Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-07-08
RICHMOND is INVADED.
Big Crowds Witness the Jefferson /
Davis Cornerstone Lay
ing

Richmond, Va, July 2.-Neyer before
in her history, not even upon the occa-
sion Of the unwilling Of the Lee monu-
ment in 1890, has Richmond seen such
a crowd as that which has assembled
here today to witness the laying of TIE
cornerstone of the monument to the
memory of Jefferson Davis. 1t is the
,ast and greatest day of the sixth annual
reunion of the United Confederate Vet
Grams association which has brought to
Richmond altogether about $4,000 vet
Grams besides thousands of other visitors.
Todays exercises have added 10000 Wis
itors and young soldiers to the vast
throng.
Men Sleep on Capitol Grounds.
Last night history repeated itself in
the scene which the capitol nall present
ed. A small army of griZzledj men, in
jackets of gray, slept upon the green
sward around the old statehOuse with
coats for pillows and the grassy lawn for
their beds. A few thousand spent the
night on the capitol grounds.
The city is very gaily decorated. Here
and there on the streets faded and tat
tered battle flags, relics of their lost
cause, float like gaunt skeletons in the
air, attracting constantly surging
crowd of men In gray around then.
The ROuss Memorial Hall association
appointed to obtain charter for organi-
zaton. Gen. Johnson of Alabama, Gen.
Briggs of Kentucky, DR.. league of
South Carolina, Gen. Jackson of Ten
nessee were appointed a committee to
visit New York and confer with Mr..
Rouss and show him the great opposi-
ton in the South to locating the pro-
posed battle abbey in Washington. In
an interview Mrs. Davis expressed decid-
ed opposition to locating the battle abbey
in Washington and said it would be
just as appropriate to erect the Hlonu-
nlent to Davis in Boston.
Few Union Flags Seen.
The veteran cavalry held a meeting
this morning to take steps toward erect
ing q monument to Gen. J. E. B. Stew
art Col. William II. Hempstreet of
Brooklyn made speech in which he
spoke kindly of the treatment he had
received by veterans and said he thought
they were all true to the American flag.
But, he added, he was disappointed to
find so few flags of the Union used b.
civilians in decorating their houses
Lieut.. George p. Hall of Hanover
county, Va, replied to Col. Hempstreet
by saying the Southern people do not
in their hearts; the South was as true
as any section to the Union and if the
President should call for troops to OPP
pose foreign foe the South would be
the first section to respond.
The convention was opened at 10
o'clock with prayer by the Rev. Dr.. ].
p Smith OF Stonewall Jacksons staff
The session was a very short one. Gen.
Gordon made a brief address praising
Richmonds hospitality. A memorial
was submitted asking that the name of
the United Confederate Veterans asso-
citation be changed to Confederate Sur
vivors' association. A request that the
memorial be sent to all camps in the
association was adopted
Brigade that Kicked Up a Row.
An invitation was extended from the
Phila delphia brigade to attend the re-
union of blue and gray at Washington
September is. when a monument to the
brigade will be unveiled at Antietam.
Gen. Gordon said the invitation would
be sent to the various camps for &C
ton The Rev. J. William Jones was
opposed to this on the ground that this
was the brigade that kicked up the row
in Richmond about marching behind the
Confederate flag.
Gen. Gordon replied: CDR. Jones be-
longs to a church that believes in con-
version Our friends have long since
repented their action"
Eyes, but they should bring forth
fruits meet for repentance" responded
Mr. Jones. A paper from Louisiana in
reference to the monument to Southern
women was referred to the monument
committee and Gen. Gordon said would
stop there.
A petition from Fredericksburg in refer
ence to national park at the battlefield,
near that place, was approved. After
resolutions OF thanks to Richmond and
Gen. Gordon the convention adjourned.