The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-05-19
Especial from United Press.)

Petersburg, Va. May 19-PreSident l Taft, the governors of two great states, an ambassador from one of the mighty European powers, generals, captains and innumerable other dis | tinguished men from military and civil life gathered here to-day to dedicate
 the $50,000 monument that Pennsylva-
 mia has erected to the memory of the heroes who took part in some of the
 bloodiest battles of the great war. Not since Burnside's men touched
 the fuse to the 5000 pounds of gunpow- der that blew up Elliotts Salient and made a grim crater of the grassy
 knoll has there been so much noise
 about Petersburg. Veterans in Con federate Gray aS/well as those in Ted eral Blue are here to-day. A Repub-
 lican President, the first to come since Lincoln is the hero of the hour and | when he leaves for Charlotte tonight
 in North Carolina. Twenty thousand men and women from the surrounding country as well as from Pennsylvania
 are in Petersburg to assist in making him feel at home.
 The Presidents car, Olympia, reach ed Petersburg shortly after g o'clock attached to the train that brought
 Governor Stuart and 1000 Pennsylvania veterans and their friends. No stop
 was made in the town, the Pressden- tial party, the governors of Virginia and Pennsylvania and other d.stin- guished guests being escorted into Fort Stedman where the veterans from the
 Keystone State dedicated a tablet to
 the brave third division of the fJinth Army Corps. This tablet stands on the spot where General John F. liar tranft captured the works from Gen.
 eral John B. Gordon. As soon as the ceremony was ended the Presidential party was driven to Fort Mahone. The
 way to the fort in 1868 had been %,s~~
 the Presidents carriage was frequent
 ly stopped to allow his conductors to point out some especially notable scene. When Fort Malone was reach vile, Pa, the chief marshal of the
 military met them. Admiral Sigsbee, the Virginia and Pennsylvania sol diers, Colonel John s. -Moseby with the throng that f1ocked From Petersburg were among those present
 Rev. R. w. Barnwell. of Petersburg, delivered the invocation and speeches | were made by Major Isaac B. Brown, | field Commission; Milan A. Embick, secretary of the commission and by President Taft. The flags that vei;ed | the features and form of General liar | tranft were pulled aside at the proper
 moment by the following ladies: Mrs. Harold A. Gilbert, Williamsport, Pa; i; | Mrs. Clarence G. Flower, Harrisburg, Pa.; Mrs. William H. McGil1, dauGh-
 
 the fort was named Mrs. Mahone, | widow of the famous Confederate co:n- nander and Mrs. General L. A. Dodd | of Baltimore.
 The Presidents address dwelt upon the lessons taught by the conflict of | 45 years ago and ended with a plea | for better understanding between the North and South. With the con-
 Governor Stuart of Pennsylvania, | turned the statue over to the state of Virginia and Governor Swanson made a speech of acceptance Rev. J. w. Plannett then pronounced the bene- diction and a bugler standing on the steps of the monuments pedestal | sounded "Taps." This beautiful call
 was echoed by another bugler station ed at Fort Sedgewick, not far away. Following the ceremonies at the mon | ument the President and his party were turned over to the hospitality of | the city of Petersburg and returned | to town. A ride through the prin- cipal streets of the city brought the ! President to historic Center Hill Man- sion where luncheon was served. This | was one of the prettiest functions of | the day. The President and his friends were served on the broad veranda and | the rest of the guests to the number | of 1 ,000 partook of their luncheon from ! tables of real flowers, strewn about on the lawn. Men had been working on | the tables for over a week and from | the natural appearance of the flowers, grass and natural blossoms one would | think they had sprung from the earth. A lawn fete and reception was sched- uled for this afternoon. Ambassador
 Jusserand. Admiral Sigsbee and other distinguished visitors will speak to- ! night and at 10:20 p. n1., the Presiden- | tial party will leave for Charlotte, N. | C., where the Executive will attend a celebration of the anniversary of the | signing of the Mecklanburg Declara- l tion of Independence.