May 23, 1865---The Grand Review of The Army of The Potomac

MAY 23, 1865:           

The Grand Review of The Army of The Potomac:

For the first time since April 15, the United States flag rises to full staff when “Colors” is called.

It is 9:00 A.M. on a bright and sunny morning, when a cannon shot marks the beginning of a vast parade. General George Gordon Meade proudly leads 80,000 men of his Army of The Potomac from Capitol Hill down Pennsylvania Avenue.

The infantry marches in rows twelve abreast, singing songs. Brass bands crump. Medals and sabres glitter. Hundreds of thousands of civilians cheer and throw flowers in the path of the conquering heroes. Following the infantry come the cavalry and artillery regiments in a massed column over seven miles long. It takes six hours for the parade to pass a given spot. Battle flags snap in the breeze. “What Regiment?” shout the crowds. And the marching men shout their answers back.

General George Armstrong Custer becomes an instant celebrity, when his horse, spooked by the crowds, rears dramatically. Custer masters the animal with a flourish, waving his hat, to the delight and excitement of the crowds.