Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1900-08-30

Greatest Parade Sire tho Return
From the Civil War.
ONE MARCHRR DE1PPED DEAD.

=
a Veteran From Michigan ReSpouds
to the Last CAN W.,5Ic rnsSinG in
Rcview-TheAnnur -:usjlcsS Meet
ing Opened This Mc2Hin=.
Chicago. Aug. 29.-For four hours
and a half yesterday thn thinning ranks
of the Grand Army Of the Republic
passed in review before the leaders and
before probably million spectators.
packed in almost solid masses along
four miles of the line of parade. 1t
marked the climax of the 34th annual
encampment of the association OF vet
erans who filled the pages of history
with deeds of heToism during the weary
years of the civil war, and was, accord
ing to CommandeT-in-C Chief Shaw, the
greatest parade since that day in
Washington, when the hundreds OF
thousands of veterans, the most power
full army on earth, marched in review
to their final disbandment.
Probably 10000 members of the army
of veterans took part in the parade.
For exactly four hours and twenty
minutes, most of the time with ranks
almost perfectly aligned, but OCCASION
ally faltering under the burden OF their
years, they filed past the reviewing
stand on Michigan avenue. saluting as
they marched by Gen. Nelson \. Miles,
Commander-in-Ch Shaw, Gen. Dan
ieI E. Sickels, Gen. Joseph Wheeler,
Acting Governor Wardner, Mayor Har-
rison, Speaker Henderson, Senator Cul-
lom and the Spanish minister, Duke
D'Arcos.
Weather conditions were almost ideal
for the parade. weaTisome at best for
the silver haired veterans. The rays
of the sun were veiled by light. tleecy
clouds nearly all day, and even when
unobscured their effect gas greatly
tempered by a cool breeze which blew
steadily off Lake Michigan. The line
of march. too. was much shorter than
ever before mapped out for the annual
parade, its entire length not being over
four miles, but notwithstanding this,
here and there a veteran, da2ed and
exhausted, dropped out Of the ranks.
Especially was this tr"c afser the re-
viewing stand was passed, a1d many
pathetic scenes were witnessed down
the long stretch of Nieli-an avenue as
the veterans fell by the 've"s!de.
One especially sad incident occurred
to mar in a degree tie glory Of the
parade. Charles BeckWith Of Alg0nSea,
Mich. dropping dead as the line was
filing past the corner of Michigan ave
nue. and Madison street. The parade
was halted for a moment, the body Of
the veteran who had responded to his
last call was tenderly removed and his
comrades passed on.
The first cheers from the reviewing
stand were given to the famous old
war eagle of the Wisconsin troops,
"Old Abe" the stuffed figure of which,
borne aloft by a brawny buckskin
dressed veteran, was heartily greeted
by the crowds and saluted by Gen.
Miles and the others in the boxes. The
post escorting "Old Abe" was closely
followed by Lucius Fairchild post,
, which startled the crowds by stopping
in front of Gen. Miles and Commander
Shaw. giving the familiar "Rah rahs"
of the University of Michigan. 1t was
somewhat cracked and feeble, but II
showed the undimmed spirit that made
the Iron Brigade famous and ii started
the crowd to cheering again. A few
moments later George c. Meade post,
No l. of Philadelphia, filed by. Borne
aloft by "a silver haired veterans were
as many battle flags, tattered and torn
by bullets. and close behind them ten
equally ragged corps flags. They were
the first of the many battle flags car
ried in the parade that were seen by
the thousands along the line of march,
and everywhere the ragged banners
were greeted with cheers.
One of the most striking features OF
the parade was the appearance OF the
Iowa veterans, thousands in number.
Speaker Henderson received an ova-
tiCn from them. He was recognized as
the veterans from the Hawkeye state
reached the stand, and the band. stop
ping in front of his box, ceased play
ing and raised their voices in a song,
From Iowa" the chorus of which,
thundered out by a thousand or more
veterans, was as follows:
We're from the Wild Rose state.
From Iowa Iowa.
Just across the Mississippi river.
Iowa, Iowa;
And we're just the stuff
Speaker Henderson laughingly ac-
knOwledged the salutes, and then the
veterans raised their voices in some
thing a little different. With the unan-
unity and enthusiasm of a football
crowd they howled the following:
"Hurrah, hurray, corn and hay
We're the boys from Ioway.
First in war, first in peace;
First in the hands of the city police"
Shortly after passing the reviewing
stand the line Of march disbanded, and
most of the veterans tired with the
hours of march, sought their hotels
and lodging places.
The evening was given up entirely to
affairs of social character, the chief
event being an informal reception to
Commander-in- Chief Shaw, depart
ment commanders and distinguished
guests, at Memorial Hall. In 26 diff
ferent places in the down town dis
trict reunions of states were held.
The annual business meeting of the
Grand Army OF the Republic was open
ed this morning in the Studebaker
theater The meeting was called to or
der by Commander Shaw. and an ad-
dress OF welcome was made by Mayor
Harrison, Commander Shaw replying
for the members of the army J. J.
Longnecker, of Chicago, then, speak
ing for the old soldiers of Illinois, ex-
tended greeting from the state at
large, and to this Gen. Louis Wagner
replied 1t is expected by the ma
pority of the delegates appointed to at
tend the meeting that the business of
the organization will be over by to-
night. and that there will be no need
| of the meeting being adjourned until