Semi-weekly herald., 1911-07-24
rich ores discovered, strike into this
Cascade creek and Lime creek coun-
try referred to. w. C. p.
BLUE AND GRAY AGAIN
MEET AT BULL RUN.


army of peace took possession of
Manassas today. Thousands of men
wearing the blue~and the gray filled
the old town. On the battlefield of
Bull Run near by was to be seen the
panoply of war, but the implements
of death and destruction were not
there for the purpose that took them
there fifty years ago. Nevertheless,
they were reminders of those bitter
days when thousands of the youth of
the north and the south gave up their
lives in the first great battle Of the
civil war.
Manassas was beautifully and pro-
fusely decorated in honor of the vet
Grams and of President Taft and other
notables who came to participate in
the semi-centennital celebration. Many
of the visitors reached town yester-
day, while the morning trains from
Washington, Richmond and the west
added thousands to the invading host.
There was no regular programme
mapped out for the forenoon. 1t was
"go as you please" with the visitors,
and they took in the sights with Wig
or that was remarkable, considering
the age ID the veterans and the fact
that many had come from a great
distance.
AT daybreak almost the crowd be-
gan to move toward the historic bat
tlefield. Motor cars and all varieties
of vehicles were pressed into service.
The battle memorials were inspected
and every bit of rising ground was
climbed to get clear view of the
field where the sons of the nations
best men went out for their country's
cause, and where the confederate
troops fought valiantly for what they
thought right. The great majority of
the veterans had not visited the field
since they fought in it.
1t was remarkable how long and
well the soldiers remembered every
spot, every move, every order, every
incident of the great conflict. They
gathered in groups and pointed out
to the wives, daughters and sons who
accompanied them the places where
this or that commander held the en-
emy back so long. They talked of re-
serve corps and attacks on thir rights,
of cavalry charges and defense by the
left. AS they wandered around they
would see monument or marker
on which the inscription would partic-
ularly attract their attention. Then
they would figure out among them
selves, throwing statistics to the
winds, how many men were left of
each brigade, regiment or company
when the battle was over.
This afternoon the veterans and
their friends returned to town for the
formal exercises of the day. The ex-
ercises were of simple but very i'm
pressive character. The speakers
stand was located at the junction of
Lee avenue and Grant avenue. Here
President Taft, Governor Mann of
Virginia, Congressman Carlin and
other speakers of the day addressed
large and attentive audience. The
speakers stand was decorated with
the red, white and blue of the Star
Spangled Banner, entwined with the
confederate battle flags, showing the
peace and harmony existing between
the two. Assembled about the stand
were hundreds Of men wearing blue
coats and brass buttons who had
fought for the union; there were other
hundreds in gray suits and gray caps
who had fought for the confederacy.
President Taft and the other speak
ers were received with enthusiastic
applause. The applause reached its
height when various well known lead
ers Of the blue and the gray were rec
ognlzed in the assemblage and given
seats of honor on the platform. In
voices tremulous with emotions nat
ural to the occasion the several speak
ers delivered orations that were lis
tened to throughout with the deepest
attention. Veterans of the blue and
the gray We'd with one another in pay
ing tribute to the other side. Deaf
ening cheers greeted the names of
Johnston, Mcdowell, Beauregard,
jackson, Lee, Pope and other com
manders whose names will ever be as
sociated with Manassas and Bull Run.
The addresses were followed by n
pretty spectacle embematc of the
reunited nation. 1t consisted of forty
eight maidens, each representing a
state in the order they were admitted
to the union, each clad in the red,
white and blue, and bearing the name
of the state across her breast As the
maidens sang the national airs there
were few in the vast assemblage
whose eyes did not fill with tears.
AS one old soldier remarked as he
clasped hands with another veteran
against whom he had fought, there
was an inspiration in the occasion
such as only comes to one few times
in a lifetime.