Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-22

ITO speak OF the Grand Army as We recall It
q few years back brings To memory nearly
ali of the Old-time parades. including and fol-
lowing the famous grand review OF 1865, for
although this organization was not established
until the following year, yet the men who made
up this victorious army upon that memorable
occasion were all that the Grand Army Of the
Republic has ever meant and stood for.
This grand review one Of the most notable
events In American history, and In world his
tory as well, took place on March % and a, 1855.
and during the two days the Union Army was re-
viewed upward OF 100000 men passed before
President Andrew johnson, Gen. q. s. Grant,
Secretary Of War Stanton, Gen. Hancock and
Others who had taken their station In stand
built for the purpose IN front of the White
House, while along the Avenue many other
stands were erected by the Government and
private parties to accommodate the multitude Of
people who wished to see the veterans before
they were disbanded and again entered peace
full pursuits
The first day the Army Of the Potomac, Of
about $4,000 men, in a dense column which
filed the wide Avenue from curb to curb,
marched by from early morn to late at night.
At its head rode Gen. George Gordon Meade.
who was in every battle but two fought by the
Army of the Potomac, and who as commander
Of the Army had checked, at Gettysburg, Gen.
Lees invasion Of Pennsylvania.
Sheridan was not there, having departed to
his new command In the Southwest, and In his
stead rode Gen. Wesley Merritt in front Of
the Cavalry. Custer was also In the first days
parade and gave an example Of his wonderful
horsemanship. An idea Of the vastness of the
parade may be formed from the fact that there
were in line 20 regiments of Calvary, 80 bat
teries Of Artillery, 100 regiments Of Infantry,
and ever so many stats Of divisions and corps
commanders.
ON May "a, the second day Of the review. Gen.
william Tecumseh Shermans great army
paraded up the Avenue, led by the same man
who had marched from Atlanta to the sea, and
to victory. Beside him rode Gen. o. o. How
ard, known as the Christian Soldier" and for
whom Howard University is named.
Gen. John A. Logan, said to have been the
greatest volunteer general of the Civil War, rode
at the head of the Army Of the Tennessee and
Francis p. Blair, 1r, brother to Postmaster
General Montgomery Blair OF Lincoln'S cabinet,
commanded the 18th Corps.
Comparatively few remain today to describe
this wonderful occasion, and indeed, very few
who were of the armies then being reviewed.
Bret Harte has given US an excellent poetic pic
ture of this OCCASION part of which may bear
repeating here:
81 read last night of the grand review
In Washingtons chiefest avenue
Two hundred thousand men in blue,
I think they said was the number
TIL seemed to hear their trampIing feet
The bugle blast and the drums quick beat,
The clatter of hoofs in the stony street,
The cheers OF people who came to greet
And the thousand details that to repeat
Would only my verse encunber-
Tin fell in reverie, sad and sweet
And then to a 1tful slumber.
when 10, in a vision seemed to stand
In the lonely Capitol On each hand
Far tretched the portico, dim and grand,
Its columns ranged like martial band
or sheeted specters whom some command
Had called to a last reviewing.
And the streets of the city were white and bare;
No football echoed across the square;
But out of the misty midnight air
I heard in the distance trumpet blare,
And the wandering night-Winds seemed to bear
The sound of far tattooing."
IN reading of this grand review in The Star,
the writer came across an interesting de-
scription Of Pennsylvania avenue as it appeared
upon that occasion In part. it said:
It was supposed to be paved with cobble-
GfATFn nraaf hal fo+