Macon beacon., 1917-07-06
PGrade of Old Confederate Soldiers
as Described in Northern
Paper by Northern Writer.


graveyard mist it drifted past.
Some of it was blue gray, with patches of black.
Some was dead gray, the parchment grayness of the
old mans face. This part streaked and striped
'ith buff.
a. No more pathetic spectacle ever has been wit
messed in Washington than that which unfolded and
n dissolved like dream this morning Like dream
vt will remain in the memory Of those who looked
~ ith seeing eyes, dream in which human sacrifice
4 van viewed through veil of tears
From all parts of the South they came, these
who gave their all to follow jefferson Davis and his
generals in their unavaiing effort for secession,
Above the creeping, death gray line flew the rebel
Stars and Bars. Rebel battle flags that had flashed
forward to victory at Bull Run and that had been
driven from Pennsylvania soil at Gettysburg showed
their shell torn tatters through protective webs of
silk as they were lifted high above the STOPPING
ranks But beside the crossed barred flag lloated
Old Glory and upon the wthered chests of the
in gray cleaned the tricolor that spells both France
and America.
No Inauguration procession within the memory
of Washington brought forth enthusiasm that com
pared at all with that which swept over the hur.
dredS of thousands who the thin gray line today.
l. 1t had no simmer of gold lace, no rich investi
ture to vie with hundreds of paradeS that this city
Z of gorgeous spectac'es has known But it did have
more poignant humanity, more direct appeal to the
American heart than all the professions that have
preceded it,
Every rank had it's distinctive note. Every lit
tile gray group held cheer compelling or tear
compelling motive.
Never can forget that last rank of the Arkan-
sas division. We were waiting opposite the Presi
. dents stand fronting the White House. There was
the usual futter of rebel flags. the usual applause
the fine, old commanders of the division their
afo NV Thpn bkS
on foot. Clad in the peculiar death gray O. the
Southern back woods they With the SLOW, sile
movement of C;creeping asa. Almost lnvoluntary
my eyelids narrowed to get the full effect of the
drifting gray haze.
AS it crept up to the stand the fog resolved it
self into it's human elements. Faces made noble by
war time sacrifice and by hardships nObly endured
stood out softly in the mist, each like Moses carved
from cloud bv Michael Angelo Never had seen
such fitting of leonine name and beard to the human
I cOuntenances as in the rank that came last Never
have seen such majesty of Amercanism as in the
rank that came last. Never have | seen such maes
ty of Americanism in the SLOW ling salute with,
which they turned their faded eyes and withered
| hands toward the President. 1t was an expression
4 of eternity, of the unquenched and unquenchable
spirit that, please God, will hold America together
vhe life lasts.
But the unforgettable feature of that rear rank
was not the faces carved from cloud, nor yet the
majesty of it's salute 1t was plain old woman of
the Arkansas backwoods at the end of the line near
the President Little and bent she was, in all rusty
lack.
Her black bonnet was of another era and her
dress was of no recognizable PERIOD but no woman in
all Washington not Mary Custis Lee who combines
all the bOOds for which the South gladly faced DEATH
not the beautiful wife of the President in her mOdsh
and becoming raiment nor any other woman in or
out of the long parade received half the attention
etenth of the honor that followed the little, old
woman Of Arkansas.
For she walked with her hand in that of her
dauntless lover. Close to 80 was he, and feeble al
most unto DEATH but the spirit that rode with
Stuart kept him moving slowly, painfully, steadily
on. His weariness such that his head fell for
ward upon his chest. 1t only by the full force
of an mperious and unShaken will that he lifted his
Il eyes from the cruelty hot asphalt to salute with
heart breaking effort at old time galantry the Pres
ident of the United States Every step took from
y him hours of life but he pressed on and on.
The little woman in black steadied him when he
faltered and he took her arm up the gentle slope of
the hill opposite the Treasury building During the
mercifully frequent halts she famed him with
eJ;rumped newspaper, whispering low to him as she
/ ddso Then the command to resume the march came
She took his hand and on she drfted with her
man, black edge to the fog of living gray.
Hundreds of helpers besides the little woman in
black we're among the 10000 in the Slow gray line
! Daughters and there to lend cheer and
belpful arms to men who were dare devils in the
great struggle marched with firm steps, but these
f were plainly the drummer boys in the days of the
a sixties Thousands in line the school lads of the
u Confederacy.
Gaily .decked automobiles with Southern women
waving Confederate lgs and the allied coors of this
q new made war of were gay spots in tn proces
sion. Sons of the Confederacy in gray and some il
ihaki were quickly moving portions of the various
divisions More than 80, 900 all told were in the re
markabe parade.
Last night a violent rainstorm swept over the