The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-07-09
THE REGULAR ARMY
PAYS ITS TRIBUTE
Priyates and Officers Stand mt Atten-
tiOn for Five Minutes on the Field
of Gettysburg.

ThOuSandS VINO sleep under the hills
OF Gettysburg. Somewhere down in
the heart of the tented city a bugle
sang out in silver sweet call that wan
dered over the field where Lee and
Meade made history. The big flag
before the headquarters Of Gen. Lig-
gett flashing in sudden curves Of red,
white and blue glorious in the sun
shine Of perfect July dayfi came
slowly half way down the shaft. In
front Of the tent, shoulders squared,
figure trim in summer uniform of
white, face towards the flag, the gen.
,eral clicked heels together and stood
at attention.
Somewhere the guns of the Third
battery burst in staccato salute. Every
officer over the length and breadth of
the wide field, every enlisted man,
turned away from the duties of the
moment and faced the flag, heels to-
gether, heads up and eyes alight with
the sentiment of the hour.
Silent by Instinct.
eclsoes Gathering about Cemetery
Ridge and Round Top, there was SOL
emn silence, the hush Of peace. Old
veterans who did not realize, perhaps,
exactly at the beginning what was
going on, stood silent under the spell
of the universal feeling that seemed
to sweep the field. Even the clatter
of pots and pans in the mess tents
was hushed, and the yells of cooks
about to dish up the midday meal
lowered to whispers. For five min
utes the camp was quiet. Then the bu-
gle spoke again in notes more joyous.
The silken flag leaped up the staff to
it's very pinnacle and the noises 10000
men can make resumed they sway
The regular armys tribute to the dead
and to the flag Of reunited nation
was paid.
Only a few minutes before Presi-
dent Wilson had spoken in the big
tent to the veterans in blue and gray,
and only a short time afterwards
thousands of those who were left be-
gan their prevarations for departure.
THE president came into Gettysburg
shortly before II o'clock from Balti-
more. Through the narrow, crooked
streets OF this war-famed country
town he motored out to camp, with
Gov. Tener Of Pennsylvania and Rep
resentative Palmer Of Pennsylvania
by. his side. His appearance at the
station Of Gettysburg was the signal
for a cheer and from down in the
Gettysburg college grounds came the
customary 81 guns salute. From the
station to the camp over the village
streets and gray roads the president
was driven while the Pennsylvania
constabnlary, looking business-like
and efficient in their slate-like gray
uniforms, guarded his automobile asd
kept the traffic clear.
Rise with Cheer.
AT the entrance to the big tent the
president paused for q moment to let
the camera pop away as he stood
with head uncovered between a vet
eran from either army. His entrance
into the tent to the strains of "Hail to
the Chief" brought the crowd, which
estimates say numbered 10000 from
their chairs with cheer. The speak
ers' platform was filed with the staff
officers OF governors, with men in
Confederate gray and a few n blue,
with women In gay dresses and the
president In his black frock coat was
a quiet figure,
Gov. fener introduced him In a
dozen words. lAs he rose to speak
there was another cheer.
The president spoke slowly and
carefully but the breeze that played
under the sides of the tent, the rest
less feet OF those who hastened in,
made 1t difficult for the old men in
the rear seats to Near and Under
stand The president was interrupted
only once or twice with cheers.
The president was in the tent only
a half hour. AT the conclusion of
his speech ne shook hands with many
OF those on the platform and then
walked between fines OF the constab-
ulary to his private car, waiting on a
nearby siding. He stood on the rear
platform as the train pushed slowly
down towards Gettysburg through