Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1900-04-05
CHAPTER ".

The review that morning had drawn
a. crowd to the drill grounds that
5anled the efforts of the guards. Car
rjages from camps and carriages from
town, carts from the suburbs, eques-
triaus from the parks and pedestrians
from everywhere had gradually en-
<.roached within kicking distance of the
Eeeys of the cavalry escorting the gen.
eraI commanding the department, and
shat official noted with unerring eye
Efat the populace was coming up on his
d3uks, so to speak, at the moment when
wac etiquette of the service required
Chat be should be gazing only to his i'm
mediate front and responding to the sa-
Iutes of the marching column. Back of
R1Fa1- ranged in long, single rank, was
d rawp up what the newspapers unanl-
rn0us{y described as a "brilliant' staff,
despite the fact that all were in SOM
L1fr campaign uniform and several had
never been so rated before. In their
rear. in turn, was the line of mounted
urGerlies and farther still the silent
rack of the escorting troop. Sentries
Hlssa been posted to keep the throng at
ffroper distance, but double their force
cnud have accomplished nothing-the
. 1nniscient corporal could not help
u&lAexr,, and after asking one or two stray
.gTgsfiocgG what they would do about it, the
rse45frJes gave way and the crowd
Ewarmed in. 1t was just as the head of
rne Long tramping column came OPP
Eosite the reviewing point, and the
Brigade commander and his staff, turn
F4 4, hni n
soGted station on the right of the review
Tug party completely taken up by the
rlzlss of eager spectators. A minute or
so was required before the trouble
could be remedied, for just as the oth-
GERS and orderlies were endeavoring to
induce the populace to give way -
thing the American always resists with
n gay good humor that is peculiarly his
owu--G nervous hack driver on the out
skirts backed his bulky trap with uneX-
Yotx.ted force, and penned between 1t and
the wheels of a newly y-arrived and much
more presentable equipage fair eques-
trfan who shrieked with fright and
cIung to her pommel as her excited
~uynuNG" Iashed out with his heels and
made splinters of the hacks rearmost
hack on its axle point. Out sprang tall
officer from the open carriage, and in
second, it seemed, transferred the panic
stricken horsewoman from the seismat-
DC saddle to the safety of his own seat,
and the mnistrations of the two young
women and the gray-halred civilian
who were the latest arrivals. This done,
and after one quick glance at the lady S
helpless escort, a young officer from the
Presidio, he shouldered his way through
the crowd and stood, presently, on its
inner edge, an unperturbed and most
Interested spectator. Battalion after
battalion, in heavy marching order, in
the dark blue service dress, with cam
paicn hats and leggins, with ranks well
closed and long, well-aligned fronts,
with accurate trace of the guides and
welt-judged distance, the great regi-
meuts came striding down the gentle
slope, conscious, every officer and man,
of the admiration they commanded.
Armstrong, himself commander of a
fine regiment of volunteers in another
brigade, looked upon them with SOL
dfer's eye, and looked approvingly.
Then, as the rearmost company passed
the reviewing point and gentlemen with
two stars on each shoulder extended
the.r congratulations to the reviewed
commander with one, Armstrong also
made his way among the mounted Off
GERS in his calm, deliberate fashion
needless of threatening heels and
crovsdiDg forehands, until he, too, could
say his word of cordial greeting. He
had to wait few minutes, for the gen
eraI officers were grouped and talking
earnestly. He heard a few words and
knew well enough what was meant
that quantities of stores intended for
the soldiers, even dainties contributed
by The Red Cross society, had been
stolen from time to time and spirited
Off in the dead of night, and doubtless
Ecs6 ia town for the benefit of a pack
af unknown scoundrels enlisted for nc
bette purpose. In his own regiment
BIS system had been so strict that nc