Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 September 1887 — GRIND ARMY BOYS. [ARTICLE]

GRIND ARMY BOYS.

Many Thousands pf Veterans in Camp in the Parks of'St. Louis, An laimViiHH Aitmndarce of Veterans—* anil the Numbers K« k ep Increasing—The Fwrifrty - *; ' St. l oi-rs Vl q. . Sep . 26.—The boys in blue and their friends have taken the city by storm to-day, and from daylight until far into the night, one continuous procession of grip-sacks has poured itself out of the Union Depot. From six o’clock onward there was not a lapse of half an hour without a. train, and the local rec/ ption committee, although its numbers bad hem reii.forced, found it impossible to handle the people that crowded upon them. There were timfes when chaos reigned supreme, and even when the awful rush of the Knights Templars’ conclave wasmtore than surpassed. Up to 3 o’clock this afternoon the official reports to the headquarters of the local committee showed that, over 20,000 ex-soldiers wore already upon the ground, and, aB every train brought in more spectators than Grand Artpy men, it was figured out that fully 50,000 strangers were in the city. This! does not, probably, represent more than one-third of the number that will be here by to morrow, for the delegations from many of the principal States, including Illinois and Pennsylvania, as well as the big- excursion trains, are yet to arrive at this writing. Whether this great mu’titude can be housed, even if it can be fed, is a serious question. Not a room — not even cot space—remained at any of the hotels after 10 o’clock, and the clerks were driven well nigh to distraction by'the crowds that besieged the desks and begged and pleaded for even a place to lay their heads. Every lodg-ing-house within a radius of a mile of the old court-house is pretty well filled up, and plenty of people have been glad to s cure, accommodations two or three milesuway. The rush, in fact, has up. set all calculations. As an example accommodations had been ordered iri advance for 800 Californians, and when the train came in, what with wives, and children, and friends, they were 1,500 strong. The-same in a greater or less de gree is true of almost every delegation that has put iD an appearance. Tomake matters worse, the rain of to day has so thoroughly saturated the tents in which the rank and. file of the veterans were to besheltered. that rite prospect of their occupancy is anything but. inviting, and j the men who, a severe of yeaVsago, would | have been perfectly contented with .existing conditions, are hardly willing to and to the affirmities of advancing ate hv sleeping UDon the damp ground. The arrivals to-day included the divisions fritrp Kansas.Colorado,Tennessee, Georgia, Maine and Wyoming. Most of them brought either a band or a fifeand drum corps, and despite the rain and mud they marched merrily through the ptreets to the martial strains of the music. They hardly waited to get the dust from their clothes,or replenish the wants of the mn>r man, before they were mingling with the crowds in the lobbies of the hotels, seeking out old acquaintances, and renewing the associations of years gone by. Many an affecting drama was enacted as men who had not met Since the close of the war found themselves face to face. Hands were grasped with hearty fervor, shoulders were slapped, necks hugged, and every Conceivable mauiie-tatfou of joy and pleasure was indulged in by the grayneaded veterans. Every now and then somebody would start ‘‘Marching through Georgia” or some other war song, and the crowd would take up the refrain and make the welkin ring. Good nature and jollity were the order of the day and night, and altogether the veterans ape having such a time as they have seldom if ever had before. The feature of this encampment is the sheltering of la'ge numbers of old veterans in tents, tried at each encampment before in (small numbers. The plan gave such sat.isiaet.iou and pleasure that it was decided tans to house vast, nurnberg, and the executive committee arranged to care for a greater concourse of people in the field than has ever before been attempted in any land except in times of war. Perhaps no canvass city of such proportions has eter been built in so short ati me. Within two months 3,500 tents with ample room for 25,000 soldiers more than there is in the entire United States Army, have been put together and are now pitched in ten beautiful parktrof this city, all within a radius of two miles. The headquarters areconnected by telegraph and convenient todininghalls. A bale of straw makes mattresses ior each tent; the bed the soldier brings strapped on his knapsack or grips. Five hundred of these tents are pitched in Lvon Park, 300 in Concordia Park; in Hyde Park 500, Washington Park 550, Carr Place 700, St, Louis Park 300, Jackson Park 150, Forest Park 250, around the Court House and other public places 100. In the heart of the city for several days deserted walks, and white coverings were more like the city of the dead, but tonight an army of jovial and tried spirits crowd the way. The doubt would the boys take to the tents has been dispelled, for oti a rainy day more applications for sucb shelter have been made than tents are ready lor, but the neighborhood hoteis and boarding houses o€er relief for the surplus. In many caseß

the veteran will stop in the camp and bouse bis family near by! !, A peep within the tents this evening revealed touching scenes. The warrior citizdn only knows the feeling of such glorious reminiscences. Ever and anon surging crowds on the strfeet pause to hear this bugle call, and the stentorian voice calling out a name, company, , regiment and State, sometimes a call for a comrade not seen for years. Too often there is no response, but then again an answer, silence as they meet and then a jubilee. These camps are full of pathetic meetings after years of separation anddt is this that draws so many thousands of the boys in blue .together. This evening the visitors were entertained by receptions at the various post headquarters. The halls, beautifully decorated, have been thrown open ali day, and many comrades have accepted their hospitality. At Ransom Post a band entered on the scene with martial music, and IT. .8. Grant post of Eliza-, beth, N. J., presented Ransom post, with a handsome oil painting of General Ransom. Blair post was greeted by a number of speeches and was particularly aroused by Corporal Tanner, who touched on the flag issue, the President and possible insult to the Grand Army. Lyon, Hassepdeuble and Harding posts also kept open house to all visitors.