Evening star., 1915-08-01
REVIVE MEMORIES
OF CIVIL WAR DAYS
Mementoes of Conflict Shown
in Great Numbers at Ma
tiOnaI Museum.
SURE TOBE VISITED
BY G. A. R. VETERANS
History CT Great Struggle From
Sumter to Appomattox Sketched
by Preserved Records.

The Grand Army enCampment of next
month will lsold many honors for com
ing comrades, but apart from the review
an historic echo of that other review
"r fifty years ago-it is doubtful if any
arranged plan Will exceed in emotional
value a visit to the National Museums
exhibit of flags, weapons uniforms and
other relics of the civil war.
For every veteran who marches along
rhe Avenue. link in the chain which
connects his twilight years with the
immortal army of his youth. there will
he some predominating memory of war
davs to keep step with him to the call
of fife and drum.
And over in the museum the big mo-
ment of his life may again vision itself
in some memento of assGci .tion that,
sparklike, will flash out its glimpse of
!, long ago soldier boy who was daring
enough to follow wherever a flag led the
way From Sumter to AppomattoX the
museum sketches the war by means or
MANY records, the most unusual OF
which is a bullet-riddled stump. which
tells the story of Spotsylvania Court
House.
To the old soldier who had his share
in that battle. the stump means some
thing more than so much dead wood IN
a ease. He sees it. giant oak. spread
ing it's centuries of leafy shade over
those Confederate intrenchments. 1t was
a hot tight with valor for an enemy, but,
of course, they won. The I'd Corps.
Army OF the Potomac, always fought to
win. But he can see 1t. right now, that
poor old tree. cut down by enemy mus
ket balls during attempt to recap
ture the works. The battered chunk
has bridged the gulf of half century OF
years.
Grant Mementos There.
1t is doctrine that Ulysses S. Grant
VIII live, personally, until the last pulse
heat of the last boy in blue, and for that
very best of reasons the belongings OF
the commanding general Of the army will
ne of special interest to every soldier
who fought under him in the civil war.
Shoulder straps, buttons, hat ornaments
and epauiets, grouped in the order in
which they were earned. serve as SO
many stepping stones to the helghts OF
military glory to which the hero attained,
looks as If it had gone through more
han enough to earn the "gold-fringed
epsulets of the general OF the army
which blaze in a gorgeous heap nearby.
NIL four great cs 5es, and SO varied in
character as to represent almost every
quarter Of the globe. The smallest ex-
hibit is a jade cup. the size and color OF
than its shell. 1t was a gift from the
regent Of China at the time Of Gen
Grants visit to the orient. The largest
specimen is a ponderously magnificent
veined with dozen colors. and mounted
in dull. carve brass. The citizens Of
Pueblo, Mex, took this method of ex-
pressing their appreciation Of their war
rior guest" Which shows how nice
Mexico can be when she tries.
Though the eq.sstrtan statue Of Grant
will not be completed in time for the
encampment, a bronze Sherman on
bronze steed will figure in the coming re-
view. The museum also recalls the
v.liant Tecumseh, with his service sword
used at Shiloh, and breastpin made Of
buttons from the uniform WIN by him
on his march to the sea-
War Flags Garry Thrills.
There are war f1ags that carry thrill
in each frayed stripe and tarnished star.
From the garrison standard. lowered
at Fort Moultrie in 1860, when Maj.
anderson and his command evacuated
that post to occupy Fort Sumter. to
the flag. raised at Richmond in 1865,
each powder marked. bullet-torn en-
biem represents a chapter If national
history written in indelible red, white
and blue.
And there is another flag! 1t is such
long flag that its length stretches the
course of several cases. Its four stripes
are each a yard wide and its nine stars
are larger than any starfish that ever
came out of the sea. From end to end
1t is incased in a honeycomb mesh Of
twine-a precaution taken to preserve
its glory for the coming morrows, for
this is the garrison flag that SO
proudly waved over Fort McHenry dur
ing the bombardment of the British in
hey to write the Star Spangled Ban
ner The flag was placed in the
museum by ID relative of Col. George
ATnistead, commander of the fort, who
with his men won victory for the
standard in the dawn's early light"
Old Tools of War Shown.
The Grand Army veteran will live
forever in song and story, but the
weapon with which he fought his way
to immortality is so much junk today.
carbne. musket and rife have given
way 10 achine guns. and the clash of
sabers man to man, has been replaced
by the purr of long-distance shells. OF
the firearms that fill countless racks
and cases in the old museum the vet
srau will find duplicates, lock, stock
nd barrel. of every weapon he carried
q. the civil war though each has re
cd from active service to serve as
iiDits in the nations armories of
But the flag is still III style. And il
j.. the fla g that counts.
TM-NTY.EJcuT CpArEc cOJO