The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-05-16
MEMORIAL DAY EXERCISES.
The Veteran Soldiers HOnOred-t DIM
ner and Parade-Neyys of Interest.

Correspondence Of The Messenger.)
Fayetteville, n. c., May II.
Not quite the whole of the world is
at Charleston, after all. Despite the
scores of wrinkled. grizzled, graycoats,
bearing many a scar of wars branding,
who took the trains here to attend the
reunion in the fair metropolis of South
Carolina, the memorial services yester-
day were striking and imposing, thanks
to the untiring and self-sacrificing eff
forts of the association.
In the morning two hundred and six
ty or more Confederate veterans assem-
bled at the court house, where the
meeting was called I o order by Mr.. n.
c. Thaggard, officiating as president,
with Mr.. w. w. Cole as secretary. It
was decided with enthusiasm to hold
a annual encampment in August, and
after suitable arrangements to this eff
feet, a committee was appointed, con-
sisting Of Messrs. A. D. McGill, w.
Maxwell, w. L. Williams, D.. B. Giles,
and j. A. Gainey, to tender to the la
dies Of the Memorial Association the
hearty thanks Of the veterans for their
constant and abiding care of the inter-
ests of the soldier, and their conse-
Grafton and noble devotion to the mem
DRY of a lost but noble cause
The remaining hours of the morning
were spent in the pleasant ~hObnobbing
of reunion, nor will the generous ad-
mirer of the brave old soldier be hor-
rified to know that now and then the
dimmed eye caught a little Of its old
fire, and the blood coursed more warmly
under the spell of three fingers" Of
North Carolina corn" or a glass of
mellow wine.
At l o'clock the gallant band deployed
| around the armOry; and passing under
the Independent company's motto: He
that hath no stomach to the fight, let
him depart" charged the bountifully
spread dinner tables with that part of
their anatomy in excellent trim for the
fray. In course Of the feast two gal
liant soldiers, Mesrs. A. D. McGill and
w. l.. Williams, Cumberland's state
senator, delighted their listeners with
sharp but eloquent speeches
At 3 o'clock Chief Marshal H. E.
Smith formed the line on Hay street,
the procession headed by Major B. R.
Huske's splend'd corps, the Independent
Light Infantry, accompanied by their
chaplain, Rev. Isaac w. Hughes, and
their tasteful uniforms and fine bear
ing elected general admiration; then
came the cadets of the Fayetteville
Military Academy, marching like e.
ulars (their shooting over the graves
at the cemetery was perfect; the
graded and private schools, throngs
of citizens. etc.
The services at the cemetery were
simple but impressive-an eloquent
prayer b. Rev. Mr.. Cuninggim, pastor
of Hay Street Methodist Church, with
the rendering of hymns and patriotic
songs.
The late Col. Hector McKeethan's
51st N. G. regiment was foremost in all
the fierce, struggles around Charleston
during the civil war, and last Tuesday
Mai. A. A. McKeethan, himself a brave
officer of the resiment, carried with him
to the Charleston reunion the torn and
SCARED oattle-fag Of the command.
There could have been no more inter-
esting and honored relic in all Of yes
terday's panoramic review of the past
glories of the ~Confederacy.
At the last meeting of the Cumber-
land Monument Association, a PROPOSE
ton was made, meeting with general
favor to deposit $1,000 of the funds OF
the association in the Wilmington Saw
ings Bank until the organization is
ready to utilize the moey in hand
Mr.. C. H. Reynolds, head of the re-
organized Cumberland Mills Manufac-
turing Company, was here this week.
The factory will soOn be equipped with
more than $4,000 worth of new ma
chinery, preparing it thoroughly for up
tO-date work.