Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 17.djvu/258

 250 Southern Historical Society Papers,

THE DECORATIONS.

All of the boxes were concealed by drapery.

The Confederate colors were omnipresent except where space was found for Virginia's flag and coat-of-arms.

Box No. I in the procession was about eighteen feet long, seven feet high and six feet broad. It contained the horse's body (the largest piece), and weighed about 12,000 pounds. Wagon and load weighed 18,000 pounds.

On the front of this box was quite a good oil print of General Lee on horseback, with his head bare and hat in hand. Confederate battle-flags, stars and bars and the Virginia colors floated from the front and rear and from the sides, while numbers of little banners depended from the summit of this great box, inscribed ** Our Com- mander, R. E. Lee," and containing a print of him.

To this wagon, as to each of the other three wagons, four long ropes were affixed.

Altogether there was a mile of rope.

THREE OTHER BOXES.

Wagon No. 2 in the procession bore the bronze platform which will cap the granite pedestal, and into which the horse's hoofs will be riveted.

No. 3 was ladened with the case containing the horse's legs.

Upon the front of this case another picture of Lee was displayed.

No. 4 wagon contained the head and body and sword of Lee.

All these boxes, and such portions of the wagons as could be thus dressed, were begirt with Confederate bunting tastefully arranged.

Altogether, the wagons and boxes presented a showy appearance.

THE START.

The hour fixed for the moving of the statue was 5 P. M. The place of rendezvous for the persons proposing to take part was on Broad street near Laurel— just a little west of where the horse-cars turn from Broad going towards Monroe Park — close to where the wagons were standing.

The young folks were very impatient for a start to be made. They and their elders had seized every inch of rope before 5 o'clock, and such was their juuilant mood they several times threatened to start off* before the word was given.