Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-10
VETERANS CHEER LEE.
Soldiers Of the North Pay Tribute to
Brave Men of the South.
MEN WHO FOUGHT MEADE R0NORED
Great Necessity for History Of the Army
Organizations
FACTI0NAL LINES ARE ALL WIPED OUT

VefS2ry Oh tue OrkouIznsAoA VI tuo
Veteran Legion, at. the Auditorium.
There were fully 1,b00 people
present The hall was decorated with
flags and the banners Of the Veteran Legion.
The entire back of the stage was filled up
with painting of the famous wheatfeld
scene at Gettysburg The veterans were
all enthusiastic, and when Colonel Charles
F. McKenna came in with General Dan
Butter6eld, cheer on cheer greeted them.
Encampment No 6, of Allegheny, also
Joined in the celebration.
The feature of the evening, however, was
the display of feeling by the men who
fought the battles Of the nation for the
heroes of the South. In the more than
quarter of a century since the struggle the
men of the North have come to realize that
Just as noble men wore the gray as those
who upheld the blue.
Veterans Have Cheers for General Lee.
They have realized that but a change in
the drift of battle would have made the men
of the Southern army patriotic of the Sec
ond Revolution and Lee the hero of the
century. Inspired by this the veterans
forgot the feeling Of the war, and
at the mention of the brave men
of the South they applauded the Southern
army. Later, when the bravery of Lee in
his struggle with Meade at Gettysburg was
mentioned, men who gave the best years of
their life to their country cheered the great
leader of the South. All realized that lines
'twixt North and South had faded and heroes
were ready to pay tribute to heroic adver-
saries.
General Pearson opened the meeting by
saying that Judge Collier was in jail-or,
rather, deciding the license Iist-and, there
fore, could not act as presiding officer of the
meeting General Pearson was, therefore,
chosen to fill his place, and in his address
told of how, when the last charge of the
war was to be made, a rebel ORDERLY rode
up to Pittsburg officer with the flag of
truce and the statement that Lee was ready to
surrender and end the war; "Just then to the
right" continued the General, eve heard
a shot, and it was Pittsburg boy who was
the last to give up his life for his country.
1t is but fitting that we meet here to COM
memorate one of the greatest events of the
age. One great army fought to disrupt
Union, the other to preserve it, and to
Pittsburg is due many of the honors for its
preservation. The last rebel flag to be
turned over to the Union was taken by a
Pittsburg man, and he is here tonight"
The General then spoke of General Daniel
Butterfeld. of New York, who was to tell
further of Pittsburg's work during the war
Following was the reveille by bugler of
the old Hampton Battery, and as the notes
rang out cheer on cheer followed. Then the
Second Regiment Band gave recollections OF
the war, in which all the old ditties dear to
the soldiers memory were brought out, and
many of the grav-haired boys hummed the
tune with the band, and at the close clam
ored for more. o.
Gourley Makes . War Record.
Owing to the absence of Rev. A A. Wur-
tembach the opening address was made by
Mayor H. I. Gourley. He opened by
saving that he had been in the habit for
number of years of eating dinner with
number of old soldiers. The Mayor
was not in the war, but said
he heard so many army tales
that he voluntarily began to manufacture
them himself just to keep in line He said
the result was that he now really felt he
had served through the war. Then he con-
tinued: Though was not a soldier, I am
one of the sharers in the victory at Appo-
He spoke generally of the great victories
of history. Marathon, he regarded as the
birthplace of liberty. He spoke of Bunker
Hill and yorktown as such milcstones in
history. Bunker Hill marked the opening
of the greatest battle for liberty ever known,
and when the new flag was firmly
planted at yorktown it established
liberty forever in this Western
World. Sumter and Appomattox were
taken up and treated the same. The
Major spoke of an army of brave men from
the South, and the veterans, forgetting the
animosities of the past cheered for the men
brave, misguided men who battled with
Meade at Gettysburg and again the veterans
applauded the memory of the Southern he
roes.
Memories Awakened by Grants Name.
More cheers followed when he spoke of Lee
laying down his arms before the greatest of
ali warriors, Grant. He said it was not
natural that Lee should conquer and he be-
lieved God in his infinite wisdom had said
liberty should not perish, nor free institu-
tions fall asunder. He closed by asking,
"Who is there now, either in the North or
the South, who is not satisfied 1t was we'll
for the nation and well for the world that
Lee surrendered at Appomattox.
Joseph H. Rainor, who 40 years ago was
famous for his singing in Pittsburg and then
Joined the army, was next man on the pro-
gramme. He sang "Nancy Lee" with
voice that was perfectly clear, and he had
personality about his singing that called
forth round after round of applause. Prof.
Byron w. King next recited an original
poem dedicated to the Veteran Legion. He
was recalled several times. Miss Leah
Dickerson followed with one of her interest
ng solos.
General Pearson then read letter from
Ex-Governor Curtin, regretting that he
could not be present, on account of his
health. Then General Pearson announced
General Daniel Butterdeld, and as
the General stepped forward the
old bugler of Hampton Battery
sounded the call of Butter6eld's corps,
which was "Dan, Dan, Dan, Butterfeld,
Butterfeld." Veterans who had heard it
on the field of battle once more caught its
inspiration aud cheered, and even
few tears stood in the
old Generals eyes. He said a nations
safety depended on the patriotism of its
citizens and called on the young men to
take up the record made by their fathers.
He spoke of the rally when Sumpter was
fred on and then recalled the suffering in
the ranks which people were now 10th to re-
gard as exaggerated. Then referring to the
charge at st. Mary's Heights he said the
dead lay piled as thick as the living in this
room.
Story OF q Famous Surrender.
The surrender of Lee, he said, was with
out parallel in the history of the world.
From Grants memoirs he read the account