The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-06-16
MARCH TO DYKES STRAINS
i4AoT PARADE FOR MANY OF
BRAVE VETS. 10000 IN LINE
REVIEWED BY EVANS.

AAAO' 1enn.-Clad in the
lough gray homespun which thew
"ore-sometimes to victory, but fl
hally to defeat-in the sixties: carrv-
ing the ancient rifles with which
they defended what they believed
was the right; shoulder to shoulder
with men who bore uncomplainingly
with them the awful hardshiDs and
deprlvations of a cruel war, several
thousand United Confederate Veter-
ans marched in what was probably
the last big parade in which they will
ever participate. Some of them wore
struggling boards as gray as their
uniforms. Some were cleanly
Shaven. There were many empty
sleeves and scores hobbled along on
wooden legs. But all marched
proudly and bravely with the fire of
q great faith in their eyes and the
pride of a great-though lost-cause
IN their step. The heat was intense
the elimination of three days of
the warmest weather Memphians say
they have had in years. The sun
beat down pitilessly upon the as
phalted streets and was thrown back
into the faces of the heavily-clad old
veterans as they marched along. At
the suggestion of the parade COM
mlttee the line of march was cut
down to about. one mile and the
counter march was eliminated. Com
manders of divisions and brigades
directed that the older and feebler
members of their commands should
drop out. But officers were com
PEELED to report that they could find
no men old enough or feeble enough
to take advantage of the indulgence.
Bands from all over the south,
! twenty-five of them, were inter-
spersed here and there through the
parade, and when steps Jagged, or
aged limbs trembled and seemed I'M
able to keep the step the stirring
notes of Dixie" MY Maryland, ;" or
THE Girl l Left Behind Me" were
sufficient to send the blood cours-
ing through the old veins as it did
fifty years ago and lend strength to
the muscles that age had weakened.
Everywhere were flags, the stars and
bars of the lost cause, the tattered
battle flags of the states that chose
Davis as president, the guiders of
decimated batteries of artillery and
the pennants that FORESTS splendid
cavalrymen had often followed into
battle and sometimes to death on
the field.
The parade was led by Maj. Gen.
John H. Mcdowell, grand marshal,
and the veterans, marching by the
divisions in which they served, fol-
lowed behind. At the head of each
division rode the sponsors and maids
of honor, beautiful southern girls
attired charmingly and wearing the
huge crimson shoulder knots that
told of their proud position. Follow
ing the regular divisions came the
survivors of Forests famous caval-
ry corps. Soldierly and mastery
they sat their mounts, gray clad
with the Haunting yellow trimming,
which denoted their arm of the SER
vice.
The Sons of Confederate veterans,
parade. 1t was not so many years
ago that the sons really were sons,
young men, most of them scarcely
more than boys. But now, most of
them are getting along in years,
nearly all of them are gray, and they
look like veterans themselves. They,
too, were accompanied by a host of
beautiful young women as sponsors
and maids of honor while behind
them rode the official chaperones,
stately grand danes, who, in their
day, too, had worn the ribbons of
sponsor and maid.
Gen. Grant Witnessed Parade.
In the reviewing stand in the place
of honor, surrounded by the govern
Ors of three states, stood a heavy
athletic-looking man in civilian garb.
His closely trimmed black beard is
now sprinkled with gray. There was
nothing about the man to indicate
military command, save a certain
sharp crispness of speech and rapid
ty of movement. The man was Gen.
Frederick D. Grant, United States
army, son of the federal commander,
who received the surrender of the
southern army at AppOmattox.
Bearing a strong resemblance to
his famous father, Gen. Grant at
tracted a great deal of attention and
more than one aged hand was
brough sharply to visor in salute as
the parade passed.
The parade moved slowly. The en-
thusiasm along the line was intense.
Cheers were continuous and hearty,
and the streets were thronged with
one of the largest crowds Memphis
has ever entertained.
In the rear of each division was
an ambulance, attended by volunteer
surgeons and trained nurses. At
easy stages along the route of the
parade there were fully equipped.
emergency hospitals, where other
surgeons and nurses were prepared
to look after victims of heat or ac-
cident. There were a number of
prostrations among the veterans, but
the splendid hospital service pre-
vented any of them from terminating