Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1917-01-08
SOLDIERS IN RICHMOND
Alexandria Light Infantry Reach
Capital City Yesterday Morning
sand Are Accorded Triumph. -.

Il was learned in this city yester
,lav morning that the First Virginia
Raeiment, embracing the Alexandrl;
Light Infantry which left the oi'
Dominion carly last. summer, hat
returned to their native heath. The
news reached Alexandria about hal
an hour after the trains rolled into
Richmond, and there was general re
ioicinp among relatives and friends
of the soldier boys of this city.
Summoned by the clarion call Of
the alarm bells, all Richmond turned
ont to greet the First Virginia In
fantry on its happy return IRON
the Mexican frontier. With the
bearing of seasoned warriors, ou'
plainly showing evidences OF eager
ness to clasp loved ones in then
arms. the bronzed youngsters
marched through living aisles formed
by the thousands who jammed the
streets over which the rcglmen'
marched to the armories in which II
will be quartered until released
from the United States service. II
viii be at least one wce& before the
men return to civil life.
Promptly on the minute the FIRST
section of the troop train pulled INTO
Byrd Strict station. Notified by
the military call of fifteen strokes
sounded from all fire stations at I
o'clock that the sguardsmen WOULD
arrive three hours later, great
crowd was on hand to greet the
boys at ten o'clock The first sec
ton was followed twenty minutes
later by the second, the entire regi-
,ment being detrained within thirty
minutes. From every direction
.rresra of I1ea, wo,.ren and, ch'i@seh
continued to come, but hundreds
were unable to get near the sta
ton. Thousands made no effort TO
DO so. but were content to find posi-
tions of vantage along the tNrty
blocks over which the troops
marched.
Waiting to greet the returning
plards,nen at the station was the
committee Of 100 appointed by
Mayor Ainslic to prepare for the re-
ception. Headed by the Mayor and
Chairman Alvin NJ. Smith, the COM
mittee separated and mingled among
the companies. shaking hands with
the men and officers and welcoming
them to the city.
In each of the armories cigars,
cigarettes and tobacco were passed
around. while colored walters pre-
sided over huge bowls of punch and
dispensed other soft drinks. Gov
ernor Henry Carter Stuart greeted
the rcgimental officers at the Grays
Arnory. Bands played. and until
the regiment marched off to dinner,
a Jolly time was had. During the al
ternoon the regimfnt, except those
required for duty, We're given lib
erty. All remained in the armories
over night.
After a conference with Colonel
Perry, the Mayor decided upon
Wednesday night as the time tor
the big dance to be given the
puardsmen. Bands will be stationed
in both arnories, and the general
nnblic will he invited to join in civ
ing the boys a touch of social life
While hundreds CT the men will not
dance, tNey VIII StiJoy AAihSiAiiS
with young men and women of their
own age and will welcome the break
in the nonotony of military life
Whether a military parade vii! be
held is undecided and will depend
upon the speed with which the mus
ter;nn-out progress proceeds.
1t will be hard to find an officer
or man that has regretted the ex'
perience, and, while all are glad te
be home, many of them would bt
glad to go back. The work wa:
hard, but much of it was interest
ing From the appearance Of tht
men, the food was plentiful ant
wholesome. Not death from dis
ease occurred among the 1,100 mer
who have been With the regiment.
For neatness, the First Virginis