The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-05-22
WHEELER And THE
/ GIRLS LEFT OUT
General Ferguson Explains the
Charleston Incident.
GEN. WAL KER NOT TO BLAME
He Placed the Affair in the Hands of a
Committee, and for Some Reason
the Carriages Failed
to Call
GEN. WAL KER NOT TO BLAME

General Fred s. Ferguson. late comman-
der of the Alabama Division, United Con-
. fedcrate veterans, has returned from the
Charleston reunion, and talks interesting
ly of that great gathering of the valiant
men who wore the gray.
General Ferguson has word to say of
the 'swheeler incident" which recalls the
fact that General Wheeler is not affiliated
with the Confederate veterans as an or
ganization, although he has shown his en-
dorsement by attending several reunions.
In speaking of his trip to an Age-Herald
reporter, General Ferguson said:
Yes. have just returned from the re-
unionsat Charleston, and, as usual, enjoyed
the meeting was disappointed in the
city of Charleston, as the dspensary law
is failure. and the gamblers have COM
plete control.
1.-The reunion was not attended by as
many veterans as the Birmingham reunion
in 1894, and no reunion before, or since ever
witnessed such gathering or ever will
again"
In reply to questions concerning the al
legged discourtesy shown to General. Wheel
er, he had the following to say:
~ know Gen. C. Irwin Walker. and have
known him since 1868 He was adjutant
general of Gist's South Carolina division
a fine soldier and perfect gentleman.
Several years ago he was elected major
general of the South Carolina division,
United Confederate veterans, and has kept
1t up In splendid style: The report that he
Sighted General Wheeler, or was in any
way discourteous to him, is untrue, Tor. in
my opinion, gallant Confederate soldier,
such as I know General Walker to be, is
incapable of being discourteous to anybody
and certainly not to a worthy comrade. and
all this talk about unkindness to General
Wheeler Is humbug. The old soldiers
spect. love and admire him. but not more
than they do HUNDREDS of others who
fought on the same side.
= Has Not Joined Camp
p "Since the organization of the United
Confederate veterans, General Wheeler has
not Joined one of its camps, at least he is
not member Of any of the camps of the
Alabama division, and has taken no part
in our work. He has attended several re-
unions and has always been received with
honor, but has kept aloof from active par
sticipation in our labors.
i"He was invited to address our conven-
ton at Charleston, and did so, very great
honor to any outsider we think. He was
assigned place in our column, or process
sion, on the day of review, a magnificent
tribute to a Confederate soldier who had
never Joined a camp of his division of the
United Confederate veterans.
'.Why he did not ride in the procession
] cannot, OF my own knowledge, say. In
truth I did not know that he was In
Charleston He certainly did not come
near the headquarters of the Alabama d.
Vision, If I am reliably informed. General
Walker, who commands the South Carolina
division, appointed committees to take
charge of. and look after, all details of the
reunion. One of these committees was in
structed to send carriage to General
Wheeler at his quarters, to be used by
him in the procession at p. m. on the
10th inst. The carriage, one of the best In
the city, was duly ordered for the purpose,
but failed to be present and do its duty.
e..';Gcnersl Wheeler was not the only per-
son neglected, for many of the prettiest
girls In the country were treated in the
same manner. The sponsor of Alabama
and her maids of honor were left at their
rooms In the Charleston hotel by a similar
error or neglect Why blame General
Walker for il? He had done all that one
man could do. He appointed the commit