Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-07-13
BY TEXANS I:
Alexandrians Receive ovations In
Several Southern Cities En-
Route to Border

1 On board virginia tIooP 'ioii:
somewhere in Texas, July 9, 1876
Keys to the city, with a bath all
round as part of the festivities, was
{ the hospitality offered the First and
Second Virginia regiments by New
Orleans when the Old Dominion's
militiamen passed through that city
Saturday night en- route to Browns
vile, Texas. Circumstances, however,
made it impossible for the invitation
to be accepted.
The troop trains schedule would
| have brought it into New Orleans
late Saturday Afternoon, and given
| the city an opportunity to set out
the spread it had prepared and other
wise entertain the militiamen. But
delays. caused chiefly by traffic in
terruptions due to food conditions
in all the southern states, brought
the train into the city in the early
hours of Sunday morning. Waiting
over for mere festivities was not to
be considered by an, expedition al
ready a cog in near-war game. So
the troops crossed the Mississippi
river and re-entraincd for Browns
vile, Immediately or their arrival at
New Orleans.
Detraining in theI freight yards,
busy even at that boar, crossing a
broad estuary in the delta of the
Mississippi at dead of night, and
re- -entraining on the other side, did
not lack picturesque aspects, The
touch of grimness and nonchalance
with which the movements were exc
cuted and the total absence of the
levity that has marked most of the
other high points in the journey,
showed that the men are perhaps
beginning to realize the seriousness
of the mission on which they left
Virginia a few days. ago.
To compensate a little for the
fun they missed at New Orleans, op-
portunities have been given the men
for a little relaxation at different
stops today. The train crossed the
line from Louisiana into Texas after
breakfast. This morning at Beau
mont. Texas, Company G, (the AL
l,exandria Light Infantry and sever
al other companies in the battalion
that occupies the first section OF
the First Regiments train, were
p;arched through the town while the
cars were being iced and watcred.
The exercises were interrupted for
few minutes during which the men
were treated to jce-cream sodas by
an undivulged host.
| At the next stop, Houston, several
companies, including AlexaHdlria's
marched through the streets 10 the
Young Mems Christian Association
building, where they were given fif-
teen minutes for a shower bath and
plunge in the associations spacious
swimming pool.
After the troopers had gotten back
on board, and while supper was be-
ing dished out to them from the big
tin boilers the train was reassem-
bled. To the eighteen tourist sleeping
cars occupied at New Orleans, were
added eight freight cars.
These included three cattle cars,
piled half to the roof with sacks OF
potatoes and other produce, and some
sealed boxcars, supposed to contain
ammunition. Other cars in the train
include the pullman sleeper occupied
by the officers, a fatcar carrying the
battalion's horse-drawn ambulance
and two wagons, car of lumber and
! one of bar-iron, cattle car for the
horses, baggage cars for the tents
and kitchen equipment, and a cab
oose.
We are now eighteen hours from
Brownsville and are due there. some
time tomorrow. But we are halted
already on a siding, and if our luck
as to delays continues, we may have
two more nights on the train. Al
ter that-the border.
Private. Co. G.