Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-09-07
The Most Successful OF All at the
Reunion.
A Large Crowd Present, Some Inter
esting Speeches and a General
Good Time Enjoyed.
Anecdotes Of the War and of Pioneer
Life in Texas-PiOneers Elect Off,
csrs-Notes and Personals.

about $3.50 slight mist descended which
threatened to change to a considerable
rainfall. But in spite of lowering clouds
and threatened rain large crowd gath
cred at the reunion grounds TO partioi-
pate in the exercises of the last day.
At the morning meeting the committee
appointed to devise a scheme for building
a Confederate monument met for DISCUS
sion.
Maj. Heath of Cleburne, chairman Of;
the meeting, made stirring speech in
favor of the proposed monument, which
he thought the people of Texas should
regard it a privilege as well as duty TO
build.
ALL FAVOR IT.
7. F. Daniel, president of the Missis-
sippi association, followed in the same
line. He said the matter had been dis
cuSsed by the Mississippi association, and
the members were unanimous in its ia
vOr; would contribute to It and assist in
collecting contributions for it. And
they would all go about it at once.
Joe Bruster, president of the Tennes-
see association, SAID the members of that
organization would DO their duty now, as
they had done it during the war. He
could not say anything stronger.
John L. Morgan, one of Gen. Nor
gan IS followers, said he spoke for those
who during the war were known as the
orphans, and they would do their part to-
ward raising the funds for the mOnu-
ment. The speaker paid an eloquent
tribute TO the soldiers of the
South and of Kentucky; he
thought the North was and should
be proud of the achievements of the SOL
diers of the South, for they were Of the
same great country.
Gen. Mccullough, speaking for Texas,
said she would do her part.
Other short speeches were made in
favor of the enterprise.
The monument committee then with
drew and the regular speaking began.
COL. W. H. BROOKER.
The first speech was made by Col. w.
H. BROKER of San Antonio, president OF
the Georgia association. Col. BroOker is
man of magnificent physical proportions,
and as he stood up before the audience
his fine, rugged face and empty sleeve
spoke as elOquently as words OF the
honest sincerity of the man.
He addressed the audience as ''My
countrymen, and that embraces you
all - and those words formed the key
note to his whole speech. He thought
every speech should be made up of
sentiments that came from the soul, and
his should come from nowhere else. He
had the kindest feelings for the men
who wore the blue. The officers who
| had greeted him during the war with q
storm of Ieaden rain and iron hail met
him since with brOtherly greetings,
and they had clasped hands across
I've =
that contains patriot from the South,
holds in its embrace a monument and an
epitaph, but the one could not be seen
nor the other read. The proper way to
commemorate the virtues of the soldier
and the patriot is to write them in the
history of the country. He would be
glad to see monuments erected in every
Southern city, inscribed with the names
and the valiant deeds of
THE SOUTH s HEROIC DEAD.
But, after all, they could only speak
to the immediate passeT by, while the
story of the deeds of daring, of the oour-
ageous sacrifices OF a people, Transcribed
upon the pages of q written history would
speak to people of all succeeding time and
of every nation Of the earth. MOnu-
ments, though built of brass or stone,
can be demolished and their epitaphs de-
stroyed. But flames nor floods nor
earthquake s shock can ever engulf the
history of nation. or blot from its pages
the names and deeds of its heroes.
The American people had sprung from
a race of rebels They had been REBEL
inc from the time the English barons
forced King John to sign the Magma
| Charter until 1861, and from RUnnymede
to Charleston there was nothing con-
nected with the name rebel to be ashamed
of.
The soldiers of both sides had fought a
gallant fight, all were now back in the
Union, and he was glad Of it.
A CHOCTAw REBEL.
Maj. Heath said he had never said
much at the reunions about the part of
the war he saw His regiment had been
so badly cut up in a fight in the Indian
Territory that he never knew just where
he belonged There were not enough Of
them left to hold a reunion. But
he wanted TO tell of a mag
uffcent Choctaw soldier who had
| belonged to his regiment. His name was
Simeon E. Hamilton, he stood six feet
four in his mOccasins, and commanded
an Indian company who, the speaker de-
clared, were the best fighters he had ever
| seen-Texans not excepted. They would
20 any where Hamilton ordered them no
matter what the odds against them. A
number or the Indians, including Capt.
Hamilton were captured IN this Terri
tory fight and made prisoners of war
along with the other Confederates. The
speaker asked to be pardoned while he
| depressed a little to relate an incident in
l. which Indians and whites figured to-
| gether.
CALLED THEM BUSHWHACKERs.
Under escort of Capt. Steel these
| prisoners were carried to Fort Leaven-
| worth, Kas. Upon their arrival there
the papers published extras describing
| them as eighty-four desperate bush
! whackers who had been captured in the
| Indian Territory. This caused q great
crowd to come around where they were
held and regard them with curiosity.
! One fellow pointed to old Capt. Bruce
| and SAID:
s'see that old gray headed fellow with