stripes led the column, as,
heralded by 12 trumpeters, it marched
south through the army arch and into
the court of honor. First there was
the Pageant of Patriotism" Gen.
Daniel L. Sickles, of New York, COM
manding. Escorting him was the IA
nous Lafayette post of New York,
and then came the CD Guard post of
Washington, whose members lost
limbs in the civil war.
Guests of Honor.
The guests of honor were next,
among them being Gen. Nelson A.
Miles, the duke and duchess of ARGOS
and the presidents of the Woman's
Relief Corps, the ladies of the G. A. r.
and the Army Nurses association.
! Order of the Parade.
Col. Joseph II. Wood, grand marshal
of the day, led the column, escorted
by the citizens committee, mounted,
100 strong, and then came Wisconsin,
leading the veterans of the grand
army. The bands played "Tramp,
Tramp, Tramp, the Boys Are March
ing" and there was a swelling of
hearts in the breasts OIL the thousands
of onlookers as the little handful of
survivors of the famous Iron Brigade
marched by, led by Gen. Edward S.
Bragg.
The veterans of the Badger state
were followed by those from Penn
sylvania. their old battle flags attract
ing much attention. Ohio made
magnificent showing in the second di-
vision, and was followed oy New York,
the Bidwe!l-Wilkeson post of Buffalo
having the honor of escorting the
commander-in-chief. Next came posts
from Massachusetts,, Connecticut, New
Jersey, Maine, California, Nevada,
Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Ver-
mont, Virginia, North Carolina, Mary
land, Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa and
Indiana. Indiana had the honor Of
having more men in line than any
other of the visiting states. Follow
ing it were the veterans from Colora-
do and Wyoming, Kansas, Delaware,
Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon, Ken
lucky, West Virginia, South Dakota,
Washington, Arkansas, Tennessee,
Mississippi, Texas, Idaho, Arizona and
other states, Illinois, with the battle
flags of the state, bring up the rear
of the parade.
Battle Flags in Line.
Fifty ragged and torn battle flags
in the pageant of patriotism attracted,
great attention. In the war they were
carried by New York regiments, but
Tuesday the members of Columbia
post, Chicago, bore them, tightly
wrapped to their stats. The post was
formed in four platoons by Com
mander NJ. w. Diffley, the flags and
escorts being in the center of hol-
low square. This display of war relics
brought cheers from the crowd every
where along the line of march.
Five Hours Passing Reviewing Stand.
The signal gun for the start of the
procession was fired shorlly after ten
o'clock, and the parade was nearly FIVE
hours in passing the reviewing stand.
State Reunions.
Reunions of the veterans by states
were held in the evening. AS 26 states
furnished volunteers from 1861 to 1865,
SO there were as many reunions. By
these state assemblies men who have
not met for years were given an op-
portunity to shake hands again with
chums of army days.
Message from Conger.
Des Moines, Ia, Aug. 29.--Gov. Shaw
received message from Minister