The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-10-20
Societyof theAInyof West Va
A FIN E DISPLAY
Proceedings on the Island.
A BIG TIME TO-DAY


large number OF those who S!rved IN
West Virginia during the late war to
our city, yesterday, from Pennsylvania,
Maryland, Ohio and West Virginia.
4 line was formed in front of the
Court House at , o'clock, which moved
to the Fair Grounds, headed by Was
Brass Band, the Fairmont Brass Band,
and large drum corps raised in this
city.
The display was very fine, and many
an eye was raised in love to the flags,
carried in the procession, which the
BOYS had followed on many bloody
field.
Arrived at the grounds, the Society
was called TO order by Gen. |. II
Duval, President, who introduced Rev.
T, NJ. Hudson, who made a short and
touching appeal to the God OF Battles
for his blessing on the soldiers there as
sembled, and returning thanks that so
many were spared to participate in the
pleasures and duties Of the hour.
Gov. E. F. Stanton was then intro.
duced to welcome the members Of the
Society on behalf OF the citizens. lie
said he believed he was the only repre-
sentative of the city government LETT to
welcome the soldiers to the city, all the
rest having gone to Baltimore. As a
member OF, and in behalfot the city
government, he welcomed the "boys to
Wheeling. There seems, he said, a
peculiar propriety in welcoming to
Wheeling, the metropolis Of this State,
the men whose valor saved the State
from the ruin, desolaiion aud horror Of
the rebellion, and whose bravery,
proves and endurance saved us from
the terrible ordeal through which the
other States Of the South passed
These reunions, sail the Governor,
are happy occasions, when those who
have formed friendships on the field Of
battle can renew old ties and eight
their battles Ger in song aud story.
You have the cordial welcome he said,
of the municipal authorities and the
citizens OF Wheeling. May every hour
you pass with us be an hour OF unal-
Logged pleasure and may yon take with
you to your homes only recollcctions Of
happiness and delight.
Capt. r. II. Cochran of this city was
then introduced. He spoke as follows:
COMRADES In the name Of the So
ciety OF the Army OF West Virginia bid
you welcome to-day. congratulate you
that He whose loving kindness followed
YOU on the weary march and through
the appalling storms of battle, has kept
you in the years past and now permits
so many of US to meet again. Soldier,
who ten years ago left the furrow and
shouldered the musket to conquer an
honorable peace, welcome ! Soldier,
who left the workshop, tue factory, the
mill, and gave to an unofiending nation
in the hour Of need muscle Of steel. a
lion heart, an intelligent will and n
ready obedience, welcome! Soldier,
who babe adieu to wife, children and
home to incur hardships, endure pri-
vations, and in thousand ways learn
the sad realities OF war, welcome! Wei
come all We bid you a soldiers wei
come. We bid you the welcome of
peace. We bid You the welcome Of
love. We bid you the welcome Of hope
and we bid you that broad traternal
welcome of charity, (which shines to-
day so grand and high under the dome
of the Union sky
As | stand to-day in your presence
and reflect that but yesterday you were
the actors in military drama that
shook the political world. there is an
awfulness in the thought that almost
overwhelms me. am carried back to
a thousand scenes of a few short years
OF the last decade. Out Of the chaos
and carnage Of then has come the
grand, prosperous and promising pres
ent. The diversity OF then is lost in the
unity and identity of now. lie who
was our foe is now our friend, and
though we are this day met a late
soldiers of the Union army, 10 renew
the social relation Of the past and by
that means fit ourselves for higher
usefulness in the future, yet we can say
to him who so late was foe, we now
are friends Oar American hearts are
touched with a common impulse, they
vibrate as a single chord with COM
mon pride; our eyes behold a common
country and a single flag; as citizens
we worship at a common shrine. Thy
people are my people thy God my God ;
whittier thou goeSt | may go where
thou Invest ! may live; where thou diest
| may die, and there may be buried.
lam sure that it is in a fraternal
spirit like this that we are today assem-
bled, and it is from this exalted stand
that we can look down the past and into
the clear upper sky OF the future.
While we feel a commendable pride in
the consciousness o. duty well done in
a cause tending to make this good world
of ours better, nevertheless we know it
is not in the heart of any true soldier to
wound the pride of a conquered, honor.
able foe, and it has been one OF the
gratifying features OF my observation
and experience that since the war there
has been among the soldiers OF the two
armies a greater degree OF cordislity
and much higher appreciation than
before. and we can say OF them as we