The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1894-05-03
CONFEDERATE VETERANS
THEIR REUNION AT BIRMING-
HAM, ALABAMA.
An Interesting Letter From One Of
Forsyth's Represenfatiyes-A
Grand Sight to Witness.

| Grand Sight TO Witness.
Special Correspondence of The Scntinel.]
BIRMINGHAM, Ala, April 26.-Every
/ Confederate veteran-and every other
| Southern man for that matter-who
! failed t. attend the United Confeder-
/ ate Veterans reunion now in session
| here can never know what a wonder
| fully grand occasion he has missed.
I 1t surpaSSeS in magnitude, grandeur
| and pleasure the greatest expectation
| of the most Sanguinely hopeful Of its
| promoters, and only those present can
have the slightest conception OF It's
| magnificent SplendOrS and the grand
| treat that the absent ones have miss
| ed; neither can tongues or pens or
| those here ever paint to them the eX-
| cellence Of this, the climax and crown
| ing assemblage of the battle Scared
| and frosty haired veterans of the
| Southern cbiydlry of more than quar-
j ter of a century ago.
The visitors are yari0usly estimated
| to be from twenty thousand to fifty
Thousand present today and your cor
respondent will certainly place them
at not less than twenty-five thou
sand.
For three days and nights the rail-
roads entering Birmingham from
twelve different directions at all hours,
day and night, have brought train af-
ter train of cars laden to their utmost
capacity with human beings: The
wonder is, how is it that Birmingham
can entertain and care for them, but
this she is doing right royalty with
open hearts, hands and homes. Her
people are showing themselves the
big hearted, big idead people that
they are. No eXtOrti0ns, no robbery,
no disOrderly cOnduct-nothing TO mar
but everything to contribute to the
pleasure and comfort Of their guests,
that the most eXacting could demand,
is constantly being done by every
household aud every person. This
vast multitude of sdelighted visitors
will go out from here to over half Of
the States in the Union as living,
walking witnesses and advertisements
of the greatness Of Birmingham and
the hospitality of her citizens.
The decorations are beautiful, gen.
eral and profuse, beyond the powers
of faithful description. All buildings,
public and private, great and small,
are festooned with flags and bunting
the stars and stripes, and the Con-
federate stars and cross, the former
very largely predom inating-i
spersed with pOrti ats of our great
dead heroes and leaders. with Abraham
Lincoln little less conspicuous than
Jefferson Davis and the others, Lee
and Jackson perhaps appearing more
frequently than any of the others.
The Winnie Davis great wigWam
seats comfortably eight thousand
people by actual count ana today
every inch of standing room, seats and
all, is dlled to jam, with ten thou
sand people, and there are apparently
twice as many outside thronging the
streets, contenting themselves with
sight seeing and exchanging greetings,
while Governor Jones, of Alabama,
delivers the address of welcome and
| the magnetic General Gordon delivers
| the oration of the occasion.
1t were a task too vast, too grand,
| to attempt further description of the
| occasion or mention the names of
even the more distinguished veterans
| and heroes present, and much more
| the multitude of the equally brave
| and heroic, and only less distinguish
| ed because less known.
The record of attendance is being
| kept by States in separate registry
| books, one for each of the eleven
| States, and it is expected will be
| be printed and bound, separately, in
pamphlet form in sufficient numbers
| to supply all veterans and friends at a
| low price. They will show the regi-
| ment, company and present address OF
| all who attended this reunion so that
| old army friends and comrades long
| lost sight of can be easily located.
| But some of them here l fear will
| fail to register, SO busy are they look
| ing up each other and shaking hands
| talking over the scenes and trials of
other days.
Let no man think they do not love
| each other. In evidence that they do
one only needs to witness their meet
iDgs and greetings while at first great
drops of tears fill their eyes during
the hearty hand-shake, then followed
with joyous laughter over some rare
old story told of the long ago.
But we are all fast passing away
Many have already passed over th'
river and joined those who fell in tht
fatal strife How many who ar
alive here, and elsewhere today, viii
meet again on this side of the grea1
river, These are rather sad ref1ec
tions but they force themselves upor
us at this time. When we dispers'
and leave for our respective homes ;
green spot and warm place viii eye
live in the memory and heart of eyer!
one for the people of Birmingham ant
this glorious and joyous reunion o
the United Confederate Veterans;
nobler thing the noblest men coul'
not have done than the coDsumatioI
of this great reunion of veterans o
l ha