The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1921-12-07

pleasure, shaking ndHdS ana cNchanP'
ing greetings.
Then, as if by some miracle, the
city's guests were transported bach
into scenes reminiscent Of the days
when Richmond was the Verdun OF
the South. TO his right, drawn up in
line, was a guard of honor composed
.of Confederate veterans, every one Of
them in uniform and armed with
bayoneted rifles of the period Of the
war between the states. Midway the
line were the Confederate and Virgin
ia colors.
present arms,' called Major w.
Mex Evans, as an old-fashioned Con-
fedcrate kettle-drum beat the "long
roll"
Quickly the vcterans-not one of
them under seventy-five brought their
arms to present with something of
the "snap" the drill sergeants incul-
Gated sixty years ago. BY the side
Of the commanding officer of the Con-
federates, Marshal Foch walked slow
~ down the line and past the dipping
colors of the Confederacy. With all
formality, he saluted, but those who
were close to him declare there were
tears in his eyes.
The marshal moved on, across an
open field. The veterans fell in be-
hind him. In a moment. beyond a
fence, appeared an unforgettable pic
ture. On a washed old earthwork,
erected in the days when Richmond
was girdled by forts, Confederate
was moving slowly in the
breeze. BY it, on either side, Confed-
crate santinels were, walking post,
with muskets on their shoulders and
bayonets affixed. In the cGrthworlS
other veterans were at ease, their
muskets stacked nearby. A brisk
campfire was burning, and on it an
old-fashioned pot was steamng. 1t
was just such picture as Foeh might
have seen if his visit had occurred dur
ing the war between the states-ex-
cept that the garrison was composed
septuagenarians.
As Foch appeared, the. veterans
sprang up to do him honor and in
their quavering voices raised 4 rebel
yell" that fioated away down the val
ley of the Chickahominy. Foch list
ened with manifest enthusiasm and in
French spoke a few admirable words
to his staff. Then he mounted to the
parapet and fairly gasped as he saw
unrolled before him the valley of the
Chicahominy, with the historic scenes
of old battles cleaning in the light
on the north side of the river. Me-
was straight ahead; on
the left was the scene Of A. =. Hills
advance on the afternoon of June 26,
1862; to the right where Gaines Mill
and Old Cold Harbor Of bloody MEM
DRY. Down the hill and across the
valley. like a strand connecting past
and present, ran the Mechanicsville
turnpike,
Colonel John A. Cutchins stepped
up to Marshal Foch and presented him
n map-case on which was painted the
marshal's name. Foch opened the
case and took out remarkable color
cd map, drawn especially for him,
with all the legends in French and
with the position of each Confederate
and Union command plainly marked.
The marshal frankly was delighted
and with the aid of the map and ques-
lions of these around him, recon-
5tructed the famous battle Of the
Seven Days-"La Bataille de Sept.
Jours.' as his map called it. >Foch
seemed thoroughly familiar with the
outlines Of the campaign and was
greatly pleased with the opportunity
Of observing ground Of which he had
read for years.
The day after his reluctant depar-
,ure from Richmond Marshal Foch
sent a stream Of kilograms and letters
back expires sing with unmis.akcable
enthusiasm from various angles his
delight with his visit 10 that city.