The Russellville Democrat., 1889-08-08
THE REUNION.
GRAVEL HILL CANT GROUND,
 AuUnst JH4Q

GRAVEL HILL LAMP GROUND,l
 August l, IS89.) Editor DEMOCRAT:
 This has been a gala day for the survivors of the lost cause--one long to be remembered for it's feast of reason and flow of soul.
 D. c. Brown of Dover made a warm and feeling welcome address which made every soldier who wore either the gray or the blue feel at home free to enjoy the hospitalities of the occasion.
 G. w. Bergman of Russellville responded in neat and befitting ad- dress accepting in the name of the southern soldiery the Inequalities rendered.
 Hon. w. L. Sibley of Atkins then made an excellent talk to tue as sembled ex warriors, his comrades Tn arms. He especially congratulat ed them on so successfully oyer coming the obstacles confronting them at the close of the war with no help save smiling Providence and their own willing hands. He show ed that no danger was too great or hardship too severe to test the valor and devotion of the confederate sol diery.
 Hon. Jordan E. Cragens of Clarks- vile was then introduced as the speaker of the day and spoke as fol lows:
 COL. cRAvEN's SPEECH.
 Ladies, Gentlemen and Fellow Sol-
 diers:
 The Confederate soldier who cannot enjoy an occasion like this has no heart in him. This is reunion of the Con- federate soldiers of Pope county, and a citizen of Johnson county was invit- ed to take part with you and speak. made no preparation for speech for none was needed. This is not the place or time to discuss the nature of the causes of the war, its failure or how it could have been prevented. I will say as l have often said the fault was not altogether on one side and that the combat was an unequal struggle. We of the gray were not so numerous as they who wore the blue nor so we'll equiped. They conquered us but we fell at no victors feet. We arose their peers and equals and by dint of toll and perseverance have made defeat of blighted hopes to blossom as the rose. This is no New South but the old cue where we have restored peace and pros- perity. Some of those who live high up on Bitter Creek call us Brigadiers. We have nothing to be ashamed of as Confederate soldiers. The record is made and for bravery and devotion you stand highest. I felt it my duty to en- list in the Confederate army as much as l feel it mine to-day to support my family. No one doubts our sincerity and we feel no blush of shame. We could have avoided it but we did not. enlisted single man but the most of you left family at home, yet you stood by your colors through four years of suffering and hardships and the man who stood the test then and made good soldiers is certainly good citizen. Let us talk little of the character of the Southern soldier.
 Most of you returned to ruined homes stripped of everything not even cup board between you and starvation. In that hour of distress and desolation stripped of every thing save honor your first act was to pass law taxing your selves for school purposes. The Con- federate Brigadiers are entitled to all honor for this. Look at the state from legal stand point and you will see we have good bar. Go to your houses of worship and you will see we have an able ministry. Go to the merchants and mechanics-to all the professions and you will find the ex-Confederate soldier there leading Go even to the halls of Congress and the most able men you will find there are men who wore the gray. The last Cabinet was formed from those same Southern Bri- gadiers. From the work shop to the highest places his handiwork is seen. Their yalor and courage has never been questioned and their submission was so grand as their deeds were glorious. Since the war they have been the ar chitects of their own fortunes for there Is DO pension for the Confederate sol- dier. We meet here to-day on no treas enable grounds for now we can strike hands across the bloody chasm and meet the G. A. k. and all soldiers of any war and feel that we are of one blood, one nation, one people for though we lost our cause we are at no ones feet and time has healed the great breach. Fellow soldiers the bone and sinew and brain of the south was in the confeder- ate army and the blood of the first fam lilies of America coursed their veins. They uphold law ,order and society and upon their shoulders rest the govern ment of our country. I do not claim that the Confederate soldier is better than any one else but they are equal to the best.
 l see some things in our country I dislike very much. Young men, sons of those who fought and bled on our battlefields think we ought to be put aside. They think we have served our day and generation and outlived our usefulness. l call all such igno- ble sons of noble sires. l do not claim that Confederate veterans should be elected to office on that account as such but where they are qualified 1t should have great bearing. You are the survivors of the bloodiest war in history and your de- votion at home or on the battlefield has never been equalled. You suffered more than all others and 1 claim you dIe eutitleu Io recoknlJioH.
 Time will be plotted out before the valor and courage of such men as R. E. Lee, Ssonewall Jackson, Sidsey John- ston and mighty lot of others is for gotten and the soldiers the privates of the lines have achieved more than they. They have rebuilt our mining and man. ufacturing interests. Have shown their loyalty to the union through all the trying years of reconstruction, through misrepresentation they have not mur- mured and when reviled at reviled not again. Whenever such valor, truth and devotion as the Southern soldiers showed is at discount then our nation is in danger and patriotism at low ebb.
 A few words as to the object of this meeting and am done.