The National tribune., 1892-02-11

bucklers who for years have prattled about
rebel prowcss and aided in keeping alive
sectional animosity.
The cnttng rebuke Of the iconoclastic Texan
to the conccited asses who speak sneeringy Of
Yankees: his whitening, sarcastic exposure Of
the vainglorous. cockleburr rebel Brigadiers;
his vivid description of the military movements
of 1863. and his caustic allusiOn to breeding
yaller niggcrs and cheap.jOhn politicians" will
be enioycd and appreciated by the real soldiers,
Union and rebel, who. with shot and shell, on
1900 battlcfelds. worked out the secession
problem. But the IcOROciHst editor cxcmpts Nir-
rinia, Tennessee Kentucky, and North Caro-
lima from the scene Of the tonguc.iighter and
Yankoc-hater lie should know that we have
few Of the ours tagging superfluous on tho
stage in the territory which he calls Southern
only in name"
Last Summer the writer attended rebel Re-
union at Winchester, Tenn. Among the speak
ers was man named Jones-Chaplain Jones,
or Jones, Chaplain-in-Chicf on Gen. Lees
staff "a rotund, jolly sort Of fellow, who spoke
mainly through his nose. Io fired good many
old chcstnuts at the large crowd present and
among other things he pictured the rebel SOL
der starting out in the early days of the war
with stripes on his trousers. braid on his jacket,
and 16.inch dagger-likc knife and q revolver
la his belt. Then lie pictured him three years
or more later sans shoes, uniform ragged and
lousy, the big knife long since laid aside as n
useless weapon. aud tho revolver long ago traded
of for something to eat. And then Jones ex-
claimed, with much earnestness: Z" When we
went out we thought that each one Of US could
/ whip 10 Yankees but after wo had been out
| three years or more we discovered that each
one Of us could whip only four Yankees"
! Then Jones waited for applause, but not a
sound Of approval greeted him; the old Tebs
! had too much sense TO applaud such bOmbast,
L. - L. 81 A.
| Confederate soldier standing by my side-a
man who had gone through the war from start
| 70 finish-and who recognized my Grand Army
| badge said 10 me:
IF that man Jones had been in fight or
4 two, lac would have discovered that one Yauk
/ was as many as he would want TO fight. The
I idea OF one man with gun in his hands whip
! ping four men with guns in their hands makes
mo tired; IL is Just such - fool talk that
makes US old Confeds feel ashamed
told ny rebel friend not to mind Jones
who was a mOuth-ighter, aud no doubt the
/ identical Chaplain old Jube Early referred Il
| at the Wilderness battlc--tho fellow who, at a
camp meeting before the war. prayed that the
| Lord would take him right up to heaven, but
I when there was a chance 10 get there by the
! Wilderness route skipped the chance like 9
/ coward.
Another speech at tho Reunion was made by
/ Col. @. w. Gordon, lIth Tenn. (reb.l. IL,
/ talked more like a soldier, and his statement
/ were mOdCstly conservative though he referred
/ 10 the Franklin battle as tho " franklin mas
/ sacrc," while no termed the KeuCsaw fight a
/ a gallant rcpulse." During his address h,
brought out the old battlefa. OF his regiment
showed the bUliet-holes and bloodstaius on il
| aud touchingly alluded 10 the heroic memories
1 that clustered about il. His remarks als'
awakened emotions in tho hearts Of the hal
4 dozen Union soldiers present, and they in
| waTdly prayed that Gods curse might forever
| rest on the men-On the leaders Of public
/ opinion-who should ever make il necessary
! for Americans 20 fight among themselves again
When Col Gordon in his peroration said tina
/ when lie died hc wanted tho blOodstaued flaJ
wrapped around aud buried with his body
there was some applause; the Union soldier
| said amen" and expressed the hope that al
! such emblcms Of the Lost Cause would be burict
/ out Of sight as quickly as possible, aud tina
/ God would palsy the hand that attempted I,
make or fiaunt another new flag Of secession
dozens Of which were then huttoring from tn,
housetops Of Winchester.
The most conspicuous figure az the Reunion
was old Pete Turney, who raised the first rebe
regiment in the State. lie is one Of tho Judge
Of our Supreme Court, and prospective Euber
4 Material candidate. "Od Pete" as he j
Familiarity called by his admirers is a bloom
ing daisy among the irrccOncilablCs." Ia
recent speech lie said he believed that secession
was right in ISL. and now in December 1891
lac still believed il was right, and that when ht
died he wanted the word Secession" chizelet
on his monument. Some Of his friends told m,
| that they were at loss 10 know whethe
tley should admire his candor or condemn hi
| damphOOlsm." lie may possibly be put unde
such monument but while il aud his rebe
bones are crumbling into dust, the Inscription
on Old llickory's monument" BY the Etor
nal. the Union must and shall be preserved -
will nerve aud inspire tho generations which
succeed the men who wore the blue well a
those who wore the gray.-H. G.. WHITAKER
90. A, I'd \. y. III. H. Cav, New Market, Tenn