The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-06-27
City Moved to Patriotic FervOr as 800 Sons Start
 for Montgomery
THREE TRAINS TAKE NORTH ALABAMA
 MEN TO CAPITAL
Enormous Crowds at Station to See Departure of the Guardsmcn for Their Unknown
 Destination

The heart of Birmingham was touched yesterday.
 This city of iron and steel-this city sometimes called cold and commercial
 was moved to patriotic fervor at the sight of 800 stalwart sons responding to their nations call. Eight thousand people-men, women and children crowded the station to see the two trains depart for the concentratien camp at Montgomery.
 As the companies and batteries marched to the Louisville and Nash vile station to entrain the crowds which lined the streets were rpurred on by the martial strains of the band and mighty cheers went up along the route. The troops were smiling and happy and the crowds were stirred with the excitement of the occasion.
 MARKED SOLEMNITY
 But as the time arrived for the de- parture of the trains. bearing the men to a destination which no one could foretell, the cheering ceased and the oc- casion became one of marked solemnity The boys laughed and chatted merr1ly with their fathers and mothers, their
  the crowd quietly and impressively bade the men farewell. Tears were streaming down the faces of hundreds of strong men. fathers and relatives of the boys going to the front, and mothers and sisters wept quietly while waiting for the train to move.
 Birmingham has seen no more i'm pressive sight in many years than that presented here yesterday. It was just IS years ago that about the same num- Der of Birmingham boys answered the call of their country as volunteers Tn the Spanish American war. The almost certainty that the men who left here yesterday were to be rushed to the border and the added proba ability that the fighting would be long and dan gerous, served to impress upon the interested thousands the solemnity ot the occasion.
 Fathers. some of them wrinkled and gray, placed an affectionate arm around the shoulder of their sons who were leaving, to return, they hoped, be- fore many months. Mothers, weeping kissed their boys again and again and gave them parting messages of advice and love. Friends and relatives clasped in silence the hands of the de- parting boys, many being too stirred with emotoin to trust themselves to speak.
 INTERMINGLED WITH ROMANCE
 And the sadness and solemnity were in terminated with romance. Girls slyl1 bestowed upon the departing lovers the first kiss ever given in public. Others more discreet, but affected none the less wept visibly and unabashed as some boy ir khaki said farewell for the last time perhaps, in many months. There was nc hilarity around the stations yesterday As the trains pulled out there was { general cheer, and then the crowd stood and waved their hands in farewell unti the last coach had rounded the curve ant passed out of sight
 Not less than 5000 people were on hanl before o'clock yesterday morning whei the first contingent of Birmingham troops left for Montgomery. Cheers ren the air as the different companies swung into view, marching with heads erect ant steady stride to the tunes of stirrin' music of the band. Company B, com manded by Capt Hal F. Halstead Com pany c, commanded by Capt. J. Towle Evans, and Company K, commanded b. Capt. M. H. Jordan, were the local in fantry organizations departing on tn early morning train. The hospital corps commanded by Lieut.. H. F. Ashworth | was also '~ +ho first contingent. OTHER COMPANIES COME 
 | The Bessemer company F, commando ] by Capt Lacey Edmundson, arrived il l Birmingham over the Louisville an Nashville at o'clock and went to Mont l gomery on the same train with the Bir mingham boys. Nearly 800 troops wer or the first train, which arrived in Mont l gomery yesterday before noon and wen | immediately into camp at Vandiver park ] second train, bearing the companie from north Alabama, arriving in the cit at g o'clock. On board were the Shef field and Decatur companies, and the were joined here by the Pell City com 1 pany commanded by Capt. J. Gardne Greene.
 | Birmingham's batteries of field artillery among the best equipped and reputed t rank with the first in the nation outsid | the regular army, left on the specia Louisville and Nashville train just at 1922 oclock. Battery A, commanded by Capt l l.. s. Dorrance, and Battery c, com manded by Capt c. P. Nolan, occupie,
 the train, the former having a total o officers and men numbering 155, the latte | 131.
 l The streets were lined with people a l the noon hour when these men boarde
 the train and traffic was almost blocke' l by the number of automobiles which ha gathered for the occasion. Every poin
 of vantage and every available inch o room, both inside and outside the station was occupied with the struggling an pushing, but perfectly orderly crowds. l long string of freight cars, on tracl
 adjoining the troops train, was literall, covered with men who had climbed to sa. 1 farewell to the departing troops. Girl ] and women, on the inside of the shed
 climbed upon the high fence and hunl