Evening star., 1936-09-20

LAS the famous Gen. Custer ap-
preached the boys stepped forward
and. presented to him a large wreath
of the choicest flowers, which he most
gallantly and gracefully received and
threw over his shoulder, when in
stantly his fiery charger, apparently
frightened, stretched forward his
neck and, seeming to take the bit
of the bride in his teeth, furiously
dashed down the hill and around into
the Avenue out Of sight, carrying his
rider sitting FIRMLY in the saddle, but
bent forward, with his long and pro-
fuse Saxon locks streaming back IN
the wind, while the school children
looked on in amazement and deep
concern. Their anxiety was soon re-
lieved, however, by the welcome news
that the horse did not get away from
his rider. and then came the pleas
ant surprise that the runaway was
only ruse to compliment the school
children with a little exhibition Of
his horsemanship.
For six hours during the march,
without sign of WEAKNESS, the boys and
girls presented their floral offerings,
waved their flags, rent the air with
cheers, and at intervals a grand
chorus of $500 voices, under the lead
of Director Daniel, sang The Star
Spangled Banner Battle Cry Of Free
dom,' When Johnny Comes Marching
Home, Victory at Last and other pa
triotic songs and hymns, all Of which
were most gratefully received and
heartily acknowledged by officers and
soldiers. From all sides the highest
praises were showered upon that great
chorus of school children, and the
sight of those grand armies, with their
bronzed faces, soiled uniforms and
tattered flags, was to them an object
lesson in patriotism never to be for
gotten"
OF course, you know what later be-
fell the intrepid Custer. How he and
his command were surrounded and
massacred by Sioux Indians on June
Is, 1875, 80 or 40 miles below the
Little Big Horn, Mont.
ON MAY "a. the second day Of the
" review, Gen. William Tecumseh
Sherman's great army paraded up the
Avenue. led by the same men who had
marched from Atlanta to the sea and
to victory. Beside him rode Gen.
o. o. Howard, known as the Chris
tian soldier" and for whom Howard
University was 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 Tennessee. and Frank P.
Blair, brother to Postmaster General
Montgomery Blair Of Lincolns cabinet,
commanded the 18th Corps. He was
known as the soldier politician and,
with Nathaniel Lyon, Is credited with
having saved Missouri to the Union.
Other general officers who led the
various contingents in this notable
review included Andrew A. Humphreys,
Charley" Griffin, Horatio G. Wright,
who had saved Fort Stevens; John G.
Parke, Henry J. Hunt. Henry w. Slo-
cum, Fighting Joe Mower" Pap"
Thomas and Jefferson c. Davis.
Naturally the poet was on hand to
give his version Of the return of the
victorious Union Army, and what Bret
Harte has said is well worth repeating:
II read last night of the grand review
In Washington's chiefest avenue
Two hundred thousand men in blue,
think they said was the number
Till seemed to hear their trampling
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 cucumber
Till fell in a reverie, sad and sweet,
And then to fltful slumber.
when, 10, in vision seemed to stand
In the lonely Capitol. On each hand
Far stretched the portico, dim and
grand,
Its columns ranged like martial band
OF sheeted specters. whom some
command
Had called to last reviewing.