Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-05-29
GRAY AND BLUE.
Great Gathering of Ex-Confed-
crates at Richmond.
THE WHOLE SOUTH REPRESENTED.

Old Soldiers in Gray Flock to Do Honor
to the Memory of Their Chief by At
tending the Dedication of the Lee Mon
ument-The Military BaIl-vicksburg
the Scene of a Fraternal Reunion
Jubal Early Pays His Respects to
Longstreet.
RICHMOND, Va, May 29.-The city of
Richmond is crowded to suffocation with
visitors who came TO witness the
unwilling of the Lee statue to-day.
Trains from the north and from the
south arrived at short intervals all
yesterday. The crash of brass bands
and the beating of drums is heard on
every hand Every one of the southern
states sends delegation in uniform From
every part of the state of Virginia people
swarmed into Richmond until the hotels
and private residences alike were over
flowing, and every public hall was filed
with cots. Nearly 5000 Confederate vet
Grams slept last night on cotton ticking
spread over straw, the only bed that the
committee on entertainment could pro-
vide
The Decorations and the Ball.
Confederate emblems draped in grace
fnl harmony with the national colors, fesi-
toon the fronts of houses and adorn the
corridors of the hotels State colors ara
swung like banners across the principal
streets The formal festivities were
opened last evening at the Richmond
tbeater with military ball The theater
had been decorated for the occasion with
an elaborate display of flags and bunting.
From the center of the high ceiling was
swung canopy of streamers in the colors
of Maryland and Virginia The same col
ors prevailed i'll the plush drapery of the
balconies. Along the border of each of
the balconies We're the coats-of-arms of the
Confederate states. while between them
hung banners of plush.
The Confederate Colors.
In the centre of the stage was a fountain
| half hidden from view in a bower of bios
soming plants. Against the stage drop
| in the rear stood bust of Lee On eithoC
side was a stack of Confederate colors and
beside them the coats of arms of Maryland
and Virginia. The boxes on either side OF
the stage were dressed in the Confederate
colors and the colors of Maryland and Nir-
ginia
Gen. Lees Daughters Present.
Miss Mary Lee and Miss Mildred Lee,
daughters of Gen. r. f. Lee, assisted in
the reception of the guests. The Army of
Northern Virginia met in the hall of the
house OF delegates last night and heard An
address by Gen. f. NJ. Low, of South Car
DINA The election of officers for the en-
suing year was then held after which the
! body adjourned to Sanger hall and par.
took of a banquet. 1t was the largest
| gathering of the association since the war.
| The Unwilling Ceremonies.
There were probably 10000 strangers
present yesterday at the dedication cere
monies, and the military and civic pageant
surpassed anything ever seen here. Thous-
ands of Confederate veterans in the his
| toric gray marched in the line. and at the
statue the throng was so dense that one
! might have walked on the sea of heads A
delegation of United States senators and
members of the house of representatives
embracing nearly, if not quite all, the ex
| Confederates in congress, was present.
Amid the widest cheering Gen. Joseph +.
Johnston pulled the veil off the statute
He was attended by a one legged veteran
| on one side, bearing the old headquarters
flag of Pegram's artillery battalion, anG
by IA one-armed veteran on the other, bear
ing an old battleflag, tattered and torn
| with bulietS and age