West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-07-08
VOLUME Xiv
NATIONAL ENCAMPMENT or
GAR. MEETS IN WASHINGTON
Meeting Will Be IN Celebration of
the Grand Review Which Was
Held at the Nations Capital Fif-
ty Years Ago - Thousands of
Veterans Will Attend

WASHINGTON. ID. c., July 3.-Fifty
years ago the Union armies. fresh from
the battleields OF the Civil war and
the surrender OF Appomattox, march
ed down Pennsylvania avenue in
Washington.
IL was grand review OF the war
SCARED legions OF Grant and Sherman.
OF Meade and Sheridan. and the other
famous commanders whose boys i'm
blue" had preserved the Union. Pres
ident Johnson and General Grant were
In the reviewing stand as the veterans
swung proudly past to the exalting
music OF their bands, while the battle
flags that had flown on a hundred
bloody fields, waved over the trium-
phant host
This thrilling pageant, OF national
interest, will be reproduced as far as
possible during the forty-ninth annual
encampment OF the Grand Army OF the
Republic. which will be held i'm Wash
ington, September 81, October 3, next.
according to the announcement made
here today.
IL Will be the fiftieth anniversary
OF the grand review. Thousands of the
same veterans who marched in that re-
view a half century ago uniformed in
the Union blue. will again keep step
TO martial music down PENNSYLVANIA
avenue, and pass in parade before
President Wilson and members of his
cabinet II will be the last time the
veterans Will march in Washington,
and the last time that hundreds of
them will ever again attend an en-
campment. as the aged men are fast
passing away.
The Grand Army. which survived
four years of campaign and never sur
rendered, will soon have to lower its
standards. defeated by Time, the only
enemy able to vanquish the veterans
Because of the increasing death rate
ana the feebleness of the survivors of
the great war IL is probable that the
Grand Army will never again hold a
great encampment after the Washing
ton event. As this gathering is the
last in which many OF them will par
tcipate. and as the anniversary of the
grand review is of such historic sig
nihcance to them and the country
they will make great efforts to be in
washington in September. The en-
campment will therefore be the largest
nj
organization.
Washington is making elaborate
preparations TO receive the Veterans
and the nations capital will be en- fete
during the week that the famous SOL
diers are within her gates.
Government officials and the people
OF the capital are unit in extending
invitations, through the press of the
country. to the nation to visit Wash
ington during G. A. X. week. Plans
are being perfected to make the en-
campment and the grand review an
event OF national importance.
An elaborate program OF entertain
ment for the veterans and citizens who
visit the capital at that time is being
prepared. The war department and
the navy department are cooperating
in the program.
me former has arranged for exhib-
iting drills of u. S. troops, cavalry. ar
tillery and infantry, at Fort Myer.
which is a suburb of Washington.
Some OF the best soldiers in the army
are stationed at Fort Myer, particular
ly the cavalry, which numbers among
the enlisted men many OF the greatest
riders in the world. Crack batteries
OF light artillery are also stationed at
Fort Myer. Aeroplane exhibitions are
TO be given by the signal CORPS. The
wright brothers demonstrated i'm pub
Tic the FIRST aerOplane at Fort Myer.
The navy department will have a
heet OF torpedo boat destroyers, sub
marines, gunboats, and cruiser de-
tached from the Atlantic fleet. and sent
up the fOtomac river TO Washington.
where the ships will remain during the
encampment. A big feature will be
camp hres, at which will be held re-
uhlohS OF the various corps Of the TN
ion armies.
Just below Washington, on the Po-
tomac, is located Indian Head proving
ground, whore big guns for the navy
or Notifications are tested before be-
ing placed on battleships or in our
coast defenses. The veterans and yisi-
tors will have an opportunity to see
the operations at Indian Head. as well
as scores OF other places Of interest I'm
or around Washington.
During encampment week opportun-
ity will be afforded the veterans to re-
visit Bull Run, Antletam. Appomat-
tox and other celebrated battlenelds.