Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-05-31

said
Mr.. President, Comrades Of the Army OF
Northern Virginia. SOLDIER OF the Con-
federacy. ladies, and Gentlemen. If the
personal sllusion may BE- psrdoned. vii
piest, If not the happicst, man in al this
vast crowd assembled here to-day.
Always happy to greet the mon who
wore tho Rray-for II there iHono man on
earth whom I honor and love above On.
other IL IS the true Confederate soldieR-I
delight to mingle In reunions Of the sur
vivors of every. army OF the Confsderscy
as they gather from Maryland to Texas.
But IT is for me always = peculcsr plea-
sure to attend Confederate gathering in
historic, battle Scared, heroic old klch-
mond, and TO mingle with tho men who
followed Lee and Jackson and Longstreet,
and Ewell, and A. p. Hill Igrest sppisuEe),
and "Jeb" Stuart; the men who composed
the Army of Northern Virginia, the noblsss
army of heroic patriots that ever marched
under any Dag. or fought for any cause
I'm all the tide Of t,nc."
HAPPY TASK TO DISCHARGE.
And yet still greater happiness Is mine
to-day, for rs look out on this crewdI
| see the faces and forms Of men. by whose
side have marched along the weary road.
bivouacked in tho pelting storm, or went
into the leaden and iron hsii Of battle
the. men Of the noble old Tkirtsen:r VIZ;
ginia Regiment, and the grand old
| Third Corps assembled to honor
| themselves by doing honor to our peerless
lesder-the brave and accomplished sol
der. the chivaric Virginia gentleman, the
| devoted patriot, tho martyr hero OF our
dying cause, gallant and glorious Little
Powell Hill"
am only to introduce tho htly-chosen
orator of the day, and shall not, of course.
be guilty OK the gross impr?priety OF 81
tempting speech myself. but am sure
| that you will pardon me If say Just this,
Richmond is fast becoming the "Aonu-
| mental City,"
Her peerless Washington surrounded BY
his compatriots of the revolution OF 70
her Leo-her Jackson--her Wickham-
her monument to " the true hero OF the
| war, the private soldier, now being
erscted-her monument to the nower OF
| cavaliers" dashing. glorious Jeb. Stuart.
which is to be erected in tho near future
| and the projected grand monument to our
noble Christian President. soldier, states
man, orator, patriot-JeffeYsopD Davis-all
these will teach our ehildren's children
| that these men were not "rebas." and
not traitors" but as true patriots ~
| the world ever saw.
AwoRTEY WORK WELL DOM.
| But do not hesitate to declare that
| none of these monuments have been, or
| will be, moro worthily erected than tho
one We are to unvel here to-day to A +.
| HilI--a worthy comrads Of that bright
| galaxy of leaders which made the name
and fame of tho Southern Confederacy i'm
mortal forever. And now it only,rsrnains
| for me not to introduce, for shalfnot pre-
sumo to do that to an audience OF Viz
einians and of Confederate soldiers, but
simply to announce the orator OF the oc-
| casion.
The Lieutenant Colonel and intimate
| friend of A. p. Hill, his successor IN COM
mand of the old Thirteenth Virginia kegi..
ment; the man whose heroic courage and
high soldierly qualities attracted the at.
tention of Lee and Jackson, aud caused
them to select him to command the old
Stonewall" Brigade. which hs ably led
until shot down in the bloody angle" at
spotsylvania Courthouse; the man who
succeeded the gallant and lamented
John Pegram. and led EwelPs (Earlysl
old division around Petersburg and
to Appomattox Courthouse, the man
who was always at the post OF duty, was
one of the bravest and best soldiers and
most indomltable patriots that the war
produced-that man has been fifty chosen
TO speak of A. 2. Hill on this occs-
sion, and 1t gives me peculiar pleasure
| 10 announce the name General James
A. Walker, of Wytheville, Va. or If my
loved and honored old friend and COM
mander will pardon the liberty, Will an.
nounce him by name more familiar still
to his old followers and comrades. Stone,
wall Jim Walker" the worthy successor Of
A. z, Hill and of Stonewall jackson, the
man worthy to voice the feelings and sen-
timents OF his old command concerning
their loved leader. A. Z. Hill. lApplause.
DR.. Jones spoke with his usual torce and
vigor, and throughout the crowd punctu'
ated his sentences with cheers.