Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1899-05-18
TIE CONFEDERATE REUNION.
Tho Boys In Gray Had Gay Old limo In
Charleston Last Week. '-..

Charleston Last Week. '-..
Wo went to tho reunion of tho Vote
rams at Charleston last week aud it need
not be said that we enjoyed it immensely.
In fact we don't know how to tell about
1t IN any of Its details. The old Veterans
were thore to the tune of 10000 10000
OF them and "tho old City by the Sea"
covered herself With glory in tho bound
less hospitality with which she welcomed
them. She throw her gates wide-open
and told them to walk in and take pos
session. Tho arrangements to feed and
lodge the Veterans at tho Confederate
Hotel woro about as near perfect as thoy
could we'll be and thousands of tho old
heroes were comfortably lodged and fed
by tho city, who could not otherwise
have gone there. The arrangements
there wore far superior to Atlanta last
year and tho welcome and the treatment
received by tho Veterans will mako the
Charleston reunion greon spot in their
momory for years to como. It Is impos-
siblo to do Justice to tho magnificent
t""NSi'ohhoitt t3tot SCSlhnb COulu
DO seated at ono time, building orootod
specially fol this occasion. Wo cannot
describe tho scene on tho opening morn
| ing when Sca of bronzod faces looked
up to tho rostrum as Conc. Irvino Walker
opened tho proceedings and Mayor
Smythe made tho welcome address.
Wo cannot describe tho fervor and pa
thos Of Chaplain j. VIM. Jonos's open
ing prayer, and it was a scene for tho
angels to look upon and rejoice oyor
whom tho whole vast audience arose and
| sang tho long metre doxology. Tho
tears ran down tho cheeks of MANY of
tho Veterans and many q voice that had
rung ont in wild rebol yell in tho dead
ly charge failed uttorly to respond be-
cause of the orowding emotions that
swept each heart. We cannot tell of tho
wild cheers that greeted each burst of
"Dixic," "Tho. Bonnie Blue Flag"
"Maryland, My Maryland" and tho
other war songs that called up the mo-
morics of the bravo old days that are
gone. And we cannot toll Of Gordon's
matchloss response, tho knightly chiv-
airy of his references to South Cardinals
past history, and his masterly marshal
ling of tho deeds Of tho Scotch Highland
Prcsbytcrians, the Cavaliers and the
Iluguenots and tho Swiss, whose illus
trious names crowd thick tho pages of
her history and whose blood has watercd
the trce of constitutional liberty from
Colonial days down. 1t was Gordon,
knightly, superb, chivalrous, eloquent,
and that tells tho talc. No words of
ours can picture the sccno when Mrs.
Stone"a.l Jackson was led OH to tho
rostrum and presented to tho Veterans,
nor the kingly grace and courtesy with
which Gordon shook her hand in behalf
of the Veterans, and suiting tho action
to tho word, said he was going to hug
her in their name, too. With ono i'm
pulse they arose rs ono man and shook
tho very raftcrs of tho building with n
mighty shout, while all around mems
voices were choking and their eyes
streaming as they saw before them tho
widow of the man who brought crowd
ing before their minds thick and fast tho
memories Of Manassas, the Vaiicy, the
Seven Days around Richmond, Second
Manassas, Sharpsburg, fredericksburg,
and the last and final chapter at Chan
cellorsville, where he "crosscd over the
river to rest under tho shade of tho
trces,' and whose wonderful career had
forever made illustrious on tho pages of
history the martial spirit and military
rGnlOllS nf p1nrinna nd
Every man felt that tho spirit Of old
"Stoncwalr' must be lowering near, and
they would have been delighted to hear
his command: "Tell a. p. Hill to pass
the infantry to tho front" They wanted
more Of tho same sort, and when Mrs.
Gen. Kirby Smith was introduced the
scene was repeated, and then thoy wanted
to sec Mrs. Gordon, who had received her
baptism Of fire in Virginia with her hus-
band. 1t was a time Of moistening
eyes and throbing hearts and bound
ing blood. And then the parade of
the old Veterans in tho afternoon,
escorted by the Citadel cadets in front,
all of them sons and grandsons of Vete.
rams, and the United Sons of Confederate
Veterans in tho rear under Gen. Bouham,
with thousands upon thousands of spec
tators lining tho streets, and every bal
cony and window filled with tho flower
and beauty of the land, with handker-
chiefs 1futtering and banners waving. 1t
was a brave old sight to see and ono that
does not often come ones way. Thera