The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-12-18

ing there was street parade, with
cannon- firing, etc., followed by q
sabre contest for valuable prizes. In
the evening. the Opera House was
| crowded, to listen to an address from
Lieut.. Gen. Wade Hampton, who was
introduced to the nudicnce by Gen. M.
G. Butler.
Gen. Hampton came forward amid
the widest applause. He said the
survivors of the First Cavalry Brigade
had requested him to recount the his
tory OF tho brigade during the war.
Unfortunately he had received this 10.
tihcatioE only three days aga. His
! first impulse, On account Of tho short.
| ness of the tino, was to decline Rut
when he considered that they had
| nevEr failed u!m, hn could not. Thero
was another consideration: He iong4d
to look them in th. face once ,aore.
In the absence Of AL preparation, TO
would touch fer fnw minutes upon
the deeds which had given the brigade
su glorious reputation. They hal
fought on huudred battle-GeIds, from
| Virginia to GIorgia. What more could
he say? Tue brigade was organized
just utter the battles around Richmond,
and hs hnd the good fortune to be
pincad i'll command Of it. Perhaps il
was not known to all of them that il
was first Intended that that command
should te temporary. After the gal
liant Gregg was killed, Gen. Leg wrote
to him and asked him to take com
mand OF that lamrnted officers hri-
gade. He wrote to Gen. Lee unL
asked him if it was his purticuar ,lc-
sire that he should command that bri.
gade. Gen. Lee wrote To him to con
suit his own wishes. He then replied
that he preferred to commaud the
Firs: brigade to any other in The ser
vice. IAppause. Ho recouIted some
OF the notable exploits of the brigade.
in Virginia and Maryland. IIo spoke
some time since at the fair grounds il
Frederick City. II. found that it was
on the very spot where the First Bri-
gade had made ho spIeudid fight.
Iho people there ted him that the
brIgudc did great execution on that
memorable occasion. All of the bat
ties that they wore engaged in were
craven in his heart. What brigade in
Lees army could SHOW better racor.;
than tue FIRST brigade? He felt it dne
to The men whom lie had had the honor
to conmnnd that their deeds should
not go nnrceordcd. Gen II-e said on
tnure than one OCCASION that Tie
cavalry deserved a!l praise. La ,..,
last campaign TIC cavu!ry ri th. Amy
OF Northern Firgin.A turned IL 1a,r"
thaa ~. 900 prisoners. He ha,i two
otLer fron. Gen. j. =. oEAst,,!.. Ceu.
Lee a.li, in reference to The bu!te of
f;re Forks: "lIad you been her. will.
.ll your cavalry, the disaster wouia
nc"cr have occurred" General Jouu-
SION said the record of rae cavn!rv oi
the Army OF Northern Virginia was n
grand as That Of any command ia the
world. Hn had spoken nf iii" past,
nov Let linn speak OF the future. The
clouds were now lifting from over rs.
The Democrats had not gninaI success
alone. Many honest Republicans had
joined With them at tho North, aud
There sre"e honest Republicans q: the
North. Let us obey nil tie laws. Let
us divest these meetings Of nll political
Significance, nnl show tho people that
ne meet oniJ to pcrpetuate the memory
oi our dead. Lie prayed to God that
they might live to SEQ tho day when
Justice again reigned in the land; when
they Nigh. feel that their blood had
not been shc1 in vain.
Loud calls were made for Gen. NJ.
G. Butler who, in response, said he
die not think they should lose sight OF
their identitJ in the general submarg-
ing OF the South in the nation in the
future. They should not lose sight of
the fSct that they had been Southern
soldiers. he could appreciate their
trials. When they surrendered their
swords, they did not expect wha. had
come to pass. Ii they could have an
ticipnted it. thvy would never have
surrendered their swords. Voices
never! Lie did not say this with the
purpose Of indn!ging in my disloyalty
But il was due to the truth of history
that W. should put upon record the
indi3n:sies offered 10 us. He dil no.
believe TINT these indisnties had been
put upon us by the soldiers on the
other side. II the pctticmcn. Of the
difficulties ilad bocn left to the men
who fought zach other, they wonli
have been settled upon terms of equity
and jasticc. We have duties to por.
form now to the past a5 TO the future.
They had selected this good old city of
Augusta, renowned for the manner in
which it welcomed strangers, for their
first reunion. 1t dil. him good to