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Show ffl PARADE. r Illinois, in "Which the G. A. R. Firsts Organized, at the Head. SLOCUM, SICKLES, HOWARD AND REYNOLDS IN:RANKS. Eight Hundred Children Dressed in-Eed, in-Eed, White and Blue FORM A LIVING AND CHANTING STAR SPANGLED BANNER. Through a Lane ef Dense Humanity the Grizzled Warriors Passed, Mounted and on Foot, to the Inspiring In-spiring Muislc of Patriotic Airs, in umbers Unprecedented in Any Previous Parade "Old Abe" anil Other Famous War Itelics In Line. Washington, Sept. 130. The feature ia today's proceedings of the Grand army reunion re-union was the parade of the veterans. In, the eiirly morning the weather was mild and hazy; later the sun catnc out, shedding a, genial warmth, but the sky soon clouded, over again, aud a cold wind made it uncomfortable uncom-fortable in exposed places. Thirty minute after nine o'clock was the hour set for starting start-ing the parade thia morning, and long before be-fore that time gTeat crowds had lined up against the wire cables 6tretched outward along the sides of broad Pennsylvania avenue from the capital building. Various Var-ious veterans' pOTts formed at their headquarters and marched to positions' assigned to them on diagonal streets on each side of Pennsylvania avenue, beginning at the west front of the capitol. The Illinois posts, coming from the state in which the order was first organized, had the place of honor at the head tf the line next to the general officers, and Wisconsin posts came second, and so in due order. Through the dense lanes of thousands of people who lined the pavements and side, streets, past fcuudmga lavishly deeoratud witn fluttering banners, festoons, flags and -streamers, cheered on by fresh voices, hundreds " of school children singing patriotic airs, grizzled veterans who twenty-seven years ago occupied two days in passing in review-along review-along this grand national avenue, moved to--day with thinned ranks, whose numbers did. not preclude the completion of the journey; within a single day. Then over rough cobblestones cob-blestones they marched as mem-, bers of great modern armies; tired, J dusty, travel-stained, war-worn, but with fierce exultation and pride born of the knowledge of their deeds and accomplish-) ments. Today, over smooth asphalt pave-' ment, they marched again, still proud that they had been member of that grand army, but in the years which thinned their ranksy the fierce war spirit died away and left little behind but feelings of joy and good-will to1 all men in THEIR GRIZZLED LOOKS and reminiscent faces one could read tha recognition of the fact that It was the last time many of them would free the national capitol. So it was that they decided to make this parade the greatest feature of the encampment, knowing it was a coincidence which could never be repeated. On- the1 lawn adjoining the south wing of the-, treasury building was a large covered stand named in honor of Lincoln on-' which were placed eight hundred school . girls so arranged in red, white and blue dresses as to produce a living star spanglee banner. Farther down near Central market, colored school girls were massed together on the stand, their melodious voices blending ham moniously in a grand chorus as the o A. sol diers marched past. The order of march was as follows: Cit izens' committee; old guard of Washington, as escort of commander-in-chief; Grand army, battalion of Albany; commander-in-chief; senior vice commander-in-chief; official staff of commander-in-chief; aids-de-camp to commander-in-chief; escorts es-corts to Grand army; first defenders; Sixth Massachusetts, United . States Veteran Signal association; department of Illinois, Edward Harlan, commander, withr twenty-three posts and about 1500 men ia. line gathered from all parts of the state. Next came the Wisconsin department, with more men than that state ever had before in, an encampment parade, headed by Depart. ment Commander uoionei J. ts. weuon. G. W. Sutherland carried "old Abe," tha famous war eagle carried through the rebellion re-bellion by the Eighth Wisconsin regiment Theodore Riel carrying the badger, emblematic em-blematic of Wisconsin shield and Doc Au-bury, Au-bury, the original newsboy of the Iron brigade, carrying a number of the identical newpapers ho had unsold at the close of tha war. There were tweuty-three po.ts in line. Next came the Pennsylvania department depart-ment with the largest representation in line. Then came the other stati departments, that of Ohio, headed by Commander Com-mander J. F. Mack. Then in order cams New York with ten brigades, with Slocum, Sickles, Howard and Reynolds in the ranks ; Connecticut; Massachusetts, with General Butler; New Jersey, Maine, Calif ornian, who came next, all mounted and carrying a crimson silk banner with a picture of & grizzly bear. Department Commander J. B. Falls led fourteen posts, and the ADMIRABLE RIDING of the men was the subject of general comment. Next followed Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland. Iowa, Nebraska, Michigan, Indiana, Wyoming, Colorado, included in one department and made a fine showing with thirty-eight posts, led by Department Commander John C. Kennedy and staff. Then came Kansas, Delaware, Missouri, Kentucky. West Virginia, Arkansas, Ten-. nessee, Lousiana. Mississippi, Florida, . Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, South and North Dakota, with a creditable showing, and Indian territory. The procession closed with posts of the department of the Potomac and naval veterans. |