Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 17.djvu/264

 256 Southern Historical Society Papers.

were Messrs. Julius Straus, Jefferson Wallace, John Lively, W. M. Justis, Jr., William M. Hill, G. G. Minor, and Carter Wormley.

FRANKLIN -STREET BELLES.

Soon after the third waggon started down Franklin street several of the young ladies who were viewing the sight from their porches and yards went out into the street and took hold of the rope which was intended for the ladies, and went with the procession a short distance, and when they left it other belles came and took their places. B3' this way of changing several thousand ladies had hold of the ropes while the procession passed along Franklin street.

The fourth wagon was drawn almost exclusively by boys. A few men had hold of the ropes in order to guide the vehicle. Among^ the gentlemen helping to pull the last vehicle were Messrs. Willie Arsell, William Walker, Ben. T. August, J. C. Hannon, and Mann S. Quarles.

LADIES BY THOUSANDS.

The ropes to all of the wagons were besieged by girls, young ladies and matrons, as the vehicles passed up Franklin street. Mothers and nurses pressed eagerly to the ropes, that their infant charges might touch them with their tiny hands — that it be a trea- sured memory. Tiny toddlers were held on their feet, too, briefly with their hands upon the rope in the slower progress of the proces- sion. Especially great was the rush of the fair sex just after the veterans' wagon passed Monroe street. The number swelled gradu- ally until after Monroe Park was passed ; and there was a liberal reinforcement just as the head of the procession was opposite the Richmond College campus. Hundreds of these, perhaps thousands in all, clung to the ropes until the trip was complete. They came to two muddy places in the avenue that caused some few to retire, but they soon came back.

AT THE MONUMENT.

Thousands of people awaited at the monument-grounds the com- ing of the procession.

OH ! WHAT A MULTITUDE !

Never were such crowds seen in Richmond as thronged Broad and Franklin streets during the passage of the procession ; but even this