The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-10-31
THE SOLDIERS. BANQUET THURS.
DAY NIGHT.
TOAsTs AND RESPONSES.
ANECDOTES AND "REMINISCENCES, OF THE
ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA.
Good Fellowship Revived.

Good Fellowship Revived.
The pressure upon the columns of the
Dispatch yesterday morning prevented more
than q brief notice of the banquet of the
Army of Northern Virginia, but The interest
which our people feel in all that concerns
that grand old army will Justify further re.
port Of the "feast of reason and flow OF
soul" which reigned until the "aee sma'
hours"
The ready wit and easy grace with which
GENERAL FITZ LEE
presided at the festive board showed that be
might have won an enyiable reputation in
some profession requiring reader use of
the tongue than the sword.
He introduced the regular tcasts, cordially
welcoming his comrades to the festive board
in few wellchosen words, in which be
said that he could best illustrate what might
be expected from his conduct of these eXer-
cises by telling an apecdote, which some of
bis friends had erjoyed at his expense. An
old farmer, who was devoted adnefent of the
cause Of The Confederacy and firm belle yer
in its ultimate success, was very much
startled at the rumor that General Lee hsd
surrendered, and most Indignantly denied
it. At last there came along some men who
said that they were at the surrender, and
offered to show him their paroles. This
puzzled him, and be sea. cely knew what to
say until at last bright idea struck him,
and he triumphantIy exclaimed: "Ohl [
know how it is it is not General r. E. Lee
who has surrendered, but that felio,C Ftz
Lee. aud am not surprised at any thing he
does.'
And so, continued General Lee, you must
not be surprised at any thibg "that fellow :"
may say or do tonight. He would give as
THE FIRST TOAST OF THE EVENING
"Virginia-As great in peace as in war,
she is teaching nations that human forti-
tude is equal to human calamity"
Of course, said General Lee, there will be
but one voice as 10 who should respond to
this toast. He would call on Virginia's sell
dier-Governor, the gallant kemper, who
went with PicketL's division to the heights
of Gettysburg.
GENERAL KEMPER's REMARKS.
Governor Kemper was received with loud
applause, and begun bis response by telling
of fue spec ches he had already made that
day. He felt like veteran OF lhe Mexican
war who belonged to his old regiment, and
was accustomed the first dapS of The war to
boast of his exploits from Vera Cruz to the
city of Mexico, frequently saying TO the raw
recruits, "1t is mighty comfortable for an
old soldier to be in d real battle" But when
the brigade first came unaer heavy 6re, and
men began to quail, this Mexican veteran
turned ashy pale, and exclaimed, 81 de-
clare, boys, those battles in Mexico were all
shams. never was in real battle before
in all my life."
And so. when he stood before these veto
rams Ola hundred fields, gathered around
this festive board and prepared "to fgut
their battles o'er again." and tell with eIo.
quent speech the story of the great army of
which they were part, he felt as ii he had
never made real speech in his life, ard
should never be able to do so.
He paid an eloquent tribute to Colonel
Marshal's address, saying that 1t was clear
as gla-s, as luminous as the sun, and tho
roughly convincing on every point upon
which it touched.
There was no real soldier presept-he did
not mean the holiday soldier, but the real
veterans of the Army of Northern Vireinia-
who could not tell of deeds of heroiSm that
would rival those of Thermop,I9 or Mara.
thon, and OF the benefcent mlnlstrations OF
southern women who rival Cornelia or Por-
cia.
The proud remembrance is left US that
THE 1APERIsHABLE PRINCIPLES OF LIBERTY
underle our great struggle and that in such
4 contest no drop of blood is ever shed in
vain.
The blood of our fallen braves shall prove
the seed of liberty from which to reconstruct
the great principles OF constitutional liberty.
The Old Commonwealth was responded to
BY General WIN. b. rali'erro, in the absence
Of Tx Governor John Lelcner, who had been
requested to respond.
General Taliaterro insisted that there was
really no great prInriples that had not been
vindcated on the soil of Virginia. He al
luded to Bacon as the first "rebel," and
George Washington as distinguished Vir-
gina "reaeI." He called the late contest
"the second war of independence" and
spoke of the part which Virginia had borne
in speaking especially of the fact that at one
time nearly all OF the Confederate depart
ments were commanded by Virginians, such
as Lee, Johnston, SAMUEL Jones, Dabney IL.
Maury, Sc.
8. !.The Confederate Dead."-In response
to this Toast General William H. Payn made
AN ELOQUENT SPEECH,
in which he said that be felt like the Knights
of the Round Table, who missed Sir Ector,
1.-The goodllest knight of all" from their
midst.
We assemble around this festive board
and our great chief, K. <. Lee, aud many OF
our truest and urare>t cCme not TO us. ana
vet he had no tears to shed for those VINO
iell in cause as just as any that was ever
submitted 10 the arblframent OF the s"oT0.
4, 1.-THE Surutuors Of The army Of North
ern Ytroid,d.- Fortitude and fidelity now
are as honorable ana becoming as thslr calv.
alry and courage when wearing the gray"
In announcing this toast General Lee said
that OF course the only proper man to re-
spoud was General Early, VINO is still "wear'
ing The gray"
GENERAL EARLY
was received with loud applause, and sale
that in responding to this toast the first
question is, w ho are the survivors y? He
insisted that there are tor0 deafnstone O.
spirit and one OF body-apd that the mar
who dies in spirit is "dearer than those erht
hape died IN BODY"
He then went for recent writer in the
GALAXY who had spoken OF General Lee as
o " broken idol" Heendorsed Colonel Mar
shall's criticism of "Johnston'S Narrative
and pointed out several other errors in the
book. he recalled some "reminiscences OF
first Manassas to show that Jobnston's &C.
count of that battle does not do justice to
the galantaud lamented Stuart, who. he con.
tended, was entitled to as much credit for
his service on that field as any other man.
BE also briefly sketched the battle of Will