Trench and camp. ([Admiral, Md.) 1917-1919, 1919-06-12
Streets Packed and damned.


i, Streets Packed and damned.
The streets over which the parade
passed were like huge chutes walled
high on each side with human be-
ings. Ropes had been stretched by
the police; thus the path through
which the heroes passed was clear.
1t was estimated that more than a
quarter of a million people witnessed
the parade. Baltimore's crowds here
after will certainly date from the
time the boys of the >s13th came
home.
There was a demonstration Of well
come for every man in the unit, be-
cause there was some one along the
line of march who was near and
dear to every soldier. and as these
khaki-elad loved ones passed they
were cheered and applauded. The
real hero, hOwpver. was Skipper
Sweezey. The tales of his love and
devotion for his men, as well as his
bravery and his wonderful leadership,
came back to Baltimore during the
months Of war by letter and by cable.
1t seemed that all of Baltimore knew
what Sweeney had done, what he had
been to the men, and they wanted to
show him how they appreciated him.
At every step he was cheered.
The route Of the parade was the same
as that over which the old National
Guard units passed. The pageant was
formed on the Falisway and it proceed
ed west on Lexington street to Holiday,
to Baltimore, to Howard. to Monument,
to Charles. to Chase. to st. Paul, to
Mount Royal avenue. to Cathedral
street. to the armory.
The chief reviewing stand was at the
Washington Monument.
Gen. Kuhn on Stand.
Mai Gen. Joseph e. Kuhn. COM
mander of the 18th Division, was at this
reviewing stand, and so was Brig. Gen,
w J. NicholsOn,s who commanded the
157th Infantry Brigade, Of which the
313th was part. Gov. Harrington and
Mayor Broening were also there, Gen.
Kuhn came to Baltimore from New
York to witness the demonstration, and
Gen. Nicholson journeyed from Camp
Upton; where he is the camp COM
mander, to see ''his boys" again.
.Slicker Bill" Nicholson, as they call
him in the Army. loved the 313th Just as
much as Col. Sweezey. He has often
commented in public on the fighting
"over there by the 313th, and he feels
that he is just as much part Of the
unit as any man in it. Like Col. Sweeney
he, too, was on the firing line during
the fighting and the bravery Of the
Baltimoreons made him love them more.
The mothers stand on Holiday street
and the reviewing stand I'm front of the
city hall, the soldiers stand on Mount
Royal avenue and the official stand at
the monument, were all thr0nged at an
early hour in the afternoon. At the ofh-
cial stand the men and women were led
in community singing by Charles G.
Woolsey, song leader for the War Camp
Community Service, in order to pass
away the time and forget the beafping
rays of the hot sun.
Dense Crowds on Streets.
The crowds were not only great
around the monument and even along
the residential thoroughfares the
throngs were dense. Hundreds or
automobiles were parked along the
streets and these were thronged with
pers0ns who were eager to see the
parade, yet anxious to escape the sun.
When the armory was reached the
lads were given a real old-fashioned
Maryland dinner. There was chicken
and plenty of it; ham and more of 1t,
and all the fixin's that go with such
q feast. The Knights Of Columbus
were the hosts at this spread. and
pretty Baltimore girls volunteered
their services as Mattresses In the
evening there was dance.
There was quite a contrast between
the parade and the parade of August,
1917, when the selected men-many
Of whom were assigned to the 313th
a month later-paraded through the
streets of Baltimore. In that parade
of almost two years ago these men
who were called from every walk of
life were happy and eager to get into
the fray. but they were unframed and
their bearing was anything but mil
itary. They MARCHED like the real
heroes they proved themselves to be.