The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-04-30

fHSESA tillery at indianapolis, in
aMs-.@ which Wayne county and In
Neg diana boys belonging TO this
GSSQS famous unit of the Rainbow
division, will march before
the people of the state to which they
have brought so much honor in two
long years as fighters in the cause of
democracy.
Other thousands have witnessed
with varying emotions the divisional
parades all over the county, from
which a few of our boys arrive home
day by day. Some witnesses will
thrill only to the historical value or
the spectacle; wives and mothers and
sweethearts will weep tears OF Joy at
seeing a well-beloved form and face
after two years. and for still others,
bent and worn with age, wearing the
tiny bronze button of the G. A. K. on
their coat lapels, the spectacle Will
roll back the scroll of history to the
day when 100000 bronzed veterans OF
the War of the Rebellion, members or
Sherman and Meade's commands,
marched down Pennsylvania avenue
in Washington in the last grand re-
view of the Unions conquering army,
in May, 1855.
Called II the Twentieth.
That was perhaps a much larger re-
view than any we will see as the aft
ermath of the world war, for as the
boys come back they are at once let
out of the service, and 1t maybe i'm
possible to get 100000 Of them togeth-
err for a parade In that review, there
was what was left of a whole regi-
ment from Wayne county, the glorious
old Nineteenth Indiana commanded
by Colonel Sol Meredith, for whom
the local post is named. The Nine
teenth, the Seventh, the Fourteenth
and the Twentieth, were all combined
into one regiment of that day, and CALI
ed the Twentieth.
All were veterans of the most ter
rifle fighting the Civil war offered,
which is not so far behind that Of the
present war as some people seem to
think Most of the men who started
out with the Nineteenth including
most Of the members of the present
Sol Meredith post, had been diverted
to other service, had been wounded or
were dead Some of them were Ian
gushing in Andersonville, following
the battle of the Wilderness. But
there is at least one man in Wayne
county, Greer Williams of Franklin
township who was in that parade, and
there may be others yet living.
The great parade was in May, 1865,
just fifty-four years ago. Only
month had elapsed since the death of
Abraham Lincoln.
Much has been forgotten in that
ffty-four years. and memories of that
grand review" long ago became mere
echoes in the corridors of time. The
great majority Of those who partici-
pated in that momentous parade have
long since passed to another last re-
view. 1t may be fitting and timely
complement, therefore, to the event
in which the present generation of
Ameria's victorious soldiers are to par
ticipate, to retouch the faded colors of
that long forgotten picture of the past
which once sent its thrill to every
home and fireside of the reunited ma
ton.
Million In Service.
To give some idea of the magnitude
of the Union armies of that day, it
may be stated that in April 1865,
more than a million of men were in
the service of the United States. A
still larger number had been enrolled
and discharged. To these may be adj
time numbered more than two hun
dred and fifty thousand-the grand
army of the dead. Altogether, through
out the Civil War, 2,S59,132 men had
been called to military service
To celebrate the closing of the war
and to afford the people an opportuni-
ty to look upon the heroes who had
fought the battles in defense of the
JTnion il was suggested by Edwin NJ.
Stanton, secretary of war, that the
armies of Sherman and Meade, which
were then stationed nearest to the
capital, should be formally reviewed
in the city of Washington before their
final discharge from service and re-
turn to their home. The Army OF the
Potomac, the Army of Tennessee and
the Army of Georgia, under orders is
sued by General Grant, marched to the
vicinity of the city preparatory to
entering the city for the review which
took place May % and May "a, 1865.
WASHINGTON was brilliantly decorat-
ed for the occasion, both public and
private buildings floating flags and
bunting, and at all prominent points
there were arches and floral embcl-
lishments of various designs. Four
stands were erected in front of the
White House, which were decorated
with the regimental battle flags and
flowers. On the principal stand were
President Andrew Johnson and his
cabinet. diplomats and ENJOYS of for
eign nations. and governors of states.
Lieutenant General Grant occupied a
position near the President.