History of George G. Meade post no. one, Department of Pennsylvania, Grand army of the republic online

honor paid to Comrade (irant, while the decorations surjxassed anythino-
ever witnessed in Philadelphia.

For a lull description of the part taken by the Post the report of
the Adjutant is gi\en in full.

Ill AIl-(J^â– ARTl:K^ Ul.n. ( ;. .MkaIiK I'lisT, X. i. I,

.VlUrTAM's OFKlri-., I'lni MiKM'HIA. Dec 22, lS7q.

fOMRAriF. L. D. C. Tvi.F.K, Commander C-o. C. Mcuh Post, Xo. / •

Comra,/,-:—\ have the honor to .■Mihmit the foUowiiig report of the parade of the Post on Tuesday,
December i6, 1879, to participate in the reception tendered by the citiwns of Philadelphia to our Comrade
f. S. I irant : —

111 compliance with ( leneral ( Irdeis Xo. 5, from the.-e Hea.l ijuartors. dated December 11, 1.S79, the
comrades of the Post a.ssembled at their Head-(,)uarters on Tuesday, ihe loih inst , at S .\ M.

The line was fonned at 8:35 and left the Post room at 8:50 .\. .M., lu-ailed by the band and <lrum corps

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of marly one hundred pieces, of the Fifth Marjdand Regiment of lialtimore, led hy Druin Major ft. linicc
lianelt, and proceeded up Eleventh street to Ridge avenue, to Spring (Jarden, to Broad, reporting to the As-
sistant Adjutant lleneral at 9:20 A. M. At 9:30 the cohnnn movrd up Broad street to Columbia avenue,
and countennaixhed to j'uttonwood. where the line \va.s re-fnnned on tlie west side of Broad street, facing
east, anrl awaited the arrival of ( "oinrade (irant.

At II:;o A. M, ihf head of tlie column i)assed. At 12:10 ( ient-ral (.rant and Mayor Siiiklty passed in
an open carriage drawn liy four gray horses. Shortly after the coknnn broke into sections of eight and
about 12:35 '00'* "P 'h*^ ''"^ "f march, proceeding down Broad street to Filliert, around the ea.steni front of
the I'uhlic Building to M.irket street, to Fourth, to Chestnut, to Thirteenth, to I'ine, to Broad, to Pa.ssyunk
a\enuf, and aftei a hah of tliiny live minutes countermarched up Broail to I'ublic Buildings, being reviewed
at llro;id and Sansoni streets l)y ( uMieral ( Irant, accompanied by (Generals Haitranft, Latta, .Seigfried, Reeder
and Snow (Un. and 1 1 is Kxcellenty ( ioveriior I lenry M . I loyt : then ]jassing around the western front of the
I^ublic Buildings, where the line was dismissed. This I'ost then jiroceeded around the Buildings to Market
street, to Twelfth, to (iirard, to Fleventh. 10 I'ost room-, and was dismissed about 5 o'clock to reassemble
at S o'clock.

The l*ost marched in sections ofeiglil and was formed in two companies, the tirst conunanded by junior
Vice Commander Thos. J. Ashton, .\cting Senior ViceConnnander, assi.sted by ( )fticerof-the-(;uard John C.
Dobleinan, acting Officer-of-the-IJay, and the second commanded by Officer-of-the Day Colin M. Beale, act-
ing Junior \'ice-Commander, assisted by Sergeant-Major John .\. Stevenson, acting ( Ifficer-of-the-Guard.
Between the two companies were nine stands of colors, including ( ieneral Me;ide's Head-(Juarters flag,
kindly loaned by the family, the colors of 28th and 95th Regiments, 1'. \".. .and other National and .Slate
colors. The handsome new white silk Post flag, caiTied for the hrst time, \v,as at tlie head of the I'o-t. car-
ried by Comrade Jacob .Swoyer. There were also canied ten new silk guidons, containing the coqis marks,
making twenty one with those already owned by the I'ost. The memliers were eciuipped with light blue
overcoats, trimmed and lined with red, the capes being buttoned back over the .shoulders, (i. A. R. caps,
white gloves, the officers wearing side arms, the whole appearance of the Post being unexceptionally good,
this being the finest display ever made by the Post and the largest number ever )iarading, one hundred and
seven ( 107) in line.

There was led in the line in rear of the colors the famous old war horse of tjeneral Meade, " ( )ld
Baldy." now about 26 years of age, kindly loaned by I )r. W. 11. r)aniels. the ])resent owner. This was
one of the featiues of the parade and attracted much attention. He liears a numl>er of lionorablc scars of
wounds received while carrying his illustrious master in many of the battles of the .\rmy of the Potomac.

The following comrades paraded, with the Post: Commander I.. I). C. Tyler. Junior Vice Commander
Thos. J. .\shton, Adjutant Jos. R. C. Ward, (Quartermaster \\m. W, Sweisfort. Ch.ajilain Ilalsey J. Tibbals,
( )flicer-of-the Day Colin M. Beale, Ofticer-ofthe-Cuard John C. I ^nbK-man. SergeaiuMajor John .\. Steveu-
.son, (Juarterma.ster- Sergeant Ch.as. I,, .\tlee. Past Post (.omnKUKlcr I ieo. \\ . llcvinny: Comnides .Vtkinsoji,

83



S. W. Aibuckle, Appel, Allmaii, Paul H. Baj'nes, Blakt). Hinl, liridger, lioos, Brooks, Blair, Cl.ymer, |no.
I'. Clark, Cassiily, t'ooper, Connolly, Diehl, Dunsforti, Dally, Horace, Evans, Enoch, Elmer, Edwards,
(irugan, Ciimher, ( lardiner, ( loodwin, (iladiii^, (livin, Hutchinson, I h'wes, llolfliger, Hale, Holman, Ham-
mer, Hartlevan, |anu-s. A. C. Johnston. Kent, T. M. Kni<;ht, iienry Keen. Kiider, Loud, Leidi*^, l.innard,
Laz.arus, I.uckenliaek, Maris, Mayer. Muiider. Mcl'ann. McGonigle, MacNeal, McCarler, MacfeiTan, Mc-
knight, Macpherson. Mar.|uet. 1,. W Moore. Nelson, H. C. Potter, Paul, Pfeiffer, Rorer, Reed, Schwarz,
Simpson, Stroliel. \V. K. Smith. Supe) . jiihn .Scotl. Sherer. C. F. Simmons, Ellis Stokes, Swoyt-r. Sliant/,
J. T. Stewart, C.e.>. StevenM.n. \V. W . Tucker. Todd. W. H. II. Wallace. W. \V. Wallace, White. Walter,
C. W. West. W.-aver. Wocd. |ohn W Ward, Wliitakn. C W West. Wolle. Whitlier. Wharl<.n, W.-irr-
hack. K. 1. Noung. and \ oder— 107.

In suliniitting this rei^ort yi^ur .\djutant cannot relVain I'n^m complimenting the I'ost upon its excel-
lent appearance and une\ce[jtional)le conduct, being such as to elicit the highest commendation frum niu-
sister Posts and the comrades generally, and most favorable comment from our citizens.

I would also call your attention to the necessity of the members of the Post adopting and providing
-themselves with overcoats or capes, this parade demonstrating the want of such an addition to our uniform,
as those worn by otn- comrades on this occasion added greatly to our line a]>|)earance.

I have the honor to be. ( •oniniandcr, very respectfully yours in F. (.'. an.l I...

Jo-,. R. C, Waki.. .li/inf.iiit.

Then came that perfect ovation tendered to Comrade Grant, wlien
all the survivors of the armies he commanded in war who could be
packed into the Academy of Music, met there on Ihurstla)' e\enino-,
Decemlier iS, 1879. to still further testily their love for their old com-
mander. To arrant^e for that monster reception, or, as we old soldiers
rather chose to call it, " Camp Fire," a committee had been appointed
by this Post, and an invitation extended to each Post in this city. Ger-
, .mantown, Roxborough and Chester, to send a representative. The
committee was organized by electing Comrade E. De C. Loud, ot this
Post, as chairman, Comrade |ohn W. Kester, Post 6, secretary, and
Comrade Win. B. Rose, Post 94, treasurer. The following are the
other comrades who composed that committee and the Posts they
represented : —

84



Post 2, Matthew Hall,
5, John Stewart,

7, Andrew Hague,

8, Wm. R. Peterman,
10, Smith D. Cozens,
12, W. J. Donald,

14, Lewis A. Uhl,

15, Thomas J Reed,
18, Charles G. Linder,



Post 19, E. J. Smith,

21, W. Penn Brown,

24, David T Davies,

25, W. H. Martin,
27, John Diton,

35, T. H. Sherwood,
46, W. E. Hoffman,
51 , John Taylor,
55, Samuel Helverson,



Post 56, R. M. J. Reed,
63, John E. Sailer,
71, Sam'l F. Delaney,
77, H. J. Stager,
80, Wesley E. Price,
103, James H. Davis,

114, D, M. Ferguson.

115, E. N. Rue,

228, Lewis Heiligman,



Dept. Headquarters, Rev. John W. Sayers,
Comiiiaiulcr TNlcr issued the following' onlcr ,i;i\inL;' the necessar)'
inlorniation to the comrades : —

1 Ir \|ul >l .\k I 1 KS ( ili.KCI ( i. Mb \I>1 I'li-^T. Nil. I, I l| 1 AK I MINI HI- rK.NNSVI.\'.\M.\, (1. .\. K..

S. K- Ci'K. II III \N|J ( IIKM M I .Sr>.,

I'nii Mnii'iiiA, I iininlier I ;, lS7<).
(ficucral <Oriicrs 3lo. 7.

T. Tlu- Loinnul.s „r thi- r..>l will .^^scml,K• at iIum- lK-:ia.iu:irl, t- ..n I liuiMhiy. 1 ).L-.ml.< r i,S. iS;,,,
al f) (VclocU I'. M,. Ini pai-aclf, to |)aitici|)ate in tlit- rfCf])tioM of c.i.i ccnirailr, I . S. ( Irant. l.y tlu- ( liaml
Aiiiiy of^ ti.e Kfi)ul>lic.

[I. Tin- line will fonn ii: ;o 1'. .M. ^harp, to proceed to the ( 'ontiiiental Hotel, to e^tolâ– t lomrade liraiit
to the "(amp lire " at tlie .Veadeniy of ^Iu^ic. Eveiy comr.ade must piovicle liiiiiself with a ticket oi he
cannot he admitted to the .\cadeiny.

111. The comrades are hereby iiiforme<l that the (Iraii.l .\rniy uiiilorni must he >ti icily adhered I... an.l
is as follows: Sinjjle breasted dark blue coat and white vest, with 11. .\. K. buttons, dark pants. fatit;ue cap.
white frioves and black necktie. ( Ivercoats issued by the (.)uartermaster will be woiii while paladin^.

I\'. The Comntander hereby assumes command of the whole escort, and Senior \'ice eonnnander A.
|. Sellers is hereby directed to assume coimnand of the Tost, and Comrade David Uranson, of I'ost 5, com-
mander of the details from other I'osts ; they w ill be obeyed and respected accordint;ly.

\'. Past I'ost Commanders R. \V. 1'. Allen and Ceortje W. I Jcvinney. and Comrade II. C. I'ottcr are
hereby a|ipointed special aids to the Commander, and will report at 1'. M. sharp.

' \ I. The badges adopted as the Post badije are now ready and can be obtained from the (Juartermaste r
at the contrat:t price of S3. 00 each.



Hv order ,,f



I,. I). C. Tvi.KK, /',»/ C<-/



>,,/,:



Icis. K. C. \\ ARIi. .U/jlltilllt.

In pursuance to above order, the comrades assembled at Post head-
([uarters, i;^; strong-, and, under command ot Senior Vice-Commander
A. |. Sellers, proceetled to the Continental Hotel and escorted Comrade

85



(iranl to the Acatleni)- of" Music, and after the services there, re-formed
and escorted him l)ack to the hotel.

riie escort was composed of and marched in the following' ortler :
( )nr himdreil ]:iicked pohcemen, umler the command of Chief of Pohce
Comrade S. lr\in (iiven. Past I )epartment Commander, all beino;' Cirand
Army men and wearing their Ci. A. R. hatlt^e; Commander L. D. C.
iyler. commancliny die whole escort, and his aids; Meade Post, No. i,
I ^^7 comrades. Senior \ ice-Commander A. |. -Sellers commandini^; car-
riages containing' Comrade V. S. Grant anil other guests; marching- on
each side of these were comratles representing all the Philadelphia Posts,
bearing forty stands of colors — tattered battle Hags, carried by the
regiments during the war; Drum Corps of Post No. 2; a detail of five
comratles from I'ach of the Philadelphia Posts, under the command of
Commander l)a\ id ISranson, of Post No. 5. The whole route to the
Acatlemy and return was i)rilliantl\ illuminatetl with colored lights, car-
ried by the comrades.

The ceremonies at the Acadeni) of Music were prcsiLled o\er b)'
Comrade John !■". Hartrantt, and were as follows: —

Reveille, - - - .-• - drum corps, po!>t no. 2.

Prayer, - ..-. rev. John W. S«tEHS, chaplain Dep't of Penna., g. a. r.

Address OF Welcome (on BEHALf OF THE State), â–  comrade henry m. hoyt, governor of penna.

Address of Welcome (on behalf of the grand army of the republic).

Rev. H. Clav Trumbull, Chaplain Meaoe Post, No. 1.

Double Quartette— Ship of State,"

Comrades H. S. and Theo. Thomas, Rooen, Groff, Moore, and Messrs. Briscoe, Huff and Ford.
Address, - • comrade John M. Vandehslice, Post No. 2, Asst. Adj.-Gen'L Dep'T of Penna.

Recitation-" Honor OF a Soldier," .... - comrade Chas. j. arms.
Recitation— "The American Navy," - - . - comrade wm. h. Lambert, post no. 2.
Quartette-" The Flag that Bears the Stars and Stripes,"

Comrades P. and J. Labaree, Story and Teese.
Presentation (a Gold grand army Badge to Comrade U. S. Grant),

Comrade Rob't B. Beath, Post No. 5, Past Dep't Commander of Penna.

Presentation (a Silver Spoon to Comrade Rob'T B. Beath, in Honor of a Son Born to him within a fev* days.

Requesting THAT IT BE NAMED U.S. Grant), - - Comrade John W. Savers, Chaplain Dep't of Penna.

So




HENRY CLAY TRUMBULL, D.D.
CHAPLAIN GEO. G. MEADE POST No. ONE.
linlered llie seivice .is Chaplain loth Reg't Conn. Volunteers, Se|)tenil>ir
Taken |)risoner at Morris Island, S. C, July 19, 1S63 ; releaseil November
Final muster out as Chaplain loth Reg't Conn. Volunteers, August 25,
Mustered in Nalhanel Lyon Post No. 2 Department of Connecticut, G. A.
Chaplain Department of Connecticut, O. A. R., 1868, 1869, 1870.
Memher National Council of .Administration, 1871, 1872, 1873.
Mustered into (ieo. G. Meade Post No. I, Kcliruary 13, 1S78.
Klc-clfd Chaplain, 1S79.



10, 1S62.
12, 1S63.
1865.
R., 1867



Song-" Marching Through Georgia," - - Comrade Wm. j. Smyth, freo taylob post, No. 1 9.

Address, . . . . comrade a. Wilson Norris, post no. 1 9, past Dep't commander of Penna.

Recitation— " The Surrender," also " Fare you well. Father Watkins,"

Comrade Geo. B. Carse, Post No. 5, Dep't of N. J.

Song— "The Trumpet Sounds Away," -. - -.- irma Glee Club.
Recitation-" The Wounded Soldier," - - - - Comrade j. Spencer Smith, post no. 2.

Address, . - . . Covirade Louis Wagneb, post No. 6, past Dep't commander of Penna.

Recitation— "Words AND THEIR Uses," • - - comrade s. l. adams, e. d. Baker post, No. 8.
Benediction .......... chaplain John w. sayers.

The services of that night were such as to be long remembered by
the many thousands of comrades who Hterally packed that large build-
ing from top to bottom, corridors, hallways and aisles.

The address of welcome of Comrade H. Clay Trumbull, of this
Post, and "The American Navy," by Comrade \Vm. H. Lambert, of
Post No. 2, were most enthusiastically received. It is therefore with
pleasure that we are able to give in full Chaplain H. Clay Trumbull's
address: —

G,iii-icil Gran/ : It is as a representative of George G. Meade Post One, of the Department of Penn-
sylvania, that I am deputed to second and to re-emphasize the welcome to you of the Grand Ai-my of the
Republic to-night. That Post is honored with your membership — which fact alone is sufficient to give the
Post a place in histoiy. Moreover, it bears the name and cherishes the fame of a great and good soldier
whom you confidently trusted, and to whose brilliant services the nation owes a debt of gratitude for all time
to come. As a representative of that Post I may ventiu'e, without presumption, to crave the indulgence of
your further kind hearing.

It is true that other words of welcome than the elo juent and fitting ones which have already been spoken
to you, might well be deemed superfluous to-night. Indeed, it might seem that one who has received the
glad greetings of all the sovereigns of earth, and who has fairly encircled the globe with the echo of his
praises, would tire of even the heartiest expressions of honor or esteem that could come to him from any
source, or by any person, whatsoever. But no true man ever tires of words of love and confidence from those
who are dear to him. And as you, sir, have already been reminded, and as a single glance about you would
have assured you, this vast assemblage is made up of those who are no strangers to you. They are your old
soldiers, your former companions in arms — " blood relatives " all ; and it is not too much to say that they are
very dear to you. You depended on them, and they proved true to you, in the hour of need to you and to

87



them— an hour of need to our nation and to humanity. Because then you were capable, and they were trast-
worthy, you had success, and they had victory and its rejoicins,'s.

A Swiss guide piloting a party of tourists up one of the Alpine peaks, after clambering from crag to crag,
â–  reached a table-land elevation, from which all the plain below, and the path from it, could be seen distinctly.
Stopping his party there, he said to them : " Here, gentlemen, is the place to look back !" Such a table-
land as that we have reached in this hall to-night. I lere is a place to look back. 1 lere are men from well-
nigh every field where you did service and won honor-from your Bunker Hill at Belmont to your Vorktown
at Appomattox Court House. How can they help looking back ? Meeting you again face to face, they can-
not but recall afresh those days when you were all the world to them; when you held their lives and honor
in your keeping ; when on yoiu" sagacity, your courage, and your fidelity depended all that they loved or lived
for — and for which they were ready to die.

As once more they look on you, and on tliose dear old flags beside you, they remember how, at your
order and under your lead, they followed those flags in the storm of battle, or stood by them in the dreary
siege, upholding and defending them amid the shower of bullets or under the crash of bursting shell ; on the
death-crowned parapet or in the open field, with ringing charge and counter-charge ; or on the weary march,
by night and by day, in sunnner's heat and in winter's cold; until the weather-beaten, tattered, and bullet-
pierced remnant of those flags bear mute but eloquent witness to the true-hearted devotion of those soldiers
and their great commander to the interests of that countiy which, under God, he saved, which he has gov-
erned so wisely and represented everywhere so grandly, and of which he stand, to-day confessedly the fore-
most, best-loved citizen.

Bound to you, sir, by such sacred ties of memory and association, these old soldiers have watched you
in your world-wide wanderings with loving imerest, and have shared, with a feeling of grateful jjride, the
wide world's homage to your personal services and worth, and to your representative chaiacter. They who
were one with you in your struggles and trials are one with you in your triumph and its rewards. And now
that you are once more among them, they welcome you back with the emphatic assurance that your ..Id sol-
diers will never cease to give you love and honor while they have hearts and memories.

A)-, more, they give you a welcome not for the Grand Army alone, but for all who love that country for
which they risked their lives, and which their comrades died to save. \ou know, sir, that our organization
is maintained not to perpetuate our enmities, but to commemorate our devotedness ; not to recall our defeat
of those who ojiposed us, but to keep fresh in mind the preservation of that national unity which is for the
good of our whole people. In the name, then, of your own Po.st of the Grand Army of the Republic, and
of eveiy lover of the Grand Republic itself, I prolTer to you the hand of welcome; and in doing this I pray
most earnestly and reverently. May God bless you. General Grant !

General Grant, after waitinjj for cheers that succeeded cheers, and
shouts of welcome that kept him standing- and bowing his acknowl-

88



edoments for many iiKMiients, to subside, replied to tlic address of wel-
come, making' one of the longest speeches he ever made, as iollows : —

Ci-r,-! HOI- llityl iiihl Cvmiiuh-i of the Gi mi,/ .Irmy of III,- Re;-!!!)!!, : It is a matter of vcTy deep ix-},'rct
witli me that I had not thought of something or prepared something to say in response to the welcome which
I am receiving here at your hands this evening, Init really, since my arrival here, I have not had the time,
and before that I scarcely thought of it. liut 1 can say to you all that in the two years and seven months
since I left this city to make a circuit of the globe I have visited every capit-d in Europe and most of the
Eastern nations, but there has not been a country which 1 have visited in that circuit where I have not found
some of our members. In crossing our own land from the I'acihc to the Atlantic side, there is scarcely a
new settlement, a cattle range, or collection of pioneers, that they are not composed almost entirely of vete-
rans of the late war. It calls to my mind the fact that while wars are to be deplored, and unjust wars al-
ways to be avoided, yet they are not unmixed evils. The boy who is l^rought up at his country horne, orhis
village home, or his city lionre, without any e.\citing cause, is a])t to remain there and follow the pursuit of
his parent, and not develop beyond it, and in the majority of cases, not come up to it. Ikit being carrie<l
away in the great struggle, and particularly one wdiere so much principle is involved as in our late conllict, it
brings to his view a wider field than he contemplated at his home, and although in his held service he longs
for the home he left behind him, yet when he gets there he finds that disappointment, and has struck out
for new fields, and has developed the vast domains which are given to us for our keeping — for the thousands
of liberty .seeking people. The ex-soldier has become the pioneer, not only of our own land but has ex-
tended our commerce and trade and knowledge of us and our institutions to all other lands, antl when
brighter days dawn upon other nations, particularly those nations of the East, .\niorica will step in tor her
share of the trade, which will be opened, and through the exertions of the ex-soldier, the comrade, veterans,
and I may say members of the Cirand Army of the Republic.

Connades, having been compelled, as often as I have been since my arrival in San Francisco, to utter a
few words not only to ex-soldiers but to all other classes of citizens of our great country, and always speak-
ing without any ])reparation, I have necessarily been oliliged to repeat, possibly not in the same words, but
the same ideas. But one thing I want to impress is that we have a country to be proud of, to fight for and
die for if necessary. While many of the countries of Europe give practical protection and freedom to the
citizens, yet there is no European country that compares in its resources, particularly its undeveloped re-
sources, with our own. There is no country where the young and energetic man can, by his own labor and
his own industry, ingenuity and frugality, acquire competency as he can in America.

A trip abroad and a study of the institutions and difficulties of a poor man making liis way in the
world is all that is necessary to make us better and happier citizens with our lot here.

Comrades, I thank you for the very cordial welcome you have given me. and I regret that 1 have not
been prepared to say better what I would like to say to you.

Sy



I'Vom the Philadelphia PuS/ic LcJ£-cr o( December 19th, we ex-
tract the following from their report of this monster entertainment to
welcome our comrade, U. S. (irant : —

As the Camp Kire was designed to be one of the chief features of (ieneral (irant's visit evemhing ap-
[lertaining thereto was arranged upon an elaborate scale, and great preparations were made for the street
pageant, or rather the escort of honor to the distinguished guest from his quarters at the Continental Hotel
to the Academy of Music. George G. Meade Post, No. i, of which General Grant is a member, Was ac-
corded the post of honor as the General's bodyguard, an J a delegation, consisting of five members from
each local Post, made up the complement of the escort. .Shortly after half-past six the line began to form
in front of the Department Head-Quarters, at Eleventh and Chestnut streets. The members of Meade Post
wore the regulation Grand .\rmy uniform, with the addition of the military overcoat of light blue with red
1 ned capes, fastened back over the shoulder. The Post was umler the command of .Senior Vice-Com-
mander A. J. .Sellers, while the Post Commander, Captain L. D. C. lyler, was in command of the entire
escort. Thirty old battle flags were carried in line, Meade Post alone, which numbered two hundred men,
showing fourteen of the tattered standards. A few minutes before 7 o'clock the order of inarch was given,
and preceded by the First Regiment Band and Dmm Corps, the escorting body marched to the Continental
Hotel, where they countermarched ia review before General and Mrs. Grant. Here an enlivening and bril-
liant scene was presented. .All the buildings hereabout retained their gay profusion of flags, banners and
general decorations. The windows and porches of the Continental Hotel and of the Girard House were
literally alive with lookers on, and the streets and sidewalks were jammed with people. On the top of the
Wanamaker arch many colored lights were biu-ning brightly, reflecting their brilliancy on the uniforms of
the soldiers and the banners carried in line. A barouche with four gray horses stood at the entrance of the