Evening star., 1915-10-12
VETERAN SIGNAL MEN
{: I. =: !: ! CLOSE JUBILEE WORK
Eieut. Round and Lieut.. Whittlesey
Flash Signals From
! Capitol.
East OF Veterans In, City Garry Pre-
cious Flags, Relics Of the
I. Civil War.

Lieut., George Carr Round. past presi.
Gent Of the United States Veteran Sig
nal Corps Association, assisted by
Lieut. James W. Whittlesey. eghty-sia
years young" yesterday at noon
closed the jubilee signal work, begun
during the recent forty-ninth annual
encampment Of the G. A. R., by sig
mailing various messages from the
dome Of the Capitol
The two men. last of the veterans
In Washington from the encampment
stood on the signal station built half
way, up the dome of the Capitol and
sent various messages to the different
forts surrounding the city. The vete-
rams were alone in their work.
Lieut. Round first signaled. Malice
toward none, charity for all-Abraham
Lincoln" sending the message to Fort
Stevens. He then waved a signal to
Fort Mcpherson, DUTY still the sub
limest word in our language" a saying
Of Robert e. Lee.
Turning toward the White House. Mr..
Round signaled: Let US have peace. "
These are the memorable words of Grant.
In the direction Of the Mt. Tabor signal
from Wesley's hymn:
'Blow ye the trumpet blow,
Let all the nations know
The year Of jubilee is come
Then Lieut.. Whittlesey signaled: GLORY
to God in the highest" following which
both the veteran signalmen signaled
Amen" They then sang the ''Doxol-
with the old-time formality which used
to be employed to close signal stations
during the civil war-that is. twirling the
nag In circle three times around the
signalman's head. Both MIR. Round and
Mr.. Whittlesey took turns at twirling the
flag and swapping photographs of each
other.
Carries Priceless Flags.
Lieut.. Round went back to Manassas
last night. while Lieut.. Whittlesey will
leave for st. Louis some time next week.
The former has in his possession two
old-tims signal flags which are almost
look at. from an artistic viewpoint, be-
ing torn and stained. but both are his
torical relics Of the civil war.
The largest of the two is about five
feet square. white, with red square
in the center. 1t is the property of the
state of Pennsylvania with it was
signaled "the most important signal
message ever sent IN the history of
war;" Lieut.. Round says-a message
sent nearly eighteen miles over the
movement succeeded and Sherman's
stores been destroyed, 1t is thought
that he could not have made his march
TO the sea. The signal flag and its
waivers put a decided crimp in Hoods
ambition.
The smaller flag of the two in Lieut..
Rounds possession is red with white
square. April rs. 1865. when the news
reached Raleigh. N. c.. that Johnston
had surrendered to Sherman Lieut..
Round sent from the state capitol
building by rockets the following mes
sage: Peace on earth. good will to
men," Lieut.. Round declares that this
was the nrst time this message was
ever sent through the air.
Lieut.. Round was president of the
United States Veteran Signal Corps
Association for two years, being the
active president of the association dur
ing the recent encampment. Lieut..
Round. together with Lieut. Whittie-
sey and Charles D. W. Marcy of Bos-
ton. secretary of the association. were
the three leading spirits in the reunion
of the Signal Corps men in this city.