Evening Star Newspaper, September 20, 1936, Page 53

Stage and -Screen Part 4—8 Pages G. A. R. TO REPEAT FAMED MARCH OF 1865 IN CAPITAL WASHINGTON, D. C, Remnant of Union Army, Comprised of 1,500 Veterans in Their Nineties, Will Parade on Avenue This Week Before Chief Executive and 60,000 Spectators. By William A. Millen. HE erstwhile embattled hosts of the Grand Army of the * Republic are back in Wash- ington again-for another ane nual encampment—a magnet that is expected to attract 60,000 visitors this week. “The thin blue line of heroes—about *1,500 of them—will be here, accord- ing to advance accounts. Onee again, they will march up Pennsylvania ave- nue and be reviewed by a Chief Ex- ecutive. Far different now from that band of sprightly youth that marched before President Johnson and Gen. U. 8. Grant, back in May, 1865, at the close of the fratricidal strife, will be those veterans. For the average age of them is 90 years—and many believe ‘that this will be their final encampment. But the Grand Army of the Republic answers back that #t/ will assemble in reunion until. the Iast man is vanquished by ‘death. Mrs. K.-P. McElroy, whose father- in-law, the late Col. John McElroy, was editor for many years of the National Tribune, official organ of the Grand Army of the Republic, published here, has been named by the District Commissioners as gen- eral chairman of the Women's Citl- zens Committee. She says there will be some 500 delegates from the Na- tional Women's Relief Oorps, sister organization of the G. A. R., here for the ' encampment; 350 delegates of the Ladies of the G. A.-R.; 450 dele- gates of the Daughters of Union Vet- erans and 300 delegates of the Sons of Union Veterans and 300 delegates of the Auxiliary of the Sons of Union Veter.ns. George W. Offutt has been named the District Commissioners as chairman of the Men’s Citizens’ Com- mittee handling arrangements for the ‘encampment. One of the major features of the encampment will-be 80, the others belng aocommndmd in automobiles. z Another major feature of the en- campment will be the unveiling of s bronze plaque at Fort Stevens by the National Women'’s Relief Corps, show- ing the original plan of the old fort, FEATURES The Sundy §Iaf (1) Civil War mortar at Petersburg, Va. (2) The Uhnited States Capitol at the close of the war. at Fort Gaines, near Tenleytown, D. C. (3) Scene (4) Statue of Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas, at Thomas Circle. (5) Home from the Wars. Grand review of the returned armies of the United States at Washington at the close of the Civil War? View from the Treasury steps showe ing troops marching up Pennsylvania avenue. (6) Statue of Gen. Phil Sheridan, at Sheridan Circle. (7) Memorial of Civil War nurses, in Washington. (8) Battleground National Cemetery, on Georgia avenue, showing graves of men who defended Washington. (9) The Lincoln Me- morial. ington during the nineties. (10) A Grand Army encampment in Wash- —Photos by L. C. Handy—and the Office of Public Buildings and Parks. part of which -has since. come into Government ownership as park land. ©. Mgdrshall Finnan, superintendent of the National Capital Parks, is co- operating in this and other functions planned in the parks. CONGR!SS by joint resolution ap- proved June 5 of this year, made available $15,000 for the forthcoming encampment. In this legislation Congress stated: “Whereas, at_the close of the Civil War the Grand Army of the Re- public marched up historic Pennsyl- vania avenue while the spirited tramp, tramp, tramp of their feet became the Nation’s marching song, and again in 1915, when their ranks were be- ginning to thin, the Capitsl City once more welcomed the Boys in Blue as their footsteps -nln resounded to the old battle tunes; Whercas the ranks. of ‘the three hundred thousand have dwiridled away to-hundreds, most of whom are in their ninetieth year; and “Whereas it is the greatest desire of their hearts to hold their seventieth national encampment -in the Capital of their country in 1936, and march, for the Ilast time, up Pennsylvania avenue; and it should be our pleasure and privilege to invite them here and show “respect to the last of our Civil War veterans, who, as our President in his last message to them ssid, ‘have lived to see the end of selectionalism to the chairman, William F. Gude, who headed the Citizens’ Executive Committee. In the parade on that occasion she rode a horse, bringing into play the experience she had gained in earlier years in Kansas. She recalls that 20,000 G. A. R. veterans were in the line of march. . That was the last time the “Boys in Blue” held an encampment in the National Capi- tal. It was a stirring occasion, with the war guns rumbling in Europe. . Lieut. Col. David J. Palmer .was national commander in chief of the organization then. Camp Emery, at nue improvement—was a gala center of activity. The grand marshal of the 1915 parade was the old Indian warrior, Lieut. Gen. Nelson A. Miles. President Woodrow Wilson. and his official family reviewed the Civil War veterans and members of his party joined in singing “Rally ‘Round the .” September 25, 1015, was day of the huge parade, with & estimated at quarter of a mil- viewing it from the side- after band, and stand of AM stand, went swinging down ue, and the martial tread of marching men resounded in Wash- the strenuous n.wmmthnmm are less than 9,000 veterans of the Civil War on the pension rofls. “The membership of the Grand Army of the Republic, he recalls, is now less than 7 But any veteran of the Civil War will be welcome &t 'the encamp- ment here, he observes. The national commander in chief organization is Oley Nelson ter, National headquar- now masintained in the &t Des Moines, Gen. John 'Lincoln Clem, ~boy - of. ‘Chickamangs,' SUNDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 20, .1936. Capital They Defended Has Many Reminders of War Years for Those Who Remain of Blue Clad Warriors; Unveiling of Placque at Fort Stevens Is Planned. campments, is now in San Antonio, Tex. Authorities say he is a past senior vice commander. He enlisted as & drummer boy in the 22d Michigan Infantry in 1862, having been rejected the year before on account of his youth. He was about 10 years old at that time and promotion to a ser- geancy came to him for valor at the battle of Chickamauga. Grant named him a second lieutenant in 1871. He had served through the South in the Civil War and continued in the Army until he was retired in 1915, as a major general JOHN M. KLINE is commander of the Department of the Poto- mac of the Grand Army of the Republic, 2s well as being com- mander of Kit Carson Post No. 23— the sole remaining umit of the organi- zation in the National Capital. He recalls that the encampment of 1892 was the largest held here, for it drew 75,000 veterans, and many were en- camped on the Washington Monument Grounds. In its palmy days the Department of the Potomac, Washington, D. C., boasted of some 2,000 members of the Grand Army of the Republic. Today it has but 14 here, and they meet, usually on the first Thursday of each month, during the cooler weather, at the home of Mrs. McEIroy. Serving Mr, m"m‘lfl]‘l tant general and assistant quarter- master general is E. D, Godfrey. Wil- ldam F. Dorsey is senior vice com- mander and also chaplain. John T. Ryan is junior vice commander, Fred 'W. Mixer ig officer of the day, R.'J. F. McElroy is patriotic instructor, the chief of staff is Gen. Clem and the color bearer is Percy Parker. These are the department officers, but, ow- ing to the very small number of vet- erans left here, the same men serve in similar capecities in Kit Carson Post. Other members of the organization here are: John W. Blaisdell, Newton Charles, Henry A. Evans, Charles Fox, R. C. McCammon, Eugene W. ‘Weaver, Alfred L. Woodworth- and And so the Grand Army of the Re- public has retreated before that inex- orable foe, Death, who has decimated their ranks as could never enemy can- non. But the remnants of that mar- tial array here will see lasting memo- rials to their times that will endure as long as will the Republic itself. Their hero was Gen. U. S. Grant. Today he stands in bronse within the shadow of the Capitol, at the head of Union Square, with his cloak wrapped around him as he sits upon his steed. (Continued on Seventh Page.)