Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1917-01-04
SOLDIERS ON WAY home
Alexandria Light Infantry Stopped
Last Night at Houston, Texas
Big Welcome to be Given Them
lSnecial to GaZettel,

Especial to Gazette),
The Gazette received the following
telegram this afternoon from Johr
Lyon. of Company G, First Virginia
Regiment, enroute from Brownsville
to Richmond:
Houston, Texas, Jan. 1.-Two tour,
list sleepers loaded with Alexandra
Light Infantrymen and forming part
of the troop train carrying the First
Virginia Regiment home to Richmond
from Brownsville, Texas, stopped
over here last night to ice and water
the cars The trains arrived at GU
o'clock and laid over for more than
an hour, during which time the men
were marched through the principal
streets for exercise. The First Regl-
nent left Brownsville, in two sec
tions, the first being composed OF the
Second Battalion, under Licut.-Co
Craiehil!, and al box cars. Tie sec
ond consisting o. the First ana
Third Batralions, upder Majors
Bright and Martin, respectively. Inc
men are in high spirits and all the
ears carry streamers proclaimng
their return to the Old Dominion after
having done their bit on the border,
A warm welcome awaits the boys on
their arrival at Richmond on Sunday.
Governor Stuart will head the well
coming committee of one hundred,
that is to greet the company at the
railroad station, and orders have been
given for twenty thousand banners,
to be distributed to the school chill
dren of that city who are expected to
turn out enmass.
Governor Henry Carter Stuart was
invited yesterday afternoon to head
the delegation Of prominent citizens
which will formally welcome the First
Virginia Infantry ~Si'cn It 'dcsfains
here after it's long journey from
Brownsville. The Governor accepted
the invitation. The delegation Will
consist of State and city officials,
former military men and the commit
tee appointed by Mayor Ainslle to
arrange for the welcome to the troops.
Every man, woman and child IN
Richmond will have an opportunity
to assist in the big welcome. Arrange
ments for the reception Of the guards
men were completed yesterday, and
committees were appointed to work
out the details. Money is the only
clement lacking in the plans, but the
campaign for the welcome funds is
being pushed energctically with good
prospects Of success.
An order for 10000 United States
flags was placed yesterday by the
committee of 100 appointed by Mayor
Ainslie to plan the welcome. These
flags will be placed in the hands OF
children, and thousands will be dis
tributed to the grownups along the
route the troops will take to the ar
mories. Stores and residences will be
decorated, and the armories will also
be covered with flags and bunting.
in order that there may be no use
less waiting on the streets for the
troops to arrive, the committee has
arranged for signal to be sounded
from all of the fire houses three hours
before the trains are scheduled to
reach the city This will give every
body an opportunity to get ready to
see the boys come marching home.
Should the troop trains arrive after
9 O'Clock at night the guardsmen
will not detrain until morning. Eff
forts are being made to get both sec
tions here within a few minutes Of
each other.