The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-10-01
THE OLD REBEL YELL.
THE REUNION OF OONPEDERATES
LAST THURSDAY A GRAND
AFFAIR,
An Immense Gathering of the Gray-Hair-
ed Ex-Rebels and Grand Shake
All Round.


have occurred, but meyer until now
was it true in every sense. There
were multitudes on multitudes oi
people and they came with that old
enthusiasm with which they fought
making it not only great day in
point of numbers and enthusiasm,
butli I'm pressed great lesson on the
younger generation and the result
of the meeting is to tell upon the
future. The day before, the old
rebs who lived on the outskirts be
gan to gather in and by 9 o'clock of
Thursday morning the square was
crowded with men. 1t was inter
est1ng to see men going about peer
ing into each others faces in quest
of faces they had not seen in TWEEN
ty years, and to see the doubtful
recognitiOns and then the warm
grasp of hands of old comrades
and sometimes a tear.
The railroads brought in many
from a distance, g special train
from Columbia being loaded, while
from Marshall, Lincoln and the west
ern counties they struggled in in
squads. Near a thousand women
were built up in. bouquet style on
the seats at the fair ground while
around them were gathered perhaps
1000 men-perhaps half ex-soldiers.
The different regiments formed
on the different corners of the
square and at 10 o'clock under
command of Chief Marshall Butler,
assisted by Ait. D. S. Martin, 1.
II. Rainey and Capt. G. p. Jones,
preceded by the band wagon, Flour
noy's old Co. X, lst Tenn. Infantry,
started around the square, the reg
iments and battalions fell in in or
der: 1st Tenn. Infantry; 3rd; 32d;
sd; Ist. and 1Ith cavalry; 9th Cav
airy Battalion; soldiers of other
regiments. Co. X was commanded
by Serg. Clayt. Eason; the 3rd by
Major General Jro. G. Brown; the
32d by Col j. P. Mcclure; the sd
by Maj. H. H. Aymett; the cavalry
by Col. Wheeler and Col. Lewis.
The march was made direct to the
fair ground. After an hour
of hand shaking and preparation,
a stand was improvised in front
of the amphi- theater and Capt. Il. w.
Ewing, master of ceremonies, called
for order and attention and at once
in fitting terms announced a speech
bv Gen'l Brown. When the com
handing visage of the now gray
haired hero rose above the sea of
faces the first rebel yell of the day
rent the air. Gen. Browns speech
was short and pointed, more in the
nature of an affectionate talk to the
boys. He called to mind some of
the scenes Of the days gone and he
bore testimony to the bravery and
of his soldiers on all occa
5ions when he called for action.
Col. J. z. Mcclure followed in a
stirring speech which we print in
full on the first page of the CITIZEN.
The colonePs increased avordupOis |
lad carried him out the memory of
lis comrades who could scarcely !
believe that the distinguished look
ng man before them was the slen
Ter soldier of the camp. His speech
vas loudly applauded.
The other speakers were Col. j.
Lewis of Lewisburg, Capt. 10.
/. Russell of Columbia, Maj. Jno.
Z. Williamson of Columbia, Pri-
ate Sam. G. Mitchell and Capt.
mo. G. Lester. Each of them was
he patriotic utterances of a brave
nan who did his duty nobly in war
md was proud Of what he did and
What his comrades did, and believ
ID yet in the juctice of the cause,
,ut yielded in good faith to the adj
yerse decision and is ready to main
ain and defend the restored Union.
While we are unable to report these
peeches exactly, the drift of them
established two points that need to
Je impressed on the new generation,
liz: a. 1t is the duty of the sur
'ivors to defend the truth and see
hat history does not record mis-
representation or incomplete facts,
o the end that it may be of record
hat the southern people fought
rood fight for a just cause, thus re-
ieving the names of our fallen broth
RS from the odium that would attach
f these one-sided declarations of
events and results were left unchal-
enged by the survivors. (2.) The
eunion by the enthusiasm manifest
ID and the earnest and election
tie interest exhibited will have sa-
utary effect upon the minds of the
ons of the Confederate soldiers, re-
yealing the actual existence of the
sacred bonds of trust and affection
md patriotism that held their IA
hers shoulder to shoulder through
Invest dangers and even unto
leath. Cold history will not re-
ord these inner-conscious facts, es-
,ecially when the prime facts were
The speeches were all listened to
With marked attention, and it was
to note the thoughtful
of countenances. Each
mans mind was a panorama of
quarter century of events and he
vas chasing memories up and down
he long stretches of time, as they |
we're awakened by the speaker
n same misunderstood allusion.
About l o'clock dinner was an
lounced. 1t was served just west
If the stand on four long tables
1iled high with ample and well
cooked victuals. There was worlds
If it and to spare. The visitors
rom a distance were marshalled
lnder the leadership of Adjutant
Martin and led first to the tables,
hen the soldiers tell in and civilians.
Dinner was late and the men were
hungry; it looked as if all the
world were pressing to the table and
hat they would be swept clean at
,nce, and yet the old soldiers stood
n line aud never offered to break
a with the mob until orders came,
and then they went in quietly.
There was n most lavish DreDara |