Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-08-31
MISSOURI STATE NEWS.
Reunion of Ex-confederates. at seda,la


The second annual meeting of the ex- Con-
| federate Association of Missouri, a. Sedaiia,
Aug. l5, was largely attended. There were
| perhaps 1900 strangers in the streets and ev-
cry portion of Missouri was well represented
Every train Drought IN the veterans by the
score. ALI arrivals were escorted to the head
quarters, where, on filling out blank, stat
ing name, age, residence, rank and regiment,
length of service and name of commander,
and the payment OF ST. a certificate of MEM
bership was given, together with red ribbon
badge bearing the inscription:
I" Nincit Amor Patria."
ExConfederates of Missouri.
Second Annual Reunion.
Promptly at p. m. the ex -Confederates be-
gan to form on Usage street, being marshaied
by Col. McCulloch and his aids. 1t was not
until O'Clock that the procession started to
Sicher's Park where the exercises were to be
held. First in line came detachment of po-
lice, followed by the ST. Louis Arsenal Band.
and carriages containing the orator of
came the Union Veteran Club of .Sedalia,
l0) strong. The Union Veterans were all Fed
@ do eseers amt tv they th out
ans. The Mayor and city officials of Sedalia
followed in carriages. Then came the ex-
soidierly. precision, but without regard to
rank or former divisions, followed by. the Sc
Carriages coeeiains eitzens eon
by fully 900 pedestrians of both sexes The
procession entered the grounds, and the
while the orator of the day and distinguished
guests occupied what is on the occasion of
horse races, the judges stand. The exercises
were opened by prayer by Rev. B. T. Lacey,
Stonewall Jackson's own chaplain. Mayor
Misserly. of sedalia, then read cordial ad-
responded to briefly and then introduced Le-
roy b. Valiant, of st. Louis orator of the
i n q nj 0cfp w o6
Mr.. Valiant said Seventeen years have
passed since the war closed. and we
duties i Which we ali 10 reeosnize as bind
ing on us. Let us each one look back now
and think of our comrades who stood shout
der to shoulder with during the long, kill
ing marches, who lay with us upon the cold
ground and in the beating rain and snow.
who shared with us their scant covering and
divided with us their last piece of corn
bread, whose strong arms were ever ready
to come to give us help, and whose brave
courage. Where are they now? Some
you meet here to- day, others are scattered
many have gone to their last home. Do we
owe no duty to them. living or dead? In these
seventeen years many changes have taken
place; some OF us have prospered. and some
of us have met only adversely, but time has
marched evenly on with all of us and the
youngest of US are now in middle age. AS
the years go by our ranks become thinner,
and the age and number of our helpless COM
rades increases There are already many
diers, and widows and orphans of our de-
ceased comrades, who are as deserving as
and have no one to look to for help but
us. In so far their distressed con-
dition is traceable to their connection with
our lost cause, it awakens no sympathy ex
cept among our own people. When they be-
come entirely helpless the cold and clammy
bread of charity may be handed to them as
to a common beggar But are we satisfied to
abandon them TO that fate? Drawer, more pa
triotic and better men than they never lived,
and nnIr mfr inS mr. elaiy
The duty of taking care of our own distressed
people devolves upon us alone Shall we who
own families not to be wiling now to con-
tribute to the support of our comrade, who,
IN in, those dark days was SO faithful and true!
and children of him who would have divided
his last crust with us? If by means of
this association an opportunity is afforded
every Confederate in this State who is willing
and able to do so to contribute 81 per annum,
and as much more as he should see fit, it
would be but a few years until there would be
accumulated funds sufficient to provide for
all the poor and helpless Confederates who
now part of the great American nation.
whose very Union has been cemented by the
feelings of patriotism center in this country.
If we desire the happiness of our chill
dren, we should teach them to honor. love
and revere it, and be ever ready to defend it
with their lives But should teach them
that a large part of the glory of this country
is wrapped up in the history Of the Confeder
domains more devoted citizens. nor the flag
which now floats over us more patriotic de-
sometimes now we fall into reverie and a
dream of those old days comes over us, and
we are hurrying on to the field where already
the battle has begun, and above its roar we
hear the encouraging shouts OF our comrades,
and through the parted smoke we see waving |
the old battle flag, with its white ground and
red field and its blue cross, and a thrill of
the old love runs through us, but we awake |
to realize that we are cOmmuning only with |
the everlasting and never returning past. We |
can not afford to bind ourselves to the dead |
past, or be content to live only in remi- |
niscence. Turning to the living present we |
see our path of duty laid out before us. Our |
duty to our selves and our children is inSep- |
arabic from our duty to our country. Patriot
ism is the highest virtue man can practice. |
Let SO live that when the order for our fl |
nal discharge shall come we can near the |
voice of the Great Commander saying: you
carry with you to your last home the con- |
seriousness of duty faithfully performed"
At the conclusion of Mr.. Villiant's Grafton |
the Arsenal Band played medley OF national
airs, concluding with Dixie, which created |
the greatest enthusiasm for fully five min |
uteS.
Col J. r. Claiborne. of St. Louis, read the |
of the Southern Historical and Be- |
nevoient Association OF ST. Louis to the ex-
Association of Missouri, which |
was received with more applause An ad-
journment was then had until morning.
At night the fraternizing scenes of the day |
were repeated at hotels and other resorts.
of families gave private entertain
ments while the streets were crowded with I
merry people, and Sedal1a was in blaze OF
glory.
At the business meeting on the 18th a con-
was adopted and Gen. j. s. Marina
duke was elected President and Captain A. A.
T-esueur Secretary for the year.
Miscellaneous Items.
The twentieth anniversary of the bat
Flo NJ r opa lack was com me- moratad at the |