The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-13
THE BLUE AND THE GRAY.
Commander walker Says Statements
Attributed to Him Are False.

Attributed to Him Are False.
Richmond, Va, March 12-The Rich
mond Times, of this morning, prints the
following letter from Commander Ivan +.
Walker Of the G. A. r.:
Indianapolis, Ind, March 8, 1S96.-To the
Editor of the Times: Dear Sir-Some one
has sent me a copy of your editorial,
March /, on that parade of the blue and
the gray" in which you quote certain
statements that / should have made in an
address to the grand army at their de-
partment encampment at Newark, Del,
Feb. .. In the address referred to, 1
made no reference whatever to the pro-
posed blue and the gray parade i'm New
York next July, and the special telegram
sent out from Wilmington, purporting to
quote me, was pure fabrication made out
of whole cloth. have made no statements
on the subject, other than those contained
in the correspondence that passed between
Mr.. Dana and myself two months ago. l
entertain no such bitter sentiments as this
dispatch quoted towards the men who
stood IN in the ranks on the other side
ana gave me a mans chance for my life
IN battle We fought it out like men, and
] believe that the matter should be buried
' I. N. Walker.
New York. March 12.-The committee of
citizens, headed by Hon. Charles A. Dana,
associated TO make arrangements for Il
reunion of the union and confederate VET
Grams, which was to have been held in this
city on July 4, and a parade Of the boys
in blue and gray, which was intended to
he a feature of the celebration to emDha-
size the disappearance of sectional feel
ings between the north and south, has
finally determined to allow the project to
die natural death. The opposition of
Ivan N. Walker, commander-in-chief of
the Grand Army of the Republic, put
Quietus on the movement so far as the
Grand Army of the Republic as a body
was concerned.
he fla
visibility of asking the war veterans OF
the north, irrespective of their affilia-
tons with the Grand Army of the Re-
public, to take part in the parade, and
some correspondence ensued. but the re-
suit was not satisfactory, for, although
many favorable replies were received
from individuals expressing approval of
the project and their intention to take
part in the parade as individuals, there
were so few responses from organizations
OF veterans that 1T was apparent that the
demonstration would not be of a suffi-
GENTLY representative character, so the
matter has been dropped
Col John j. Garrett an eX-confederate
soldier, who was secretary of the commit
zee, when spoken to to-day about the
abandonment of the project said: 81 re-
gret very much that the committee has
been compelled to drop the matter. 1t
was intended to be a fraternal and patrio-
uc demonstration which would have been
country at large. But in the face of the
violent opposition expressed by the COM
mander-in-chief of the grand army and
MS prohibition to the posts to take part
IN the parade, it could not be carried to a
successful issue. The confederate veter-
ans felt themselves insulted by the atti-
tude and words of the commander-in-
chief of the grand army and, under the
circumstances, they would not come north
10 take part as a body in a parade such
as was projected. 1t. is most unfortu-
nate outcome of a well meant and en-
urely laudable project. The date of the
annual reunion of the confederate veter-
ans, which was originally fixed for May
q % and "a, was changed to June 80, July
! and 2, so as to give the veterans an OPP
portunity to come north from Richmond
TO take part in the parade of the blue and
gray, which was scheduled for July 4, but
now many of the confederate veteran
camps throughout the south have passed
resolutions asking Gen. Gordon, the COM
nander of the organization, to again
Hhahge the date so that the reunion may
pc held at the original dates in May So
me committee determined that the best
Thing to be done was to let the whole mat
ter DROP