Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1900-09-04

and Fully Half a MiIlior. onIookers
Crowd Along the Line of NIarch-An
IEu5,osing Spectacle.
-
Chicago Correspondence:
OF with your hats as they go by,
Cheer for the patriots who wear the
blue.
Crippled and SCARED and out of breath,
These We're the heroes of o.
They swung down Michigan boulevard
those steel men OF the Grand Army
lin martial review more impressive
than any of the century's military spec
tacles. Their steps a trihe hating, their
eyes a triae dim, but their wrinkled
cheeks ahame with never-dying patriot
ism, great host of the soldiers who
ehoked secession in an awful war march
ed under battle flags with bloody his
tories behind commanders who led them
into revels of death and carnage, and
between banks of uncounted humanity
who looked aud learned a lesson. There
were men SCARED and manned, in that
parade; there were men bent with age.
But they trudged along under the August
sun as full of fire and enthusiasm as
when they stormed ramparts and charg-
ed redoubts q third of a century ago.
Fifty thousand If them marched in the
review
The spectacle Of gray-haired old fight
ers trying vainly to straighten the lent
shoulders that once We're SQUARE and
strong, and to keep step to war tunes and
battle hymns, and their feeble efforts 20
fight fatigue, put pathos into scene
that was already pathetic, and told the
story of the army's last retreat before
Father Time Some dropped from the
ranks before the march was over; othrs
leaned ON comrades shoulders and game
ly tramped to the finish, and still others
pushed along, heads up, steps firm, fit for
battle with any foeman that ever lived.
They all saluted brave old BLACK Jack"
on his bronze charger down on the lake
front. Flags dipped and canes were
waved at the fiery figure OF Atlanta's
hero from every post that marched, and
few veterans there We're who did not
shout a greeting to Illinois dashing son.
Soon after the sunrise gun was fred
Tuesday bands began to 2play and the
post commanders began to lead their COM
panies 70 the rendezvous at Randolph
street and Michigan avenue. Around the
Illinois Central station and in the thor
oughfares adjacent thereto were thou
saads and thousands of blue coated vet
Grams. There was much wheeling and
concentrating in response to COM
mands, much cavorting of spirited horses
and much brassy blare from scores Of
bands. Finally a troop of mounted pc
licemen formed line clear across the
street, Col James II. Wood chief mar
shall, and his aids cantered in behind
them and the procession was under way.
The white banner of peace and the
Stars and Stripes led the column as,
heralded by twelve trumpetcrs, it march
ed south through the army arch and into
the Court Of Honor. First there was the
Pageant OF Patriotism Gen. Daniel e..
Sickles OF New York commanding. Es-
corting him was the famous Lafayette
Post of New York, and then came the
Old Guard Post of Washington, whose
members lost limbs in the civil war
The guests Of honor were next. among
them being Gen. Nelson A. Miles, the
Duke and Duchess de ARGOS and the pres
idents of the Woman's Relief Corps, the
Ladies Of the G.. A. r. and the Army
Nurses Association. Thus the column
approached the reviewing stand. There
was a brief stop to allow the noted guests
to take their seats Then the flag of the
G. A. r. was hung out, the Stars and
Stripes and the banner of peace moved
forward again, and the long, tedious
o., IL.
Col Joseph III. 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 Marching" and there was
a swelling of hearts in the breasts of the
thousands of onlookers as the little hand
full of survivors of the famous Iron Brig
adc marched by, led by Gen. Edward S.
Bragg.
The veterans Of the Badger State were
followed by those from Pennsylvania,
their old battle flags attracting much at
tention. Ohio made a magnificent show
ing in the second division, and was fol-
lowed by New York the Bidwell Wilke-
son Post Of Buffalo having the honor of
escortng the ommander-in-chief. Next
came posts from Massachusetts, Connec-
ticut, New Jersey Maine, California, Ne
vada, Rhode Island, New Hampshire,
Vermont Virginia, North Carolina,
Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa
and Indiana Indiana had the honor of
having more men in line than any other
of the visiting States. Following it were
the veterans from Colorado and Wyom-
ing, Kansas, Delaware, Minnesota, Mis-
souri,, Oregon, Kentucky, West Virginia,
South Dakota, Washington, Arkansas,
Tennessee, Mississippi Texas, Idaho,
Arizona and other States, Illinois, with
the battle riags of the State, bringing up
the rear of the parade
The veterans marched twelve abreast.
There were no divisions in the parade
and it moved as a compact mass, the
States and posts being distinguished by
guidons and banners. Because Of its
simplicity. the ranks were formed and
moved away with little difficulty. Only
1876 posts in the United States were I'M
represented in the procession.