The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-07-17

THE GREAT ANNUAL REUNION
AT RICHMOND.
Address Of Welcome aud Response by
General Gordon.

The confederate reunion opened at
Richmond Tuesday with charming
weather, clear aud cool An immense
throng OF people was present and the
exposition grounds, where tho oonvon.
ton IL being held IN a large huditori-
um erected for the purpose, was crowd
ed. The auditorium IL handsomely
decorated. AZ General Gordon show
cd biz face on therostrum at the morn.
ing services q mighty confederate yell
went up and the battle Scared veteran
received an ovation.
Governor O'Ferrall and other dis.
tinguished men went up and pressed
his hand, the band played "Dixie"
and the people shouted.
Before the convention was called 20
order General Gordon was presented
with a gavol made from tree from
the battlefield Of Chickamaugn Rev.
j. William Jones offered prayer 70 the
"God of General Lee and jefferson
Davis" The general, without making
a speech introduced Governor OFFER
raj, who on behalf of Virginia welcomed
the delegates.
Governor O'Ferrall said:
Veterans and Coniederates: You
we're enlisted in these bands who wrote
their namesin glorious skies and carved
them deep into the temple cf fame, who
made the cause of the south so imper-
ishable and the renown Of her armies
80 fadeless. 1t was neither conquest
nor power for which you fought; it
was in defense Of home and the rights
for which the founders of this country
fought which were dear to you. You
were rebels, so were the fathers of con.
stitutional liberty 100 years ago. You
fought to sever your connection with q
union whose bonds we're CALLING; so
did the men now immortalized in song
and story when they snapped the cord
Of British allegiance in 1776.
"You had in you Il spirit that would
not tamely submit to wrong and dared
TO assert itself in front of the grim
visaged might, which came to you by
ancestral heritage, or, foreign born,
you imbibed it from the air you
breathed."
He closed with an eulogy OF Lee
and called attention to the fact that
the monument to him would be erected
without government aid.
While Governor O'Ferrall wai
speaking Wade Hampton came in anC
was received with cheers lasting
several minutes. At the conclusion o
the governors address Richard NJ
Taylor delivered an address of wei
come on behalf of the city of Rich
mond.
General Gordon responded in feel
ing speech. he said;
"You will not wonder that / am lit
orally overwhelmed by the food o
emotion which this scene evokes. A
we look upon the grizzled locks ant
furrowed brows of these stalwart men
who thirty years ago we're soldiers 0
an army which they immortalized b,
their deeds; when their presence il
Richmond so wildly recalls that heroi
era in which they were tho heroic &C
tors; when we remember the position
of Richmond-of Virginia, throughou
whose borders and over who's
homes the tides of war swep
from first to last with thei
widest and most destructive floods
when we recur to the dauntless prov
ess of her sons, and the fortitude On,
almost martyrdom of her glorious VIC
men, who for our sakes, stripped thei
homes of the simplest comforts; when
/ say, all these deathless memorie
thrill us afresh as we gather again i
this long beleaguered aud ever believe
city, how utterly inadequate are tb
words of our lips to express the emo
tions Of our hearts!
Second Day.
General Gordon called the CONVEX
ton of the United Confederate vetel
ans to order Wednesday morning. A
immense crowd was present, it bein
estimated that there were 10, 900 ve
eran in the city. Prayer was offere
by Bishop Newton.
The committee on credentials n
ported that $50 camps were represent
ed by delegates from states and terri
tories as follows: Louisiana, 1914; Nj
ryland IS; Virginia, 116; North Cal
olina, Sc; South Carolina, 1914; Geo
gia, 1877; West Virginia, 2; Floridi
46; Alabama, 297; Mississippi, 81
Texas, 449, Oklahoma, .; missouri, 18|
Tennessee, SO; Arkansas, So; Kentut
ky, "a; Indian Territory, IA; MOI
= tana, Q; California, 6 District of O.
lumbia, IL. Total, 2,045.
> The feature of the mornings sessio
2 was the reception given to Corpor
i Tanner, of New York, union soldie
. who had both legs shot off by a col
J federate cannon in Virginia. Gener,
9 Gordon introduced Mr. Tanner as
. man who had stood beside him in Ne
~ / "