The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-10
THE CONFEDERATE REUNION,

the attention of the South was centered
upon Charleston. Mighty events were
taking place there. A new nation was
being born a new hope and new ideal
were being set up for and by high spirit
ed. liberty-ioving people.
To-day again the attention of the South
is centered upon Charleton. But how
different the occasion. The new nation is
dead, and with it the hope and aspirations
that animated those heroes of the sixties
to make sacrifices and perform deeds of
valor that are without parallel in history.
The events Of to-day in Charleston are
'in memoriam;" the gathering is a love
feast, and TO many a farewell of the
Scared veterans who followed Lee and
Jackson and Johnston until exhaustion
and overwhelming opposition compelled
The abandonment of the struggle.
The ranks of veterans are rapidly thin
ming. Since the last reunion many lead
ing figures have passed lover the river
to rest Under the shade of the trees and
before the time of the next meeting
doubtless many of those who are now shak-
irg hands with old comrades and recount
ing stories of the tented field, VIII also
have joined the great majority. The locks
uoon the temples of the survivors are
white or whitening; it cannot in the
course of nature be very long time I'M
I'll the last of the reunions shall nave
been held. Nobody has a keener appre-
citation of the fact than the veterans them
selves, and that makes the pathos of each
succeeding reunion more tenderly touch
ing.
But the old soldiers. and their fami-
at Charleston. No city is richer in his
torical associations that the old City by
the Sea, with its Sumter Moultrie,
Pinckney, Morris Island, Hundred Pines
and other scenes of noted battles, and
hundred other points Of eolopial revolu-
tionary and secession interest. And then
Gordon aud Hampton, and Longstreet, and
Stephen Lee and Butler. and Caball and
other gallant general officers will be on
hand to revive the enthusiasm of the grey
headed boys" whom they led on many
bloody fields. And Joe Wheeler. Fight
ing joe" of Alabama, the hero of two
wars. In each of which he proved him
self to be one of the greatest little fight
ers that ever drew sword will be there
to make the principal address of the oc-
cas2on The little general can talk about
as well as ne can fight, hence there is a
treat in store for those who are fortunate
to get seats under the sound of his voice
at the auditorium to-day.
The wives and the daughters and the
sons of the veterans will be gathered in
large force at the reunion. TO see the
eOmpanions-in-arms of their fathers-the
men who made Southern valor and chivll-
ry famous. They viii hear the campaigns
of long ago fought over again. and will
wonder as etners have done, how it was
possible for the Confederates to hold out
against such odds as we're brought against
them as long as they did. These recitals
viii inspire the younger generations with
an earnest desire TO perpetuate the true
history OF the great struggle: and the
perpetuation Of such history is one of the
chief objects of the United Confederate
Veterans
Georgia. and particularly South Geor-
gia and the city of Savannah, will be
largely represented at Charleston. The
war history of the South Carolina metrop-
oils is closely interviewer with that of Sa-
vannah and South Georgia. When the
first guns of the war doomed out on April
u. 1861, Savannah was among the first to
catch the reverberation. The streets mere
were thronged with excited people, eager
to get the latest word of news from the
scene of conflict. Patriotism and enthus-
iasm ran high. The war spirit was a1lame.
The flower of the manhood of the com
muuity fiocked TO the support of the
Southern arm, and Georgia troops were
speedily in the field. The exchanges and
mutual aid between Charleston and Savan-
nah are well known of the people of the
two cities. Their interests were Identical.
and they strove together to preserve them.
This city, therefore. was especially pleas
ed when hospitable Charleston was select
ed as the place for the holding of the re-
union, and has done and will do whatever
is possible to make the meeting a COM
plete success