The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1915-12-09
DESCRIPTIVE NOTES OF GRAND
ARMY ENCAMPMENT
=. +. Emerson Tells of the Pleasures
of This Event and Something of
The Trip

holds a National Encampment annu-
ally in some one of the principal
cities of the country. 1t was al
together fitting and proper" that on
the fiftieth anniversary of the closing
up OF The Civil War the Encampment
should be held at the National Capt.
tai and a Peace jubilee be held to
properly commemorate that great
event. The whole aim and purpose
of the committees in charge was to
make this semi-century anniversary
one that would go down in history as
the elimination of all that is great
and grand and patriotic in our coun-
trys varied events.
Our own State of Maine was repre-
scented by two separate parties, the
Merrick and Milliken. composed of
veterans of the G. A. r., the ladies
of the Relief Corps, and specially in
vited friends. to the number of about
l50 in each party. This immediate
section was represented by Mr.. and
Mrs. Charles Smith, Mr.. and Mrs. w.
H. Emerson and A. w. Smith from
Skowhegan; Mr.. and Mrs. Cephas
Walker and Mrs. Mahala Renter from
Madison and Mr. and Mrs Milton
Young from New Portland, all of
whom went with the Merrick party.
The rendezvous was at Portland We
left there by special cars Sept 20, at
the noon hour, arriving at Fall River.
Mass. in time to take the steamer at
Z p. m, for New York, reaching New
York City at 7 the next morning.
Crossing the Hudson by ferry to Jer-
sey City, We took the train for the
National capital at s Monday morn
ing, arriving at the Union Station
Washington at 800 p. m. and were
Immediately transferred to the New
Ebbitt Hotel, where the Merrick par
~ was at home during the four days
at Washington. From Portland we
passed over the same route by land
and water that the 3rd Maine Infan-
try took fifty-four years before on
its way to the front. 1t was only
natural that deep memories should
crowd in upon some of us who were
with that grand old regiment as ii
moved forward at that time to the
defence of the Nations capital
On our arrival we found the city
crowded to the fullest extent with the
veteran soldiers of the Civil War,
ladies of the different patriotic asso-
Citations and citizens in general from
all sections of our common country.
The decorations were beyond words
to express. Flags covered all the
great public buildings and hoated
grandly from hotels and private resi-
dences in glad welcome to the boys
in blue who more than a half cent
ury before had marched with steady
tread over these same streets to the
battle fields of Virginia. During the
four days in Washington we did not
intend TO take any rest save at night.
There was too much to be seen; too
much to occupy attention for one to
take any unnecessary rest.
Tuesday morning opened up SPLEEN
didly The forenoon was devoted to
an automobile ride of 40 miles over
the principal streets; by all the mag
nificent public buildings and across
the Potomac to the Arlington Nation
al Cemetery where 10000 Union SOL
diers lie buried. Here we went into
the Lee mansion and into the room
where Gen. Lee and his wife were
married. Here is Gen. p II. Sheri-
dams tomb and other monuments
marking the last resting place of
many generals of the war. The view
from Arlington is magnificent in the
extreme. Washington presents
splendid panorama and the famous
Potomac waters can be seen for
many miles.
Wednesday was the great day of
the Eneampment The weather was
ideal Neither too cold nor too warm
with the beautiful sunlight sending
its cheering rays over one of the
grandest sceneries ever seen in this
country, at least not since two hun
dred thousand conquering veterans
marched the length of Pennsylvania
Avenue in May 1865. Now it was
one-tenth of that number, many of
them the same men. with the same
lofty courage. with the same deter
mined will, manifested fifty years be-
fore. 1t was surprising how splen-
didly they marched, these men carry
ing the burden of seventy years and
more. Some of them nearly ninety.
How they longed to go into that par
ade Il shall start in if | fail to go
through was the general expression
and only a comparative few were OBJ
liged to fall out before the mile and
half march was accomplished. The
columns formed, each Department by
itself, and moved from the cross
streets into the great avenue as the
proper time came. The Maine De-
partment formed just North of the
Capital. The waiting was somewhat
tiresome, but the cheers the veterans
received from the crowded sidewalks
from every window from every avail
able space that could be occupied.
made them forget that there was such
a thing as being tired. We were in
line from start to finish. four hours.
-Four hours of continued ovation.
Years of mighty memories crowded
into that short space of time. ut
was worth ten years of peaceful life.
one glance at that array"
Thursday we took an electric rail
road transportation and went to Mt
Vernon crossing the Potomac at
Washington on to the Virginia side
down through Alexandria and on
through a sparsely settled and unpro-
ductiye section. till the Mt Vernon
estate was reached / was in this
section in time of the war and failed
TO see any Improvement Fifty
four years ago last July Col. o. o.
Howard, then in command of the
Third Maine Infantry detailed two