Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-09-13

ecutive mansion, and was occupied by
President Johnson, Lieutenant General |
Grant, General Sherman and members
Of the cabinet, heads Of civil and mil |
itary departments and the diplomatic |
corps. 1t was artisticaIly festooned |
with the national colors and battle !
flags and decorated with flowers and |
eVergreens. Immediately over the
center Of the pavilion and at each end
were large stars formed Of flowers and |
eyergreens, while there were also prom |
inently displayed the names of Gettys-
burg, DoneIson, Bentonsville, Peters i
burg, Richmond, Vicksburg, Shiloh, |
South Mountain South River and the
Wilderness, as reminders of the battles
through which the troops had passed.
The principal platform was soon
filed. General Hunter, president OF
the conspiracy court; General Han
cock and General Torbert, with ladies.
walked slowly down the pavement and
entered the stand, being greeted with
waving handkerchiefs and the clapping
Of hands. Next General Augur, COM
manding the department Of Washing
ton, joined them, and in a few mo-
ments a deafening cheer that rolled
along the line with increasing volume
like a wave announced the approach
Of General Sherman. The general, fol-
lowed by a few Of his staff, with I'M
covered head, passed quickly along and
up into the place assigned to him,
II Of in /
titude grew louder. Scarcely had the
cheers subsidized before the other end
! of the street took up the peal and pre-
! coded with still more deafening accla-
nation the coming of General Grant,
who accompanied by General Ingalls,
and General Barnard also moved I'M
| covered and acknowledged with appro-
pirate gestures the ovation rendered to
! him.
Members of the cabinet, officers of
the army and navy, foreign ministers,
Mayor Wallach and other distin-
guished personages followed rapidly,
! filing up the seats, until, when the
president and Secretary Stanton ar
rived, little space remained unOccu-
pied. The president sat in the center
of the front seat, with Secretary Stan
ton, General Grant, Attorney General
Speed and Secretary McCulloch on his
right, and Secretary Welles, Postmas-
ter General DennisOn, General Sher-
man and General Barnard on his left.
The other three stands were occupied
by governors, senators, and members,
judges, officers Of subordinate rank,
etc, and were appropriately decorated.
The first soldier to pass before the
reviewing stand was General George G.
| Meade who was splendidly mounted.
Just behind him was his color bearer,
carrying a purple silk flag, ornamented
with a gold eagle craped in mourning.
| Following the general and his escort
came the cavalry, under General Mer
rift; the provost marshal generals
brigade, under General Macy; the en-
gineer brigade, under General Ben
ham; the ninth corps, under General
Parke, with division Of the nine
tcenth corps, under General Dwight;
che fifth corps, under General Griffin;
the second corps, under General Hum
Phreys, and the artillery of each corps.
General Meade rode a few PAGES in
advance of his staff, the column NOV
ing by companies closed in mass, with
shortened intervals between regi-
ments. bgigaGes and divisions.
For the sake of uniformity and to
pass narrow portions of the street, the
was limited to twenty files. Arms
were carried at right shoulder shift
until reaching The front Of the state
department, when they were brought
10 shoulder. Each brigade of infan-
try was accompanied by six ambu-
lances, three abreast The crowd filled
up the sidewalk completely. Every
window, porch and balcony and many
h0uset0ps were occupied and in front
OF the treasury department there was
barely space enough unOccupied TO al
low the column to move through. At
the line of guards stationed in front of
the state department to keep back the
throng the pressure at times was ter
ribIe, frequently jeopardizing life and
limb.
Cheers and waving of flags greeted
the commanding general as he moved
along with his troops, the bands filed
the wide avenue and intersecting
; streets with martial music and the
arms cleaned gloriously in the morn
ing wind as if instinct with life As
the head Of the column passed the
president and General Grant arms were
presented, the vast assemblage chcered
and the cayalcade passed Oh, General
Meade and his staff returning to the
stand.
, Suddenly thrill ran through the
J, throng as a magnificent stallion
I dashed madly down past the president
and his associates, the rider, Genera
e Custer, with a large wreath hanging
upon his arm, his scabbard empty anG
e his long hair waving in the wind
: vainly striving to check him. On sWept
E the horse, the throngs rising from
5 their seats in breathless suspense thai
: changed to a murmur Of applause a
: the Workmanship of the rider, anc
finally giving place to loud, Ions
! cheer as the general checked hi:
q frightened steed and gracefully rode
8 back to the head Of EEL. column
: the third cavalry division. The caval
u ~ moved spIendidly to the sound Of it: