Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-07-03
THE GROWING DAY OF ALL
Twenty Thousand Men in Line
at Richmond.
SIGHT FOR SOUTHERN EYES
Battle-Worn and Time-Touched Heroes March
to Martial Strains Once More.
CHILDHOOD IN coNFEDERAcYs coLoRs
Was the Charming Contrast Stone
of Davis Monument Laid With Sol
emn Ceremony Passed
Into History.

Richmond, July 2.-Today has been be-
yond all question the greatest and grand
est in the history of the historic city of
Richmond. 1t was the crowning event
of the notable sixth Confederate reunion,
when nearly all of the living leaders of
the south were present and when they
had for their distinguished guest that
we'll known union soldier and patriot,
Corporal James Tanner.
The three days meeting of over 100000
Confederates ended today in the laying
of the corner stone of an imposing mon
ument to be erected to the memory of
jefferson Davis, the president of the late
Confederate states. This was what call
ed from the north, the west, the east and
the south every old Confederate soldier
and sympathizer. For four days and
over they came thronging in on every
line of railroad until the hospitable city
of Richmond with its grand hotels and
open doors of every private house, was
SO taxed that the overflow reached the
city of Petersburg and adjoining villages
and filled their homes with welcome
guests. During the four days the streets
and houses of public reception here have
been packed by living mass of Confed-
crate humanity. The demonstration sur
passed dii previous eNeHtS III Tic iilStOly y
of the city, and as far as the crowds
present were concerned, oyershadowed
all former similar occasions, when the
south sent her representatives by the
thousand to honor the memory of her
distinguished leaders and sons in the ex-
capital of the Southern Confederacy.
No sooner than General Gordon had an
nounced the adjournment of the Confed-
crate reunion convention sine die with
three expressive raps of his Chickamau-
ga tree gavel than there was rush of
the veterans to get into the appointed
locations in time to fall into the line of
the procession, which moved promptly at
/ o'clock p. M
There Were 90, 900 Men Line,
with 100 bands of music and 100000 or
more on the streets to witness this grand
parade of youthful military cadets, stall
wart militiamen and venerable gray
bearded and battle-scarred veterans,
who had seen service on the hard fought
fields of Virginia. The latter retrod the
streets which thirty-five and thirty years
ago resounded with the martial foot
steps of the armies of Lee and after
wards of Grant. 1t was great day,
and nobody who witnessed the parade,
the heartfelt devotion of the men in line
and the enthusiasm of the people on the
streets would do otherwise than declare
that 1t was day consecrated to Ameri-
can manhood, patriotism and vaior. The
spectacle was inspiring, and as the bands
passed playing the "Star Spangled Ban
land" and yankee Doodle" every man
and woman felt themselves truer
American.
Nothing could have been more auspi-
cious than the weather and all other con-
dition for such a grand occasion. The
procession, though prompt in forming,
was somewhat delayed by a divergence
of the cavalry of the Army of Virginia,
North Carolina regiments of artillery
and the carriages containing the distin-
guished guests and young lady sponsors
from the states and the territories so
as to take in portion OF Main street.
They Joined the veterans at Fifth and
Franklin streets, and for nearly four
hours this grand parade of young sol
diers and old heroes, with Its bands or
music, flags and banners, marched along
streets afiame with national and south
ern colors and greeted at every point
with the cheers and
Plaudits of the Women,
who were either daughters or mothers of
the old Confederacy. The column, in
cluding. as 1t did, every branch of the
military service, made splendid appear
ance and would have been deemed an
American gem in New York or Chicago.
In the line were numerous mementoes
of the late war in the shape of bullet
holed and tattered Confederate battle
flags uniforms that had been worn on
many a bloody field, knapsacks, can
teens, muskets and rifles that bore evil
dence of service in many a campaign.
The venerable old soldiers carried fiddles
with which they entertained camp life
during the war Many had empty sleeves
and many others wooden legs, but they
stood the fatigue of the four hours
march with all the fortitude that char
acterized them over thirty years ago.
General Gordon, chief marshal, and
staff headed the procession and his es-
cort was the corps of cadets of the Vir-
glnia Military institute. Then followed
the children's brigade. $50 in number.
Gen. Wade Hampton and staff took a
position in front of the Carolinians. and
the old cavalry hero was saluted at ev-
cry move and turn of the procession.
Governor OFerrall WAS a. the side OF
Brigadier General Phillips of the Vir-
ginia state troops. which included the
Virginia and North Carolina regiments
of state troops. Then followed the Wor-
shipful Grand Masonic lodge of Virginia,
escorted by the commandery of ST. An
drew of Virginia, No. H. knights Tenn
plar, and by the B1acksburg, Va, ca
dets. Next came
The Orator of the Dav,
Gen. Stephen d. Lee, and staff; the First
Cavalry regiment of Virginia, COM
manded by Charles Euker; Davis Monu-
ment association, Mrs. Jefferson Davis
and family, invited guests, sponsors for
the southern states, memorial associa-
tions, ETC., council of the city of Rich
mond, Mai Gen. Thomas A. Brander and
staff, Richmond Light Infantry. Blues
battalion, escort to the Virginia veteran
division; Grand camp of Confederate
Veterans, department Of Virginia, Col.
w. A. Smoot, grand commander; West
Virginia Veteran association, South Caro-
lima veteran camps, Mississippi veteran
camps, Florida veteran camps, Alabama
veteran camps, Georgia veteran camps,
Louisiana veteran camps, Texas veteran
campo, Indian territory veteran camps,
Oklahoma territory veteran camps. Ar
KANSAS veteran camps. Tennessee veteran
camps, North Carolina veteran camps,
Xo&,f,oIxv veteran campa Missouri vet