The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-21
A GREAT DAY At WAYcRoSS.
THE ANNIVERSARY or GEN. LEES
BIRTHDAY MAGNIFTCENTLY
CELEBRATED.

speeches..
waycross. Ca. Jan. 20.-Gen. Lees
birthday was magnideently celebrated
here to-day. There was an immense num-
Der of people present Gov. Atkinson,
with his private secretary. Mr.. Galloway,
and Inspector General o. ]. Brown
reached here at a. N. The governor was
met by a large concourse of people and
members of several companies of the
Fourth Georgia regiment. members of the
South Georgia Confederate Veterans As
ISOLATION. members of the Colony Post
No. H. Grand Army of the Republic. of
Fitzgerald. Ca, members of the govern
or's stan and citizens of Waycrosse and
the surrounding country. A committee
from the Waycross Rifles and the Way
cross Light Infantry escorted Gov. Atkin-
son and his stan to the Phoenix hotel.
where they were received by Col. J. F.
Stone. a member of the governors STAFF
as his guests for the day.
Gen. Peter McGlashan. one of the ora
tors for the occasion. arrived yesterday
afternoon from Savannah, and was the
guest of DR.. 7. S. Paine.
Col: j. Q. NarRedoe, the colonel COM
manding the Fourth Georgia regiment,
and the following members of his staff
arrived this morning: Lieut.. Col. T. n.
Hopkins, Townsville; Mai. ]. II. Guer-
=. L
vile; Capt. r. A. Peoples, Naldosta; Capt.
y. +. Hawkins, Townsville; capt. J. =.
Ward (chaplain), Quitman; Capt. ]. L.
Bass (surgeon). Valdosta, and Lieut.. r.
l.. Wylly. Thomasville
The following companies of theeFourth
SGeorgla regiment arrived this morning;
commanding; the Albany Guards, Lieut..
Cox commanding; the Dawson Guards.
Capt Clark commanding; the Naldosta
Nidettes. Capt. Staten commanding, and
BrunSWlcK Rffiemen SNmnQg
commanding.
The Plant system gave reduced rates to
Waycross on all its Georgia divisions.
This induced many persons to come.
The Waycross Rifles and the Waycross
Light Infantry met the visiting military
companies at the passenger station and
escorted them to the Southern hotel as
their guests.
The local companies met at their arm
pared themselves for the days pro
gramme. Capt. Tim o. Brien, captain COM
handing the Waycross Rifles, and Capt.
ing the Waycross Light Infantry, well
coined the visiting military as their
guests. The local military and the visit
ing military numbered about l75
The Fourth Georgia regiment, having
secured the Jacksonville Light Infantry
orchestra, furnished the music during the
day. The orchestra arrived from Jack
sonvhle last night and were met at the
station by the local military.
The local confederate veterans commit
confederate and federal, at the station
and received them as the guests of the
South Georgia Confederate Veterans As
At 10 O'Clock the Fourth Georgia regi-
ment, commanded by Col Varnedoe
formed in line in front of the Phoenix
house, where the old veterans were as
sembled. The veterans were given badges
the confederate veterans badges bearing
this inscription; Confederate Veteran
Waycross, Ca, Jan, 20, 49," and the fed
eral veterans badges were inscribed
thus: Federal Veteran, Waycross, Ga.
IjnGov Atkinson and his staff headed the
IsFourth Georgia regiment on the march
70 the opera house at 1920 o'clock, ana
Gen. McGlashan headed the veterans.
The procession reached the opera house
at about 1910 o'clock, the Jacksonville
Light Infantry band playing during tho
march, and Judge ]. l.. Sweat, president
of the South Georgia Confederate Neter-
ans Association, and who was chairman
of the meeting, called the meeting to or
der.
Judge j. L. Sweat delivered the address
of welcome, which was as follows: Ladies
and gentlemen, Georgia's volunteer sol
diers, my confederate veteran comrades
and union veterans-I greet and welcome
you all with warmth and cordiality that
is boundless.
We have come together on this occasion
in the Magic City to celebrate the ami
versary of the birth of the souths great
est military hero and leader, and l may
soldier of modern times-Gen. Robert K.
Lee
The chivalry of the old south is repre-
Sented here to-day by a remnant of brave
confederate veterans, and the gallantry
of the new south by the flower of Geor-
gias volunteer soldiers, and here too
are union veterans.
We can well afford at this time thus to
unite in concentrating the name and
fame of Lee, for while the true soldier of
the union fought for its preservation and
the COnfa6GFaRV nd will
cession and slavery as incidents of the
war, yet thank God that great cardinal
doctrine and principle for which we of
the south commended and to which every
true lover and believer in our republican
form of government now yields allegiance
local self-government-is TODAY frium-
plant throughout the length and breadth
OF this indissoluble union of indestruct-
pie states, from the lakes to the gulf and
from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
And my friends, while ] pray that our
country may be spared for all time to
come, from the calamity of cruel bloody
war and that peace, blessed white-winged
peace, will forever hover about and over
US, yet If in our time the nation should
become involved in hostilities with others
l predict that the old rebel yell that so
OFTEN rang out from the followers of Lee
as they rallied around the stars and bars.
VIII be heard again mingling with the loud
nuzzas or Grants men, and in common
with the shout of victory of the Young
soldiers of the north and the SOUTH at the
front, meath the star spangled banner.
Ten refer McGlaShan was then intro-
duced by Judge Sweat. He gave a brief
and interesting history of Gen. Lee. and
praised him for his purity and his able
military record. The speaker was fire.
quently interrupted by applause.
The war was discussed by Gen. Nc
Glashan in a pleasant way He said that
he still believed that the south was i'm
the right although he bore no malice
against his old foes. The bitterness of
the war has been sweetened by the friend
ship that has gradually sprung up between
the north and the south.
Gov. Atkinson. was introduced by Judge
Sweat. He spoke very eloquently and
his speech caDtivated all hearts. His en-
logy of Gen. Robert L. Lee was freouent-
ly applauded, and his tribute to the old
confederate veterans won the greatest an
plause. He pictured the Homecoming of
the confederate soldiers, and briefly told
OF the progress of the south since the war
in its onward and upward march in pros
perity. In conclusion he referred to the
negro in America worthy of being ed
ucated and taught in religion and moral
ity. THE Anglo-SaXon race" he said.
will never have reason to regret the en-
couragement given the negro in civiliza-
ton, evangelization, education and moral
ity"
SHOULD the United States become in
volved in war with any foreign nation
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