The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-07-05
PRESIDENT MAKES
BRIEF ADDRESS To
GREAT ASSEMB[AGE
Veterans Fraternize and Old
Boys Spend One Night
in Jollihcation
SONGS EXCHANGED
FOR TIME BEING
Confederates Sing Marching
Through Georgia" and the
Enemy" Retaliates By
Appropriating Dixie"

GETTYSBURG, PA, July 4.-Ths
president of the United States came to
Gettysburg today and made a speech,
and over a dozen governors, trailed
by their staffs. marched and counter
marched, but the real feature of tho
last day of the reunion was the pa
rade before sunrise, the singing.
shouting parade. while Confederate
bands played Marching Through
Georgia" and Federal bands stirred
the echoes of the Round Tops with
Dixie" The paraders were made up
of old men who had found their youth
on the field of Gettysburg and who
marched with their hands on each
others shoulder or their arms around
each others necks.
No one episode Of the semi-cen-
tennial celebration testified so finely
to the one big fact that the veterans
of the blue and gray have thoroughly
enjoyed themselves, but all bitterness,
all soreness has passed away and that
every dollar that our Uncle Sam and
the States spent was mighty we'll
spent in bringing them together.
Great Throng See Fireworks.
A. least $4,000 people saw the fire.
works last night and took JOY in the
pleasure OF the veterans. Automobiles
came all the way from Philadelphia
and Baltimore as we'll as from the
small towns for fifty miles around.
The roads were choked with grunt-
ing motors. and Major Grooms Penn
sylvania police, together with the reg
ular army cavalry found it sweat
ing. trying Job to guard the lives of
veterans who wandered over the roads,
blind to Oh but the lights and coiors
breaking over Little Round Top.
Until well after 10 r. NJ. the fire.
works continued, Then veterans came
J hn
fore their tents for more "reminiscences,
more songs.
Exchange Songs.
At nearly every Confederate camp
fire were half a dom Union veterans.
Across the camp, among the Federal
veterans the Confederates were Wis
iting. Nobody wanted to go to bed.
There was a good deal of laughing and
hilarity among the North Carolinians.
Some time towards A. NJ. band
tuned UP. The bandsters came down
the slope through the Virginia camp.
With shout of joy the Virginians
catching hold OF the visiting federals,
trailed after the band and as they
passed camp after camp, the old men
fell into line.
A strong voice took up Marching
Through Georgia" Thirty years ago
you could hardly have found Con-
federate soldier who would have sung
that song. In the dawn of this morn
ing they shouted 1t. swinging cadencies
enthusiastically. Led by the band, they
sang 1t clear into the midst of the
Northern camps and then the Union
soldiers joining the parade with their
own band insisted on Dixie until
the bandsmen were breathless.
Liggett Appears In Pajamas.
Round and round, the camp they
went until finally the merry din
routed from sleep Brigadier-General
Ltggett, L. 8. A. commanding the re-
union camp. The general appeared
in his pajamas cheered Justify, and
laughed with a chorus of 5000. In
the bright sunlight the veterans went
| to bed to get little rest They had
made a night of 1t. The story Of
| that night will be told many times in
small towns and villages all over the
United States.
In the middle Of the morning the
veterans visited for the last time
those portions Of the battlefield that
they knew best. then they returned
! to sit once more In shady places and
tell the old stories. Some Of them
prepared to receive President Wilson,
whose special train was due at Gettys-
| burg station at Il A. M.
President Arrives.
| The president was received at the
! western MaTylHnu STATION pS tH8
| Pennsylvania Monuments commits
sion. including Governor Tener.
| Drawn UP at the depot were four
troops of the Fifteenth cavalry and
data ch yrant> al the PannsyivanSa State
police under Major Groom. The es-
oort wasted no time in getting Mr.
Wilson over the mile between tbs
station and the encampment They
| placed the president In an AUTOMOBILES.
7 formed IN front and In the rear Of
( the car and took the dusty roads At
! n fast pace. The view that thousands
| of old soldiers who did not attend the
/ celebration in the big tent had of the
president was through rolling cloud
Of dust
The big tent. an enclosure Of canvas
that could hold Barnum and Bailey
circus crowd. was pretty well filled
when the president arrived.
Rush Through Meeting.
| At least half of the audience %
| 10000 were visitors. not veterans
Most people regarded the ceremonies
| of the day as more. OF civic cele-
bration. more of the usual Fourth ~
| July affair than as a large episode
OF the reunion. Az the president
| came on the camp grounds Battery III
| Of the Third field artillery, fired the
ftwenty-one guns salute to which thu
ONCE OF the presidency II entitled.
The meeting In the big tent wAaa
| fairly rushed through. GoverncF
Tener,. OF Pennsylvania, presented tho
/ president In a dozen words NM
Wilson, after the appliances had sub
sided. read his speech rapidly.
had finished In : quarter - - -