The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1899-05-19
WHEELER TOAST OF THE HOUR
DOUGHTY LITTLE HERO AROUSES
GREAT ENTHUSIASM.
A MEMORIAL TO WINNIE DAVIS.
Grizzled Hcrocs In Reunion Honor Nom
ory OF Daughter of tho Confcderacy.
Monument Committee Reports.

Inursuay morning session OF tne
veterans reunion at Charleston
General Gordon introduced General
Joe Wheeler as the hero of Santiago
aud the wizard of tho confederacy.
General Gordon said:
81 need not tell you that here is one
of the williest of Confederate wizards
1 need not tell you of that day in
Santiago when he saw the Spaniards
flying before him in the wild enthu-
siasm of the moment he forgot where
he was and called upon the men.
Forward, boys, tho Yankees are run
ming If l should tell you any of
these things would strike chord in
every heart, but am not going to do
it. l am going to strike every chord
at single stroke by pronouncing the
name of that incarnation Of fire and
courage, Joe Wheeler" The audience
went wild with applause and there
were shouts of "Wheeler!" and "Joe!
from all parts of the hall.
Wheeler Speaks.
General Wheeler said in part:
"The history of our country, when
compared with that of all the eras that
have preceded us, shows that our CIV
ilization has produced the highest class
Of men and the noblest type of soldiers.
Tho very idea of liberty nerves tho
soul and fires the heart. Defeat but
exasperates, adding desperation to Wig
or and energy to determined resolve.
"It was the teaching of fathers and
mothers who fled from tho oppression
and caste of class, braved the unfath-
omed ocean and landed upon these
shores, confronted by wild beasts and
savage Indians, that the highest honor
and privilege was to fight for country,
its safety and it's honor.
General Wheeler declared that the
military history of the southern peo-
pie has been prominent feature in
history from the first settlement of this
country. He cited Washington and
the other southern commanders of the
revolution, Winfield Scott and Andrew
Jackson and the other heroes of the
war of 1912, the southern generals
who won fame in the war with Mexico,
and then passing to the war between
the states, he said:
"While our civil war was, | may
! truthfully assert, the most sanguinary
recorded in history, it was also the
most remarkable, as IN it there was no
element of personal hostility, and the
soldiers ms individuals, could not in
the nature of things, have entertained
feeling of hatred for each other. They
! fought not from revenge, not from
malice, not from desire to shed blood,
not from ambition, but simply because
they felt that there lay the path of
duiy."
Memorial to Winnie Davis.
! The memorial to Winnie Davis was
one of the features of Thursdays ses-
sion. The exercises were introduced
with prayer led by Bishop Capers.
General Gordon introduced Colonel
II. Bennett, Of Louisville, who paid n
| tribnt to the memory of the Daughter
of the Confederacy.
Resolutions We're unanimously adop-
! ted extending the thanks of every
veteran to the people of the north who
tcnderly administered to Winnie Davis
! at the time Of her illness.
Davis Monument Committee Reports.
The Jefferson Davis monument COM
mittee submitted the following report
of the Jefferson Davis Monument as
sociation for the year ending April 30,
1899.
eve most cordially endorse the re.
Communications of that association that
the Daughters of the Confederacy be
requested to undertake the task Of
completion of the monument which it
is proposed to erect to the memory OF
President Jefferson Davis, and we fur
ther endorse the suggestion of tho
Jefferson Davis Monument association
that the amount already collected
by them for the monument fund shall
be consolidated with the fund to be
raised by the Daughters of the Con-
faderacy and be disbursed under their
! direction -