The National tribune., 1904-08-18
Review OF Sherman's Army on May 24-Ent
Of the Pageant and the Army.


AS the Army of the Potomac was pass
ing in review Gen. Sherman's Army was
moving up to be in readiness for a prompt
start the next day. In the afternoon the
Fifteenth Corps marched across Long
Bridge. and went into bivouac on Capitol
Hill, on the grounds from which the Army
of the Potomac had marched. The Seven
teenth Corps followed and during the
night the Twentieth Corps crossed the PO-
down around the Virginia end of the Long
Bridge. and went into bivOuac, ready to
begin crossing early in the morning.
81 and Shorty were to stay at the board
ing house, but rise early, and meet the
regiment it left the bridge at the foot
of Fourteenth street.
The spick-and-span neatness of every
man in the Army of the Potomac had fired
the girls with an emulation for the West
ern boys, particularly their own husbands,
and tired as they were they spent the
hours after supper in brushing the cloth
and polishing the buttons of the uniforms
which the boys had labored to bring to
the perfection of neatness. They were up
betimes in the morning, to make final
inspection Of the linen the boys We're to
wear. and to give the last touches to their
raiment. see that they did not get any
breakfast. and send them forth, polished
guns in their whitegloved hands, as ire
prOachably groOmed as womans loving
care could secure.
Shorty had heretofore been one of the
dandies among the enlisted men of the
regiment. but Maria led him 10 nights that
he had not before attained. This was only
one Of the thousand ways in which that
young woman, with whom he was getting
more wildly in love every day, was int1u-
encing and moldng him.
| The two boys hurried through the
crowds. greater even than they were the
day before, to meet the regiment, while
their wives got ready to resume their
seats of the previous day.
/ If anything, the weather of Wednes-
day, May "a 1865, was even more perfect
than that of Tuesday, May %, the crowd
was larger and more enthusiastic. the flags
brighter, the flowers more abundant and
beautiful.
Everybody was in place and expectant
by 9 O'clock.
The President and his Cabinet, the Gov
ernors of States, the dignitied Justices OF
the Supreme Court. the gaiy-uniformed
members of the Diplomatic Corps, the
crowds of hgh-rank Generals, Admirals
and Commodores. were all in their places.
The marvellous pageant of the day be-
fore had whetted their appetite for more.
They wanted to contrast the army which
had fought so desperately at Gettysburg
and in the Wilderness with that which
had taken Vicksburg, and Chattanooga.
and Atlanta, and stamped the life out of
the rebellion in eight of the 13 States of
tho Confederacy. There was an intense
curiosity to see what manner OF men were
these wide-ransng "Bummers,' these long
legged marchers, these swarming. harry
ing. indomitable, irresistible, indefatigable
hordes. for whom no mountains were too
| difficult, no swampS too impenetrable, no
river barrier too broad and swift no jour
ney too long to keep them from reaching
| their enemies and whipping them men
who had marched farther than Napoleon's
corps d'armee Cesar's legions, or Alex
ander's phalanxes, and conquered wher-
ever they had marched.
After the girls had taken their seats
their attention was attracted to n conver-
sa ton between a policeman and man
on crutches. who wore an officers coat,
from which the shoulder-straps and gilt
buttons had been removed. One of his
legs was off at the knees. and his pallor in
dicated that he had recently come from
the hospital.
"No. Cap" said the officer kindly but
firmly. unless you have ticket you can't
go up there. That stand is reserved for
those who have yellow tickets, with the
number of the seats on them. Go down
there to the general stand. Maybe they'll
| find a place for you
Il am not able to walk much farther"
said the man. weakly. "And I'd give any
| L
army. Served in it for four years, from
Belmont on"
awful sorry" said the officer. But
orders are strict"
Mara's sympathies were at once
aroused. The mans refined strong face,
She leaned over the rail and said
'Say, Mr.. Officer. let the gentleman
come up here. We have two vacant seats.
Here are our tickets for them"
Say, Cap. you're playing in great luck. !"
said the officer, after examining the tick
cts. 500 up there. and sit with the ladies" a."
And he good-natnredly helped the vet
eran up the steps, handing his crutches up
after him.
"A thousand thanks to YOU ladies'" said
the veteran. after he settled himself into
his seat. Il wouldn't have missed this
review, for anything: | had to take French
leave from the hospital to get here. for the
doctors forbade my coming. But / know
that it will do me more good than all their
medicine to see the old boys march up be-
fore the President. My name is Phelps.
| was Major of my regiment when / was
order discharging all the officers in hOspi-
tai who were not likely to be fit for duty
inside of 80 days, and it made me so
angry that l cut off my straps and but
tons. The Government shouldn't be SO
eager to save money on those who were
L
ought to keep us on its payroll until we
have fair chance to get well. They say
il was because so many officers have been
playing off in the hospitals. Surely they
could make a distinction between men who
had gunshot wounds and those who were
playing off imginary diseases. l went out
in the Fall Of 1861, and was with my regi-
meDt in every fight, from Belmont to
Averasboro: That ought to count for
something"
Maria saw that the man was a little
petulant from his long confinement and
; weakness, and soothed him with q few
words of sympathy and interest.
The Major Gained down, and began to
talk with growing enthusiasm of the ap-
preaching army, whose bands could now
be heard, mingled with the cheers of the
spectators, far down the avenue
Seems to me know every man in that
army" he said, "and a grander lot of men
never marched under any flag. I've seen
them under all sorts of circumstances and
condtions-when the short line that was
left of us by 5 o'clock on that awful Sunday
afternoon at Shiloh. Strengthened out on
the bluff in front of Websters guns, for
, a last fight; in the Yazoo swamps, after
the repulse at Chickasaw Bayou; Mt Ken
esaw; in front of Atlanta, July %, when
" l.. H.