The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1897-07-03
GENERAL GORDON REELECTED
CONFEDERATE VETERANS WOULD
! NOT LET HIM RETIRE.
THEIR VOTES WERE UNANIMOUS.
The General Delivers an Address Review
ing the Advancement Of the Order
During the Past Eight Year,.

The business meeting OF the ex-coh-
federate reunion in Nashville was called
to order by General John B. Gordon
Wednesday morning. Prayer was Of
fered by Rev. D. G. Kelly, of Columbia,
| Tenn.
The report Of the committee on his
| tory was presented and referred.
General Gordon then delivered his
address, prefacing it with an announce
ment of his intention to resign as gem
eral commanding. There were cries OF
"No! no" from all over the hall and
when quiet had been restored, General
Gordon proceeded with his address.
He said in part:
"MB. PRESIDENT AND CoNRADKs !:
Permit me with few words to return
the commission with which you have
honored me for eight years, and by
unanimous vote. Within the next few
hours you will elect my successor.
When this duty is performed by you I
shall gladly take my place by those
united heroes who SO grandly bore the
battles brunt in the stern work of
war. Such q step voluntarily taken
ought not to be considered q strange
condescension by any man. To me it
is privilege.
"Mr. President, in these closing
hours Of my long service as command
ing general I must ask the conven-
tons indulgence for q brief review of
that official relation and possibly for
some suggestions as to the future.
"On the 10th day of June, 1889,
eight years ago, while serving as gov
ernor Of my native state, received
from New Orleans the wholly unex-
pected announcement Of my election
as commander-in-ch chief of the newly
organized United Confederate Vet
Grams.
This new communion of e1-soldiers
began its somewhat unpromising
career with the modest number Of but
ten organizations, united for peaceful
and noble ends. Today it presents
the proud array of more than o thou
sand camps answering the roll call,
and rejecting merited honors upon
the different commanders, and espe-
cially upon our able adiutant general.
In the next few hours / shall turn
over to my successor this army of
more than thousand organizations,
rapidly advancing toward the second
thousand.
81 said Mr.. President, that would
turn over an army. 1t Ia ON army OF
ex.soldiers, OF ex-Confederate soldiers,
of erfghting Confederate soldiers,
philanthrepic and broadly patriotic.
1t is an army still, Mr.. President, but
an army for the bloody work of war no
longer. It's banners no longer bear
the flaming insignia Of battle. It's
weapons no longer flash defiance to
the foe nor deal death to the opposing
ranks. Its weapons are now the
pen without malice, the tongue
without aspersion and history without
misrepresentation. It's aims are peace
full, philanthropic and broadly patri-
otto. Its sentiment is lofty, generous
and just. Its mission is to relieve
the suffering OF the living, cherish the
memory Of the dead and to shield
from reproach the fair name OF all.
This now mighty organization, while
insisting upon complete historical JUS
tice to the south, will scorn to do less
than complete justice to the north"
General Gordon Reelected.
When General Gorden had concluded
his address, q motion that General
Joseph Wheeler be requested to nomi.
nate General Gordon for reelection,
was made and carried. General
Stephen d. Lee, who had been called
to the chair, declared the nominations
closed and General Gordon was unan-
imously reelected. The thousands Of
delegates present cheered and waved
their hats and handkerchiefs and the
scene was most impressive one.
The committee on credentials re-
ported 1000 delegates present and
1000 camps represented.
General Chipley, of Florida, chair
man Of the committee Of the Confed-
crate Memorial association, presented