The Minneapolis journal., 1906-08-15
VETERANS MARCH
FOR COMMANDER
Every Soldier Braces Up TO Look
His Best Before His
Chief.
Age Tells from Year to Year on
Men Who Fill Thinning
Ranks.

The inevitable tragedy attached to
another day and generation came re-
peatedly upon the public stage as the
marching veterans passed the review
ing stand at Eighth street and Henne-
pin avenue, at the end Of the parade
route. ~@F Sr*,
The famous Columbia post of Chi
cago, one of thercrack organizations of
the Grand Army, came in at the right
of the line and lined up with salute
members as spick and span in their
natty uniforms and as erect and alert
as when they started on their march.
Former Governor Van SAINT, riding a
charger as if he never had the feel Of
a Mississippi river boat under his feet,
was the first Grand Army man to reach
the reviewing stand after "Corporal'
Tanner had taken his place, and he was
given an individual ovation second only
to that prompted by the appearance of
the Misunderstanding.
But as the procession marched along
Hennepin avenue, and the posts, more
time and trouble-tried than their pre-
decessors, went past, there were many
who plainly labored under the fatigue
Of the day and marched more thru
instinct than with the enthusiasm Of
a first engagement.
The Poet Scout. r..
Captain Jack Crawford, the famous
close upon the heels of Governor Van
SAINTS mount, was a picturesque fig.
ure the sight of which aroused the
reviewing stand to the greatest en-
thusiasm, and the big brigade from
Rockford, which led the illinois Sec
| ton, caused the cheers to ring out
all along the stand from the time Dan
Lawler, grown heavy with the years,
passed at the head Of his post, until
an old man, leaping and capering in
the last rank, made the people forget
| that the war was fought forty years
Then came the National Association
Of Civil War Musicians with the squeal
| ening the same strength of, spirit which
sent the Young men volunteers to the
front long before the Middle West be.
came an empire within itself.
Times Heavy Hand.
! It was after the first half hour had
seen the passing Of the Illinois vete-
rams and when high noon and the WIS
consin soldiers had passed together,
| ing its heavy hand on the men who
saved the nation began to take definite
| form. In the earlier stages Of, this an
nual march the boys in blue had stepped
iauntily down tNicolleH while the spec
tators roared4 from the sidewalks and
windows on either side. But when the
| last Of the ten blocks .on9 the Hennepln
, avenue side Of the triangle had been
reached and the old boys from Wlscon-
sin. Pennsylvania and Ohio came into
view. it was seen that even with all
weather conditions in their favor the
| soldiers Of '61 had lost much of their
sometime vigor. ~.
| ~ It Was a Long March. -
Commander Tanner stood in the re-
| viewing stand alternately removing MS
hat to a passing flag or salutlng, s1 ou9
with ,ut making any sign that they were
before the man at the head Of the great
est veteran organization in the world
New and then an especially actlv!
marshal or captain Of the line woult
shout, "Uncover!' and the old chaps
would march by with gray heads un
protected from the sun. Others woult
raise their canes or their banners IL
salute, but the old heroes were tired.
Bright Spots in the Parade. parade -a,
Win all Gulo IGClSuo lHOio W.
plenty of bright spots in the long lin
of saviors of their country. The Luclu
Fairchild post Of, Wisconsin was, give1
the two little girls in red, white an'
blue, bearing the eagle and the badge.
which typifed Wisconsin in the civl
war and the Eagle post of Eau Claire
bearing at it's head the counterpart O
the historic cold Abe' were recipient
of many cheers while the crowd san!
"While We Were Marching Thr'
Georgia. Then came the Gran
Rapids post with an old fighter minu
ene leg and Ppttingg HI his mbgst ST. ls
he passed "Corporal Tanner, his com
rade reached over and took OFT the lam
ones hat. =,
Kenosha post also came in for it
share Of special attention with on
|tvetu dressed as Uncle Sam and q
young man walking by his side attire.
as Minnie and thus aatteringly labeled
It was only after this representing
had gotten well past the reviewing
stand that. an old lady among tn
spectators discovered the masquerader
.. sex and exclaimed: "Why it's
, mani Look at her feet! - -
{. Old Fatigue Caps. -.
: The five flags and the old-time fs
tigue caps of the big Pennsylvania SCI
tion also brought forth from the crow
all sorts of enthusiastic comment, Whll
the 'Bucktails' brigade, now sadI
thinned by time, and the big Ohio dele
cation headed by more than ife-slz
i fsbuckeye,' y. also got the cheers OF tn
crowd and many stentorian inquirle
as to "what's the matter with Ohiog
Now and then young-old chal
whose hair was white, sought to den
onstrate the eternal youth of the civ
+ war veteran by capering joyously alon
Z the pavement, doing an original buc
and wing or some other fancy ste
showing that whatever time migf
think of the proprieties Of advance
age, the performer thought nothing {
them at all. One old boy, kept up h
performance all along the front of til
grand stand, pausing only long enoug
in front of Commander Tanner to Civ
the salute of bygone days.
It was a great revelation to stt
est of sightseeing -places--this sti
great army Of grizzled soldiers, son
u of whom the years had passed so ligh
lily. by while Others labored under IL
load Of time and struggled manful]
on to the end of This days Journey. ]
was probably this latter impressiC
which made the applause coming fro
the reviewing stand less vociferous tha
& elsewhere along the line of marc
Many marchers were plainly and pai
fully tired Of the task set for them,
s many other thousands had during tl
past forty years yielded to the tria
and opportunities of time and the