Iron County register., 1900-05-31
TIE BLUE AND THE GRAY.
Society of the Army of the Potomac
Hold Memorial Services at
Fredericksburg, Va.
P,".1l sslDERT AND CABINET WERE THERE.
The Principal Incident of the Day
was the Laying of the Corner
stone of tho Fifth Corps MOnu-
mept In the National Cemetery
Souvenir for Virginia Masons.

| fredericksburg, va. May 2o.-On
the very ground over which the old
Fifth corps charged at Fredericks-
burg, President Mckinley, his cabinet
| and Gen. Miles, yesterday witnessed
the laying of the cornerstone of q
shaft which will perpetuate, in bronze
and granite, the heroism of the Army
of the Potomac. 1t was an impressive
ceremony, and rendered the more so
by the fact that among the hundreds
who witnessed the event were noted
leaders of both the federal and the
confederate forces. The monument
w,.s the personal gift of Gen. Daniel
| association. This in itself was a
unique feature, as the battlefield mon
uments heretofore have been mostly
the gifts of corporated societies or
furnished by popular subscriptions.
The president and his cabinent were
welcomed at the courthouse, which
was decorated with the national col
ors, and the various corps flags of the
Army of the Potomac. Welcoming
speeches were made by prominent
veterans from both sides of the civil
war, and afterward the president held
an informal reception at the home of
ST. George r. Fitzhugh, where he was
welcomed by hundreds of the town
folk, both white and black.
The President and Party.
The special train from Washington
Il ~ Il
population of the staid old Virginia
town grouped about the depot or
massed along the main street with the
national colors appearing everywhere.
The SPECIAL carried all the members of
he cabinet except Secretary Wilson.
There also were in the party Gen.
Nelson A. Miles and his chief aide,
Col. Michler, Gen. Joseph Wheeler,
frolner Adjt.-Gen. Ruggles, who was
colonel of the presidents regi-
ment during the war, and the Marine
band.
Reception on Arrival.
The train was met at Quantico by n
reception committee from Fredericks-
burg, consisting of Hon. Horace +.
Crisman, Mai. L. 2. Morris and Post
NIIhitls "ho
panied the presidential party to Fred.
ericksburg, where they were turned
over to the hospitalities of the local
committee.
Procession and Exercises.
The procession formed at the depoJ,
and. headed by the Marine banl
moved at once to the courthouse,
where the public exercises were held
and al official welcome rendered to
the Society of the Army of the Poto-
mac. The addresses of welcome was
delivered by ST. George r. Fitzhugh,
and the response was made by Gen:
Martin T. E. Mcmahon. The oration
of the day was delivered by Gen.
Daniel E. Sickles.
MT. Fitzhugh's Address.
Mr.. Fitzhugh's address was a strik.
Ing piece of oratoricaI work. He paid
the highest tribute to the army of the
Potomac and to their confederate
saying that to erase the
names Of the Spotsylvania battlcfields
from the history of the American
army would be to rob it of half its
glory. The same blood shed on the
fields, he said, still
flowed in the veins of the American
soldiers, wherever the american arms
might be in the future, whether those
who bore them were cx-federals or eX-
or descendants of the
two, they wotild stand shoulder to
shoulder, and their record would be
one that would take no luster from
tho glory won by the Stars and Stripes
on the bloody battlefileds of Virginia.
President Mckinley and his cabinet
officers appla'Ided this sentiment
heartily, and the speaker was Justify
cheered by the large audience.
Luncheon at the Opera House.
The exercises at the courthouse
were followed by luncheon served in
the opera house to the members of the
society, the ladies and invited guests. |
which the president held a brief re-
ception at the residence of Mr.. st. |
George r. Fitzhugh, before the party |
proceeded to the national cemetery for |
he ceremonies incident to the corner |
Etoue laying of the Fifth corps monu-
ment.
Corner Stone Laying.
The corner stone of the monument |
was laid by Gen. Daniel E. Butter. |
field. He had prepared for the occa-
eion a handsome silver trowel appro-
priately inscribed, and after the cere.
mony this was presented to the Ma.
fonic lodge of Fredericksburg.