Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-09-14

A Veteran of the Re-
view Of 1865 Tells
of Washington When
Heroes of Civil War
Passed Presidents
Stand atWhiteHouse

N: :: \: % as:s'' 'ss:S !;
thoroughfares in the world
and the parade Of the home
coming victors over it recalls to the
minds Of many Neutrality-suspicious. the
wonders which progress has accom-
plished since the grand review of
1865.
A veteran who marched in that pa
rade more than a half century ago
and watches his khaki-clad son travel
the same route on Wednesday gives a
vivid description of the Avenue and
the grand review in those days.
1.-TWO longsdays. May 20 and "a,
100000 strong we marched, from early
In the morning until late at night,
filling the Avenue from curb to curb.
During the night of May % Penn
sylvania avenue had been cleaned,
and at daylight it had been watered
by the fire department, to keep the
dust under control.
AT the intersec citing streets broad
hagstones formed the crossings,
where cavalry patrols we're posted to
prevent teams from crossing or pc
destrians from collecting The Avenue
had not tho smooth surface It has
now. 1t had sort of paving of cob
blestones. but the heavy traffic of
Thousands
propelled by mules and much profan-
ity. and batteries Of artillery during
war had reduced 1t to a long stretch
OF sitting, dust-covered road in dry
weather and a network Of mud holes
OF uncertain depth during wet spells
The grade has since been raised over
its entire length.
The sidewalk was Of brick and in
very much the same bad order as the
street. Tiber creek, which crossed
the Avenue at I'd street northwest,
would sometimes, during heavy
rainstorm, rise to a river of alarming
depth. In 1864 a carriage was over
turned at the crossing, and the horse.
having fallen into the creek. was
drowned.
"All of the reviewing stands as we'll
as windows. balconies and roofs of
buildings were crowded with the en-
thusiastic admirers Of the boys.
Thousands upon thousands Of people
also lined the sidewalks. cheering
every man that passed. The Presi-
dents reviewing stand was built on
the north side of the White House.
facing Lafayette Square. The stands
as we'll as the hotels and all business
places were decorated with flowers.
evergreens and flags.
The flag Of the Treasury Guard
Regiment was displayed in front Of
the Treasury building: the lower por-
tion of 1t was torn. not by battle, but
by Booths spur which caught in its
folds when 1t decorated President
Lincoln's box at the Ford Theater on
the night of his assassination. A
plaoard attached to- the flag stated
this fact and Attracted much atten.
ton from the many PERSONS who
passed. .rt,isIILIl s!tiiii#{}tt
when Johnnie Comes Marching
Home" was the predominating tune.
played by bands and sung by school
children along the line of march from
the Capitol to 18th street.
"A fence very much like the one
which surrounds the Botanic Gar
dens today Enclosed the Capitol
grounds. Stone gateways formed the
entrances. The iron railing was later
used to erect the north boundary OF
the Smithsonian and Agriculture
grounds. The stone gateways have
been reset at the national cemetery
at Arlington.
1.-THE square between LIST and I'd
streets. where the Botanic Gardens
are located. was just about the same
az 1t 10 now. with the exception that
the Peace Monument had not then
been placed there. and where the
circle now 10 was Q sharp angle. forrr-
"a by the west side Of fst .aeroet aud