The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-09-01

Meeting OF tbs South Carolina Z Division o
United Oonfe derste Veterans OF the
United Sons OF vaterang-- Ur bounded
Eospitsltty OF the People of C rec nvil.e.
The recollection ofthe stirring scepes
enacted in the sixties were vivioly re
called Wednes day in Greenville, BY
the presence OF hundreds of battle
SCARED, eray.haired Veterans. vic
followed the fortunes of the Starry
Cross of the Confe6eracy, and gave
renown to msuy a leader. The meet
ing of these Veterans was most atfect.
ing. Some of them had not seen each
other since the sad surrenders at Apo
msttox and Greensboro. Groups OF
these heroes who wore the grey could
be seen at every corner, in the hotels
about the public places where they
lovingly recalled "reminiscences OF the
glorious pasta past to which they
recur with pride, and IN which they
displayed courage, and exhibited forti
tude rarely eouslled, certainly never
excelled. Almost every command
that South Carolina sent to the field
was represented. Most of the Veteraps
belonged 20 districts contiguous to this
coul ty. and are splendid specimens
of the hardy and heroic men who for
four years upheld the martial renown
Of South Carolina, sud aided the
armies of Northern Virginia and of
the West. as well as the men who
served on the coast, to repel the vast
Jegions raised in the North by the
Federal Government to CONQUER the
South. The lower part of the State
also sent its quota of brave men to
again Join hands, and unite hearts
with their comrades OF the war. A
notable feature of the gathering was
that the Sons OF Veterans were present
in convention. They, together with
the Daughters of the Confederacy,
have gone to work with commenda
BILE spirit, and have shown that they
are worthy Of their honored sires. aud
that the future of South Carolina will
be safe in their hands. 1t is comfort
ing to the veterans, whose footstep ps
are slowly bat steadily approaching
the border line which divides time
from eternity, to know that when
they have joined their comrades in
the spirit land the fair fame OF the
Confederacy will be preserved and
perpetuated oy the camps Of the Sons
and Daughters of the Confederacy.
That the Piedmont section furnished
its full share of soldiers was amply
shown st Greenvil]e by casual glance
over the register. During Tuesday and
Wednesday there were 1900 Veterans
who registered, and a great many did
not take the trouble to register, and Of
that number the vast majority we're
from Greenville, Spartanburg, Aobe.
vile, Anderson. Oconee and Pickens.
What throng it would make if the
Piedmont sent its gallent soldiers to
the coast to join in the reunion that is
to be held in Charleston next year.
While the general crowd was not IS
large as it ~as ;B Charleston or
similar occasion, this has proven to
be the largest gathering of Veter.
ans. There WAS in the neighborhooo OF
2,000 who wore the grey and did honor
to their State. It was one Of the hap
piest gatherings that could be seen.
Men actually shed tears IN meeting
friends and comrades whom they had
not met in years and years, snd be
tween whom there was more than the
ordinary bond of friendship: Il the
stories and "reminiscences that were
told could only be gathered IN
book form what a chapter Of history
it would make. How it would put to
shame Goldwin Smith and others OF
the historical trsducers of the South
land.
Gen. Walker by his hard work has
given the Veteran Association an i'm
petus that it is Got likely to lose soon.
One OF the happy IDEAS in connection
with the reunion this year was the elec-
ton of Sponsors and maids OF honor
of the various camps. They were
the heroines of the occasion, and were
feted ard cared fer by sll with the
greatest attention. The Veterans and
their sons and daughters are marching
forward, snd they will be in Charles
ton next spring in full force, for the
Veterans will decide to 60 there, and
the Sons will follow their lead. Mana
ger Gales, OF the Mansion House, who
knows a thing ortwo about hotels and
their facilities, in talking about the
gathering there. said thst If the hotels
of Atlanta had tried TO accommodate
the crowd there they could not have
done so. But this did not mean that
those who attend lacked for sc
commodations not g bit OF it. House
after house and home after home hac
opened It's doors for the Veterans anc
their friends, and every one who wa
there had ample accommodations, an<
there was no attempt or suggestion o
gousing or try ng 20 take sGvantag'
Of the situation.
The Convention was called to orde
by Col. Hoyt. SIS commander Of m
Greenville division. He said that be
fore going on he would ask for pray
er BY the chaplain of the division, tn
Rev. S. P. e. Elwen. With all th'
feeling and fervor OF the Ole soldie
preacher he prayed for the soldier
who had gone anead, anc tnaL IN
Veterans would continue 10 live with
out stain or blenish upon the recor
of the Confederate soldier.
Col Eoyt then introduced TX Llev
tenant Governor Mauldin, chalrms
of the committee Of arrangement:
who welcomed the Veterans on oeha.
of Camp Pulliam.
Mayor Willisms, as a member {
the 16.h, welcomed the audience fc
the city Of Greenville. The create:
privilege that could be given to an
community is 70 entertain the Old SO
dier. The memories that this pictul
recalled so affected him that II almo!
untitled him to speak.
It was the granGest day IN Greer
vile since the sixties, when the repor
came: Lee has licked them again.
lilyoS 10 b,,% n