Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-19
CoNFEDERATE REUNION.
The Great Event In smithfeId-Cnp-
thin McCabe's Address.

Isle of wight county, for some time past
has been the great Confederate Reunion
under the auspices OF Calcotte-Wrenn
Camp, announced TO take place there
yesterday. The choice FOR orator Of the
day fell upon Captain w. Gordon Nc
Cabe, OF Richmond. whose father vas
rector OF the Episcopal church In Smith
field forty-odd years ago. The following
Is an outline of Captain McCabe's adj
dress: He was knit 10 the people OK
Smithheld. Surry, and Isle OF Wight by
double and a sacred tie-by the abiding
recollection Of the constant love and
loyalty Of that noble people 20 those
nearest and dearest 10 him, and by the
sterner memories Of glorious victory and
of defeat met with serene constancy OF
these sterner memories how many were
evoked by the mere name Of the veteran
camp he had the honor TO address-"Cai-
cotte-Wrenn'' name he said, that
stirs the pulses play like blast OF buge
or rolling drums Of Austerlitz."
GLOWING TRIBUTES.
He paid a glowing tribute TO the
memory Of Colonel Calcotte, "the modest
gentleman who proved all gold when
tried by fire. and died at the head OF his
men on the fre-fringed heights Of Gene
terry Ridge" OF the two heroic brothers,
Walter and FentOn Wrenn, both slain
in battle. Captain McCabe spoke With
manifestly deep feeling. Walter was his
beau-ideal Of the young Nirginian, shy and
gentle. yet full of the old Bersekir fight
ing blood. "who spurred with yalor gay
and debonair into the he'll OF shot and
shell, on the desperate field OF Second
Manassas, and with splendid self-abne-
CATION flung away his life TO save the
honor OF the brigadc he loved 50 WELL
Fenton Wrenn was the speakers class
mate at the University. and gentle
scholar as he was, fell In the van OF
Pickett's immortal charge OF the heights
of Gettysburg. The mere peipetuaJion OF
such names, the speaker said, would OF
itself amply justify tho formation OF
such a veteran organization. but quite
apart from sentiment, IL stood In sober
truth for far more than this. He dWelt
upon the great benefit morally and mate
rally, TO every community In having In
its midst such veteran organizations.
They served TO confirm the self-respoct
of the veterans themselves, and COM
PEELED the respect OF all others for the
absolute honesty Of conviction OF the
men and women Of 1861, who gave their
all without grudge and without stint
for what they held TO be the heritage OF
freemen."
The speaker said impresslyely that 10
was his deliberate judgment that tho
chief factor in the wonderful recupera-
ton and development Of the South since
the war was the fact that her moral
fibre. even in the darkest days Of ere
4 hnqnr1R VNInNIN.
the South, In the darkest Of those days
of poverty and oppression. kept stit
upper lip" and steadily refused 10 admit
the indebtedness OF her contention.
Thus. and thus only" continued me
sneaker. "did Virginia and her southern
sisters escape the deadly apathy as 10
effort, and the consequent
hight OF social Generalization which
ever follow in the train Of defeat that IS
with ignominy and dishonor'
We should never forget the great ana
noble part played by these veteran camps
In confirming and developing this moral
fibre" The best guarantee OF ttness ana
fidelity i'm dealing with the problems OF
peace was single minded devotion m Gay
on war TO the cause which claimed the
feslty of the whole southern people.
RECONCILIATION.
The era of genuine reconciliation De-
tween the North and South had az lasl
iawned on our common country, ana ne
thanked God II was so, but, whenev't
demanded, every Coniedeteo
soldier who had been steadfast 10 ~
colors "shan not fail to emphasize DIS
that ours was the suugsl'
for constitutional freedom IN America ID
f,,f frCu ISL 10 LHnI.
The bows who wore the gray were rally
ng 10 fight under ''dashing Joe Wheeler
and our own peerless old Fiz.' smaA
wonder. Southern men had always Deeh
Cooked TO as the natural leaders In every
war waged In this country from me
Colonial wars against the French ana in-
lians down 20 1851 He gave brief pie
lure OF the leading part played By SOUTH
arn soldiers I'm various battles from tho
Revolution down through the Mexican
war. The speaker said that the slmp's
ruth as 10 the struggle I'm which pc anu
lis comrades present had shared snolN
De taught temporarily. yet feariesss'
Tot only at the freside. but In the schoos
and I'm our higher Institutions OF learn
ng. Such fearless teaching was due our
)wn self-respect and manhood; que
,,r children; due to our matchiess lea"-
,rs--above all. due the memories OF our
heroic dead.
Captain McCabe paid a high tribute 20
hese 'unreturning braves" and SAY.
hat Smithfield should have monument
o her heroic dead. 49,.
Another monument must be punt tD
ack OF which almost seemed 20 sname
he manhood of every veteran. and tnat
vas a monument to commemorate tl'
ortltude and self-abnegation Of the W.
men OF the South.
In closing he said that II was our GUY
o teach our children that We All o"en
allegiance 20 the flag OF our common
ountry. but we shall teach them as Wen
hat the cause In which the Confedefale
lag was unfurled was no unrighieoua
ause, and that the blood shed In is d.
ence was not the blood OF TRAITORS
ut OF patriots OF the loftiest and mos
nselfish type.
The other principal speaker was Juuse
ieorge L. Christian. OF Richmond Wno,o
ubject was the legal side OF secession III
he treatment OF which he Is mastery
Illness OF Mr.. A. Oppeohimer'
Mr.. A. Oppenhimer. who has been des'
erately m for several days az his nome
Ia. county