Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-05-30
THE BLUE AND THE GRAY.

Friendly Intermingling of One-Time Foes
at Neutrality-suspicious.
VICKsBURG, Miss, May 30 The old sol
diers swarmed over the hills Wednesday
morning in search of the scenes of their
former glory, and there being nothing
on the program to require their presence
in the city the streets were comparative
ly deserted until 3 p. m. AT that hour a
large audience assembled at the pavilion
to hear Hon. G. Z. Hooker and Gen.
Koustz, the orators of the day.
Hon. c. Il. HOOker's Address.
G. E. Hooker's address was one of his
most finished orations, and won the
hearty applause of the entire assembly.
While in no respect apologetic, it was a
manly assertion of the sincere faith of
the south in the justice of its cause, at
the same time according honesty of pur-
pose to others.
Gen. Kounta's Reply.
Gen. KCuntz, in replying, compliment
ed Col Hooker, and said he wished his
remarks could be heard in every city in
the north He then addressed the audi
ence as follows:
COMRADES WHO WORE THE BLUE AND
COMRADES WHO WORE THE GRAY-I
thank you more than | have words to ex-
press for this generous reception. did
not come here to make a speech, but to
visit old scenes once more, to set foot upon
ground so familiar to us all during those
eventful days OF 1853 and which has been
consecrated by the blood of so many brave
men. How hard to realize the swiftness
of the flying years. More than a quarter
of a century has passed since the "Blue
and Gray" met in deadly conflict upon the
historic fields.
| am glad to be here and thank God that
there are no serious differences to divide
us; that the terrible struggle in which we
were participants ended in blessing for
all, victors and vanquished, and l rejoice
in the good feeling dominant here to-day
that the love of country has grown so
strong, and the ties Of union and friend
ship has been so firmly cemented that we
who twenty years ago opposed each
other upon the fields, meet to-day with no
feelings other than Fellowship save
that of patriotism in the love of our com
mon country, the noblest and freest under
the sun.
Gen. Kountz then related at consider
able length thrilling incidents of the
campaign on the Federal side in the
vicinity of Vicksburg preceding the
final surrender. He said:
l need not tell you what pleasing
sight were those signals, and what proud
spectators we were as we sat upon our
works July 4, 1883, witnessing regiment
after regiment and battalion after bat
talon of Confederates marching out to
stack their arms in front of our line
That was the proudest day of our lives, as
it marked the decisive point in the great
struggle for the preservation of the
Union. To the boys in gray who
now stand before me, let me say
that while not accepting the prin-
ciples and purposes for which you
fought, l have ever had the most
profound respect for the earnestness,
valor and fighting qualities of the Con-
federate soldiers, who on many hard
fought field displayed SO much endurance
and courage and in conclusion desire to
say from the standpoint of the soldiers,
that too much credit cannot be given to
the gallant defenders of Vicksburg. /
thank God that He permitted me to be
here to-day, and l am sure meetings Of
this kind must intensity our love for and
devotion to our common country.
Judge Frederick Speed delivered the
closing address of the day, and though
speaking very briefly, was very effective.
Fireworks.
Wednesday night the fireworks were
discharged from a barge anchored i'll
the lake, and were answered from the
hills by the Warren Light Artillery.
The veterans of the Confederacy ban
quoted the late soldiers of the Union at
the Southrons' armory in the evening.
Thursday the city was deserted for
the battlefield of Port Gibson and
Champion Hill.