Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1894-07-12
GUILFORD BATTLEFIELD.
How the Glorious Fourth was Gel
ebrated on This Historic Field
A Day OF Speech-Making.
GREENSBORO, July t.
BY our Special Correspondent.

OREENSBORO, July t.
Patriotism took on new life
to-day at the battle-ground of
Guilford Court House. The So
ciety, Of which Judge Schenck
is President, that owns this bat
tie ground, has converted it into
park, and is filing it with
monuments in honor of RcvOlu-
tionary heroes. There are eight
of these monuments and to-day
was laid the corners stone Of one
over the grave of William Hooper,
one of the three signers Of the
National Declaration of Indepen-
dence from North Carolina
Hooper now sleeps on the battle
ground, his remains having been
removed here from Hillsboro a
few months ago.
This morning, OH an early train
from Washington, came Vice
President Stevenson with. two
daughters and his niece, Miss
Scott. They were met by a local
committee of ladies and gentle
men, and were rendered q recep-
ton at the Benbow House.
The site of the battlefield
where CORVALLIS made his last
stand against Greene before re-
treating behind his fortifcations
at Yorktown, is six miles from
Greensboro. on the G. F. & Y. V.
r. R., towards Mount Airy.
Trains were run every half hour
day and carried five or six hun
dred passengers every trip. The
crowd at the battle ground was
variously estimated at from five
to ten thousand. The MarshalS
were conspicuous in three cor
nered hats and Continental uni
forms. A brass band from Wins
ton played national airs, and a
choir Of young ladies sang the
words of America" Hail Co
lumbia, +" Carolina. and other
songs. The gathering was, not
confined to Guilford, or even to
the surrounding counties.
The chief attraction of the
exercises was the oration by
Prof. E. A. Alderman, of the
University, on the Life and
Times of William Hooper," The
subject was scholarly and histori
cal, rather than q popular one;
and with mastery scholarship
and with exhaustive research did
Prof Alderman handle it; yet.
with his inimitabie oratorical
charm, it was no mere elegant
| historical essay Prof. Alderman s
large audience heard to-day, and
so elegant was his diction, SO
charming his delivery, and SO
| sympathetic his treatment, that
the orator was repeatedly inter
rupted with applause. 1t is suffi-
Gent tribute to his powers as an
orator, to say that Prof. Alder
man on a hot day, with a subject
that would ordinarily be deemed
dry, held the close attention of
his audience, and sustained their
evident interest for one hour
and a half. He drew a graphic
picture of the times of Hooper,
which he called 1.-The epic period
of our history" He gave the
ancestry of Hooper, his early
life, course at Harvard College,
career as a lawyer. and service
as statesman. He illustrated
the beautiful friendship between
Hooper and Iredell by quotations
from their letters. He quoted also
from other contemporaries, tes-
tifying to Hooper's mental great
ness, sterling character and true
patriotism. In particular, John
! Adams bestows great praise upon
him, speaking of Patrick Henry
Richard Henry Lee, and William
Hooper as the orators of the
Congress.
It is impossible to do justice tC
Prof. Alderman's address 10y
any outline. twill be published
in full, in pamphlet form.
At the close of Prof. Alder
, mans oration, a poem writer
by Mrs. FL. G.. Martin, of Greens
boro, entitled "The Sword Of
Stuart was read by President
, Chrales D. McIver. Lieutenant
, Col. Stuart, of the British army
, was killed at the battle of Gull
ford Court House, and his SWORD
is in the museum on the battle
ground. 1t is hoped this poem
will also soon be published.
f Vice-President Stevenson was
, next introduced to the audience
by Mayor Boyd, of Greensboro
, who was master of ceremonies
It was some time before he coulC
be heard for the continued ap-
!, plause. Mr. Stevenson spoke
r TOR fifteen minutes. He increased
r the respect and admiration tha-
> North Carolinians have for him
The referred to his descent from
+ North Carolina settlers in Ken
! lucky and Illinois, and he claimed
the share of a son in the revolu
= tionary glory of this State. He
! also is a descendant of the mel
5 who connected the name of Char
t lotte with Runnymede, and made
l Mecklenburg immortal. He SPOKE
of the influence of the Stat.
/ of North Carolina for nationa
: independence. But Mr.. Steven
l sons speech was not mere con
e graduation for the past. That, h,
said, is secure. In kindly words