The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-09-06
Drafted Men Depart for Camp
Lee and the Blues Start for
Admission. Alabama
IMMENSE CROWD SEES
PARADE OF CAVALRY
Relatives and Friends of Sol
diers Swarm Through Sta
ton Until Final Section of
Train Departs

RICHMOND WIS pu5y pkAtt4IatAy GA
day yesterday bidding its warrior sons
farewell. Thousands upon thou
sands OF people, from every walk OF
life, rubbed elbows in the Capitol
square at 1880 in the afternoon, and
from 1890 to midnight at Byrd Street
station.
The first occasion was the send-oR
given the forty-eight men who con-
stitute Richmonds first quota in the
national army. The last. and natural
ly, by far the biggest, was the tre-
mendous ovation accorded the Rich
mond Blues, now the First Squadron,
First Virginia cavalry, who left for
Camp Mcclellan, Admission. Ala, at
l1:45 last night.
For the FIRST time since the decia-
ration of hostilities with Germany, the
meaning of war was brought home
with all it's force to Richmond. The
most significant event was the de-
parture OF the first quota OF drafted
men for Camp Lee. Petersburg, the
forerunner Of similar events to take
place in the near future.
| Such a taking as has rarely
been witnessed in Richmond took
place at Byrd street station last night.
when over 400 OF "Richmond's
! Finest" the First Squadron. First Viz
ginia cavalry, started southwark TO
| Camp Mcclellan for f1nai period OF
| intensive training preliminary to the
pilgrimage to France. Fully 5000
peopla lined the streets to witness the
d! march to the station the num-
| Der who swarmed within the gates
/ for a final farewell can only be es-
| timated by the maximum capacity OF
the station and the yards. Every inch
, Of available ground space was not
| sufficient; they scrambled to the tops
CT the steel gates and into the car
doors middle-aged women ciimo ping 10
places of vantage between the cars.
: Sweethearts, unashamed, chung to
! each other until the last possible mo-
ment. and when the cars finally rum
bled their ominous warning, such
mighty yell arose as only the Ricn-
mond Blues can provoke.
1 !, The squadran -. formed at the
armory. Sixth and Marshall streets,
and were led to the station by the
Richmond Blues association, Zao
strong. who marched with red FIRE ana
martial chant No music accompanied
the march. the 'Forty-seventh regi-
ment band being out of the city. The
| Blues kept time to the classic strains
OF Hail, Hail, the Gangs All Here.
land "We're From Virginia. Richmond,
virginia two time -honored- Blue
.songs chanted Justify by their escort.
. Through the obvious efforts OF ths
women folks, the first half-hour saw
no display of sentimental emotion.
the hundreds of groups which formed
iaround single uniforms chattering IN
strained gaiety but. with the depart
ure OF the train, the tension snapper
land women mostly mothers. We're led
out of the gates weeping quietly
The horse cars, accompanies by
| twenty-eiEht enlisted men and Lieu
I-vsr- l1n1
/ at 1920. the second section leaving
twenty-five minutes later. Some
fifteen minutes before the last Sec
ton left. the bugler marched to each
corner OF the yards and blew as
erfb1y Tho troopers filed into rher
several cars, and the real good-byas
| began. Realizing that the time was
only minutes distant when they would
part. for how long no one knew, gfrls
and BOYS alike threw all restraint to
the four winds and fell into each
others arms Drowned and muscular
hands would reach from the car win
dows grasp smaller hands and ltft the
girl upward for the final kiss Soma
misses loss their heads along with
their hearts ard made the rounds, In
discriminatory One handsome troop
/ err was the recipient OF no less than
two-score embraces, each impaired by
a different girl
| Considering the congestion within
the wards the number of accidents
was remarkably small. One miss.
/ about sixteen years old, tainted dead
away shortly after the final section
/ rolled out She was taken into the
/ station and revived. At sixth and Broad
streets when the troops passed that
point, a woman said. That's my boy"
I and slipped quietly to the ground.
thousands OF spectators missed SEES
I ing the march to the station through
n misunderstanding of the route Sew
enth street was lined from Broad 70
Main. but the parade kept on up Broad
to. Eighth. thence to Byrd street and
/ into the gate. They We're greeted at
the station by a tremendous ovation
! and the cheering sight of dozen Or
SO pretty girls perched high on the
I fence to catch the first glimpse OF
/ Them, The thousands who followed
them were sorely disappointed when
the gates changed shut after the last
I man Many OF them had brought bum
| dies to give their sons or swesthearts
and II looked as If they would BE-
/ unable to get them to the boys
T Some surged around to the other ems
! trence but the majority stayed pressed
\, against the iron bars, disappointment
written all over their features. Major
| Bowles conferred with Major Wer-
/ ner shortly afterward and the gates
4 were opened to the waiting hords. And
then the search for the hoy" began.
/ most of them beipg finally awarded.
The mai section left at 1l:t5 ana the
Immense crowd had completely dis
persed by midnight.
1 Marked by degree of simplicity
+ that added soIsmnfty TO the ccca@
sion Yesterday afternoon. In tho Cap
itol Square. shortly after o'clocA.
the forty men who compose the mr.
quota from the Ave drafting prsciucee
In Richmond aud sxxht from -