The Opelousas courier., 1894-04-28
The Veterans at Birmingham.

The fourth annual reunion Of the
Association of United Confederate
Veterans took place on the 25th and
Goth at Birmingham, Ala. A telegram
from that city, dated April "a, says:
Bursting with enthusiasm and pride,
the generous-hearted town is fairly
OVERLOOKING with good spirits in its cor
dial greeting to the veterans. The
streets are waving with bunting and
gay flags. Mammoth flags float down
over the crowded sidewalks and brass
bands and drums are sounding on every
side. Birmingham is at her best. Ev-
ery house is decorated with confederate
flags and the crossbars are floating
from Red Mountain to East Lake.
The street cars and dummy trails are
massed with the ensigns of the con
federacy, and every locomotive that
comes putting and painting under the
car-shed begrs a huge picture OF Jeffer-
son Davis OF Robert E. Lee on the head"
piece, and is gorgeou5ly decorated with
the proud old banner that once led the
boys in gray in all their weary Journeys
and tiresome tramps,
The opening session was held on the
25tb, when, after 4 fervent prayer, Gov.
Jones of Alabama was introduced.
He said Generals. Veterans and Fell
low Countrymen: am here to voice a
| welcome for the state OF Alabama, but
| what can words avail alongside of the
sentiment in the hearty Some have
| asked if the surviving veterans had bet
; ter Lot have died with the rest Of the
fallen, rather bar remain to meet the
subsequent trials OF peace but the war
record Of the soldier would not have
| been as glorious as it is had he not sup
plemented it by the way he stood the
trials afterwards. The men who, thirty
four years ago, started from home to the
great war were the grandest men of his
| tory. | see here men who heard the i'm
mortal words, Look, there stands Jack.
! son like IA stone wall | see the follow
ers of tue great Pelham. the chivalrous
Rhodes, who went through the Wilder
ness with Jackson's corps behind. 1t is
| we'll to look back upon these things,
because the confederate soldier
was greater 10 peace than in war. We
| are not here in a spirit of apology, or of
r~ecriminatinn. We are here to perpetu-
| ate the memory of the great men and
the principles they subserved, and still
| subserve in peace. | voice the state of
Alabama when 1 say, thrice welcome to
her borders
His speech wna received with great
! cheering.
Wild yeiIs went up as General Gordou
arose to reply. He said, among other
| things:
"My confederate brothers and my con
federate sisters. in response TO the elo-
quent welcome of Governor Jones, I
wish to say that we are here and ready
to meet him in the cordial memory of
those immortal dead. The men arc
here who followed Beauregald, jackson
and Lee. To Alabama | owe much
for, in Alabama. [ first saw the rise of
the sun OF the confederate states. In
her capital. city The great oaths to the
southern ieadets were administered. 1t
was Ataban,tns and G~eorSians aud tho
followers al TIE bonnie blue flag. with q
single star. that stood about me in the
thickest.
"Since we last Elet man., soldiers
have gone the way of all flesh. There
is Kirby Smith. who has gone. That
sturdy old Roman, Jubal Early. (cheers),
has followed. Vance ana Colquitt,
sailor and soldier, have also joined the
host beyond The grave. While we shed
a tear for them, We rejoice in a grand
and reunited country
General Gordon sat down amid loud
cheers, and the band played The Bon
ME Blue Flag"
Louisiana was we'll represented and
the following representatives Of St
Landry were ia attendance: DR.. I,
Chacheie and wife, Capt. s. Haas and
wife, Capt. j. P. Smith and wife, DR.. A
E. Arnold and 1t. Col. Leonce SandoZ,