Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-05-12

ton also resigned as commander of the
Army of Northern Virginia. saying ht
would serve in the ranks as a private
He gave as Il reason that his declining
years and physical weakness rendered
him unable to give to the office the at
tention and energy it deserved Many
veterans We're visibly affected by the
generals words and for an instant alb
solute silence prevailed. Then all rose
and cheered Justify. Bowing his
thanks Gen. Hampton stepped back
and soon afterward left the rostrum.
The business of the session was then
suspended for the Winnie Davis me-
mortal exercises. By this time nearly
all of the sponsors had arrived and
with the presence Of hundreds of ladies
in the boxes and on the floor. the audi
torium presented gay scene. The
enthusiasm that had marked the ses-
sion gave way to an impressive silence
as the veterans listened to eloquent
tributes to the memory of the Daugh-
ter of the Confederacy.
In opninS the exercises, Gen. Gordon
said: My comrades, we approach a
solemnity which will awaken in every
heart the sweetest. tenderest recollec-
tions that have stirred us for many
days. We are about to give ourselves
the melancholy pleasure of again hon
oring a sweet woman whose memory
will always live in every Confederate
household"
Bishop CaperS offered prayer and
then Gen. Gordon introduced the orator
OF the occasion. Col. Bennett II. Young
Of Louisville. After the address the
Louisiana Glec Club sang Nearer My
God to Thee"
Gen. Lee then said that for many years
Mrs Davis had been unable, owing to Ill
health, to attend the reunion of the asSO-
citation, but on this occasion she was rep
resented by Miss Walker of Mississippi.
Miss Walker rose in her box ana saluted
the audience.
This closed the exercises ana 4 moment
later Mr.. iiallock Wood of Mobile, Ala,
moved that The convention express its
deep appreciation of those "chivalric aad
tender people of the North who had min
iStercd with tender care to the last hours
of the Daughter of the Confederacy.
Gen Gordon put the motion and the
affirmative response was 50 hearty that
he did not ask for z negative vote
Major VIM. NJ. Robbins. the Confcl-
crate member of the Gettysburg National
Park commission and eX-conSressman
from Louisiana, offered these resolutions,
WHICH were TdilHtu.
Whereas, the government of the
United States has undertaken and is
pushing forward the work Of prominently
the lines and positions of troops
Of both Of the contending armies, on sew
eral great battletields of the civil War.
among them Gettysburg. ChickamauSa,
Shiloh, Nicksburg and others. with the
design of making these hattleficldS per
mancnt memorials of the prowcSS of
soldiers without respect of see
ton,
Resolved. that we. as Confederate vet
Grams, sympathiZc with and commend
this patriotic purpose Of the government
and will lend our influence and aid to-
ward its full realization.
Resolved. that we trust the people of
the Southern states will take early and
effective steps to erect upon these battle
fields suitable monuments in honor of our
glorious heroes in gray who fought and
died for what they believed to be right.
Resolved, that we rejoice with our
brethren throughout the Union that the
sectional d:scurd of other days is ended
and that we are a reunited people with
one country and one flag"
The report of the jefferson Davis mon
lIment committee which was submitted
lndorscd the suggestion that the task of
the completion of the monument be
turned over 70 the Daughters of tho Con-
federacy. The report showed that the
now has on hand Sl9,9s2. 1t
urged an aggressive movement for the
of the proposed monument at
Richmond.
The report was adopted After some
other business had been transacted the
adjourned until tomorrow