Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-26
WEST VA. VETERANS
GREAT CONFEDERATE GATHERING
At LEwIsBuRG YEsTERDAY.
Thousands of Persona Prescnt-A
CavaIcade of Two Hundred Young
Lmdie.-The 9th virginin's Battle
FIaG-Thc Speeches.

LEWISBURG, w. VA. September To-
Especial This has been gaia-day III
old Greenbrier. crowd OF people, es'i-
| mated at from 5000 TO 10000, attended the
reunion OF Confederate veterans heid
here. and the torridity Of the weather
was surpassed by the hot wave OF en-
thusiasm that swept over the multitude.
At 10 O'Clock the large procession
formed In the town and marched uhder
command Of Colonel B. +. Eakle to the
Fairgrounds, where the exercises were
held. An interesting feature of the pa
rade was the participation OF a company
of Pennsylvania bucktails, made up
from the men working in the lumber
mills at Ronceverte. and under command
Of Colonel Fuller. This company acted as
an escort TO the Confederate veterans.
The latter consisted of the survivors OF
the Twenty-second Virginia Regiment,
Edgar's Battalion. the Twenty-seventh
Virginia, the Fourteenth Virginia Cav
airy. Kings and Bryan's Artillery. the
Sxteth Virginia. the Bath Squadron,
the Pocahontas Cavalry of the Nine
teenth Virginia. and ali other ex-Confed-
crate soldiers who happened TO be in
attendance There was a place made for
the Federal veterans. who participated
i'm the parade. and all shared alike There
was a generous commlngling of the Stars
and Stripes and the conquered banner
along the entire route.
TWO HUNDRED YOUNG LADIES.
An unusually attractive feature of the
demonstration was a cavalcade OF 200
young ladies. superbly mounted. all
dressed in Confederate coors, and led
by Miss Mary Preston McChesney. who
carried the rent battle-hag Of the Twenty
seventh Virginia Infantry. one of the
regiments of the old Stonewall Brigade.
AT the fairgrounds ADDRESSES were
made by Captain James Bumsardner, Jr.,
Of stanton. and Major Micajah Woods,
of Albemare Ample provision was made
for the entertainment of the great crowd.
and dinner was served between the
speeches, Captain Bumgardner speaking
in the forenoon. and Major Wood in the
afte T1ioon.
THE WEST VIRGINIA MARTYR
The exercises were held under the au-
spices Of Camp Creigh. an organization
named in honor of David Stuart Creigh,
the West Virginia Martyr" IL will be
remembered that Mr.. Creigh. one OF The
foremost citizens OF Greenbrler county,
was brutally murdered by order oil Gene
raj David Hunter, under the guise OF
military execution. His only offence was
that he protected his home and family
from the invasion OF a robber who mas
oueraded in Federal uniform. When Mr..
Creigh entered his house he found -
man wearing a soldiers uniform in tho
chamber of his sick daughter. rifiing thu
bureau drawer OF their valuable contents.
When he ordered the rutiian 10 quit the
premises the robber turned on him with
a drawn revolver. Mr.. Creigh grappled
with the vandal, and a deadly hand-to-
hand combat ensued. in which the robbes
was shot with his own pistol. when
Hunter passed through on his iynching
raid lin 1860 Mr.. Cregh was dragged
from his home and taken az far as
Brownsburg. where a drum-head court
martial held at midnight sentenced him
TO death and he was hung at daylight
next morning. The action OF Hunter
created great Indignation throughout the
South. and brought forth strong protests
from many of the most gallant Union
officers Ii seems 10 be an act of poetic
Justice that .while Hunter now sleeps in
an unmourned grave the thousands here
To-day intended their presence TO be "
memorial tribute to the memory OF David
= Creigh, the martyr.