The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-09-14
Closing Sessions.

| COLUMBUS, Oss ooP1s Os-Iu0 ciOS.
ing session of the thirteenth annual
reunion of the Society of the Army
of West Virginia Was held In the
Board of Trade auditorium last
night with a creditable attendance IN
spite of the unproI itious weather.
A demonstration vas made when
the venerable Genelal B. F. Kelley
made his appearance upon the stage
from a rear door. a recognition which
he acknowledged " doffing his hat.
| Col. N. B. Abb5tt, before introduc.
ing General B. +. Kelley as the pre-
! Explained that Gov.
ShOrD. s3faker vsas detained by Ill.
ness. General Kelley made briefly
eloquent speech before he began to
announce the formal program. refer.
ring lovingly to the Army of West
Virginia and exh>rting the young to
follow the cid flag.
An ovation awaited General Glib
son. who said that he was not in the
habit of making apologies. but he felt
almost as If he had been kidnapped.
He felt like a boy in the Eighty
ninth Illinois, one of his own regi.
ments, in the fight near Louisville
with General Bragg. A boy came
running toward him and he asked
him, "Why amt they fighting over
there ?" To which the boy replied.
"Why, HI! don't you hear 'em ?"
"Then why amt you there ?" BE
cause" he said, lit amt a fit place
to be-" General Gibson calls himself
second cousin of the Army of West
Virginia and gave notice to General
Kelley that next year he will be at
the reunion as usual. Re proceeded
to show his relationship by telling
in what army he fought, and said
he was glad to be related to such d
people. In 1860 he had told the
rebels that if they rebelled he would
spank them back into submission,
and he had kept his word, We are
of the race that first brought liberty
to earth, and the child is now living
who viii soon see this flag supreme
from the north to the south pole.
1t was a fight between equals. not
"a war to acquire territory. but to
make the refractory children in the
household walk the plank and be-
have themselves.
He rejoiced that since the war he
Is one of 65 100000 of people, and
none of them were slaves. Before
the war he was one of 81 ZOO. 900. and
one In eight were slaves. And 80 he
had no patience with the men who
say the world Is growing worse.
After an exhortation to the young
TO preserve the results OF the war,
General Gibson urged the soldiers to
keep up these reunions he knew
that the ranks are thinning. but II
he is the only one left he is going to
have a reunion by himself. He
wanted to talk politics just a min
ute: he didn't want the foreign
countries to unload their anarchists
and refuse on our shores. Great ap'
plause.
The business meeting yesterday
morning resulted In the election o.
the following officers: President
General George B. Crook vice pres
idents. General II. B. Hayes. Ere
mont ; General w. H. Powell. Belle
vile. Ind; General l. H. Duvall
Wheeling; General B. F. Kelley
Washington, ID. c.; General III. F
Duvall. w. H. Enoch, Parkersburg
Major B. NJ. Skinner Pomeroy
Colonel John A. Turley, Portsmouth
Thayer MiIvsn. Wheeling; Msjol
James l.. Botsford, Captain II. G
McWhorter, Charlotte, w. Va.
General B. F. Kelley, as chairman
appointed a committee to select {
rFsace for the next reunion.
Frightened by the Congress Of Nations