The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-23
Savannah
Surrendered
Veterans in UndiSputGd Pos
session.
TAEY HOLD THE KEY 70 THE CITY
Welcomed Everywhere
Nearly 100 Camps in the
Convention.
THE REUNION A JUBILEE.
DISTINGUISHED G6OFUidnS
Here.
GOV. GAMBLER COMING
Sons of Veterans Gath
ering.
distinguished GeOFUianS
Here.
GOV. GAMBLER COMING
Sons of Veterans Gath
ering.

Under smiling sky with perfect wealth
er and with smiling faces everywhere, Sa-
vannah welcomed the first large gathering
Of the Georgia Division of the United Con-
federate Veterans ever assembled on Geor-
gia soils 1t was an ideal day. and every
favoring circumstances had combined to
make of the reunion an ideal occasion.
The veterans had come TO Savannah
from all over the state Most Of them
had reached the city during the night, or
arrived on the early morning trains, and
long before the opening hour of the first
session Of the convention, fhe streets were
filled with them and their families and
friends. Knots OF The old veterans gath
cred on every corner and for the ten thou
sandth's time rehearsed the deeds Of dar-
ing they had either witnessed or taken
part In during the days that tried mems
souls"
II was a notable gathering. The gray
hair and beard and aged appearance of TOO
many of the old soldiers of the Confeder-
aey testified but too strongly that they
were not long for this earth, but that
they were destined soon to pass to the
final blvouac and take up their permanent
resting place i'm the great beyond. For
this reason there is always an element of
sadness in gatherings of this character.
and it is intensified and increased with
each succeeding year. The sadness of the
occasion, though. did not at all appeal to
the veterans themselves, who made
holiday of 1t all and who were as jovial
and light hearted as a band of school
boys at play. To those who have played
and TESTED with death as have they, the
grim destroyer has lost most of his ter
rors.
1t was a gay scene, too, that greeted
them. Duriog the preceding night many
additional stores and residences had been
decorated, and the committee had com
pleted its plans far the decoration OF Bun
street and the halls in which the sessions
Of the convention and other public gather
ings are TO be held. They were Confederate
colors, too, that formed the greater part
Of these decorations and this was a fea-
ture that appealed strongly TO the veier-
ans, who at many of the reunions had wit
messed Confederate decorations but too
hAuNiA Nv ACAlNNA anu lbi EO- zen.
The crowds have fully equalled or sur
passed all the expectations of the Re-
union Executive Committee. A cons cry
alive estimate places the attendance al
10000 and other estimates have doubled
this figure. The crowds will be largely
augmented this morning this being the
principal day of the reunion. and 15,oO1
will be an extremely moderate estimate
of the attendance during this day. For the
most part 1t has been an extremely good
natured and well-behaved crowd, and but
very few instances of disorder and confu-
sion have been noted on the streets. These
have been due, not to the veterans them
selves or to their friends, but 10 the wilcs
and worse performances of the fakirs, with
whom The city is absolutely infested.
At night Bull street was a scene of per-
feet beauty. The illumination of the mon
uments and Of the fountain in Forsyth
Park showed them up in vivid beauty.
The crowds thronged the streets and aft
er the fireworks in the Extension from.
enaded north and south. and south ana
north again, until midnight
The reunion is success. The attend
49, - '4AN NNNef4SA1 "a AAit NpANSAllOu anu
the number of visitors in the city assure
1t beyond doubt and beyond every rea-
sonable expectation of the people Of sa-
vannah. Sayannah's reputation for gem
erous hospitality has been and is being
abundant,y yindicated. The veterans and
their friends are happy and pleased with
themselves and all the world. and the Re
union Committee and the citizens general
~ are content. Every thing is most at
Tactive and the goose could not be reached
with an extension ladder.