Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-11-12
Etrrt1tt1g GErat

anyone knows of regarding the man.
ner that the hamlet clustering
about John Harris ferry received
the news from Philadelphia thai
"Cornwallis is taken, newspaper
give graphic accounts of the way
the people of Harrisburg rejoiced
at the defeat of the British in the
war of 1912 and of the Confederate
army under Lee in 1865. These
two accounts are taken from the
Oracle of Dauphin and it's descend.
ant, the Harrisburg Telegraph. The
Oracle was live old newspaper OF
early days and very much in the
| life of Harrisburg, while the files oi
the Harrisburg Telegraph of 1865
show that this newspaper was right
on the job when it came to a time
of joy, just as it is to-day.
The old newspaper accounts tell
that in October, 1913, the people
of this town, then the borough OF
Harrisburg, went wild over Perry's
victory on Lake Erie. The accounts
say that they manifested the high
sense they entertained" of the vic-
| tory by firing of cannon, a hand
some display of sky-rockets and a
splendid illumination of the houses"
From the lips of people who were
living then we know that everyone
put lighted candles in windows and
that the citizens went about visit
| ing each other and banners and
drum corps paraded the streets,
| while cannon were fired along the
river front which had lately been
dug full of rifle pits. So much for
the celebration of October Is, 1913.
The next celebration, which was
marked by much firing of cannon
was on st. Valentines day, 1916.
1t was the day that Harrisburg got
word of the Treaty of Client when
the War of 1912 ended. This peace
treaty was signed. oddly enough,
in December, but the news did not
speed across the ocean in a few
hours, as now, and the word came
weeks later and the celebration of
peace was soon renewed by the news
of Jackson's victory at New Orleans.
On each occasion the people lighted
up their houses, thronged the
streets, rang bells, shouted and fired
guns. Harrisburg was noisy
youngster in the list Of towns and
its people as strenuously loyal as
they are to-day.
Just the way Harrisburg carried
| on in 1865 can best be told in the
language of the Harrisburg Tele-
graphs own files. For days the
paper in the latter part of March
and early April had been following
the movements of Grant and Sheri-
dan and Sherman, thrilling its
| .,1rl,f AfH Il IiG
patches from Washington, the re-
liable kind that the Harrisburg Tele-
graph furnishes to-day. These dis
| patches told of the rout of armies
and finally the defeat of Lee and
| the downfall of the rebel confeder-
alton. 1t was a wonderful victory
and the people of Harrisburg who
| had sent their sons and poured out
their wealth to save the Union which
their forefathers along the Susque-
hanna had fought from Cambridge
and Quebec to Yorktown and Savan-
nah to found were on edge for a
celebration. This is the way the Har-
risburg Telegraph of April, 10, 1865,
tells the story under the modest
headline of
A Night of Rejoicing
Sunday night, April 8, 1865,
| the people of Harrisburg. The
announcement of the fact of
| General Lee, the rebel leader,
had surrendered his whole army
to Lieutenant General Grant
caused every loyal man, woman
and child to rejoice and all gave
full vent to their feelings by
shouts for the Union and the
Stars and Stripes. All the bells
in the city were rung for an
hour or more, proclaiming VIC
tory to the people. An inn
mense bonfire was kindled in
Market Square and the flames
illuminated the whole city. The
fire department with its appara-
tus turned out and headed by
the soldiers and their excellent
drum corps paraded the streets,
the shouts of the men, the beat
ing of the drums, the shrill
whistles of the steamers, etc,
etc, rendering the occasion one
of more than ordinary rejoicing.
Many of the prominent resi-
dences and the Telegraph office
were brilliantly illuminated-the
beautiful lamps of the Repubh-
can InVincibles adding to the
brillIancy and beauty of the
latter place. A most interest
ing scene presented itself at the
Telegraph printing office. A
large crowd soon surrounded
the office when they saw the
illuminf lion. Among the spec
tators was the Rev. Jackson
who was at once requested to
address the assemblage and was
hoisted for that purpose on the
counter of the office. Before
he commenced his address he
proposed that the crowd should
join in a thanksgiving hymn
praise God from Whom All
| Blessings Flow" in which they
all joined and the reverend gen.
tleman addressed them in a few
patriotic remarks. After which
cheers after cheers were given
for the army and their brave
commanders"
The same newspaper in another
column also announces that the news
of the victory was Officially" COM
memorated by the firing of grand
salute of 100 guns from the Arsenal
on Capitol Hill and that in accord
ance with orders from the War De-
partment salute of 200 guns was
fired "at this post" The post"
pro obably Camp Curtin or the forts
on the other side of the river or
the army offices in the city. In any
event one can imagine the worthy
householders and housewives of
Harrisburg scampering around to