La Junta tribune., 1900-09-22
Blue AND the eaAy.
Seventh Annual Reunien'of the otero
County Veteran Association.

! The seventh annual reunion OF
the Otero County Veteran Asso,
citation Of the Blue and the Gray
was held at Horse Greek Wednes-
day and Thursday. About 400
people were present the first day,
La Junta being we'll represented,
and all report having had royal
good time.
Il Many old soldiers were present
and talked over the battles Of the
civil war, and some remarkable
meetings of old friends took place.
F. NJ. Likes, Of the Valley Livery
stables, who was a major in the
civil war, met a member of his
regiment that he had not seen for
thirty-six years. Neither recog
nized the other until they had been
introduced by name, when the
recognition was mutual.
Nj. 4. Farwell read an address
delivered by his father at reunion
of old soldiers in Iowa, describing
the capture Of Columbia, S. C.,
the capital of the original seces-
sion state. He also exhibited d
Palmetto flag hauled down from
the state house at Columbia, Feb
ruary II, 1865, by Company Fl,
Thirtyfirst Iowa Volunteers, OF
which his father, S. S. Farwell,
was captain. The Palmetto flag
was the original flag Of the confed
eracy. 1t is of solid blue on which
is the Palmetto tree and crescent
The flag which was upon exhibi-
ton on this occasion is the only
one in existence and its value as a
relic OF the civil war cannot be es-
timated. The address read by
Mr.. Farwell was in part as follows:
No place in the south stirs up
more vivid memories than Colum-
bia, South Carolina, especially
among the soldiers who partici-
pated in its capture, Feb. II, 1905,
some OF whom are present with US
today. The birth place OF the re-
bellion, the capitol OF the original
secession state, rose in beauty
above the banks OF the Congaree
river, in front Of the union army
drawn up in line of battle only a
mile away. Moving upthe stream
above the point where the Saluda
and the Broad rivers unite and
form the Conagree, these streams
were crossed in the night in the
midst of intense anxiety and peril.
In the morning after sharp skir-
mish in which a number were
killed, the present owner of the
ground told me he had recently
discovered the grave OF one of
those men. The story is told in
Byer's History Of Iowa in war
times OF what followed.
The brigade was ready for
another advance when the cry,
"The white flag is coming" was
heard. Looking toward the city,
we beheld carriage approaching
bearing two large white flags.
Col. Stone advanced a little way
to meet it, and an. old man alight-
ing, announced that he was Mayor
of the city OF Columbia, and that
he came to surrender defenceless
city of old men, women and chill
dren into our hands. Col. Stone
accepted the surrender and taking
the 3Ist Iowa flag, unfolded it to
the breeze on the top of the car
riage over the mayors head. Then
forming his brigrade, which con-
sisted of the Fourth, Ninth Twen-
ty fifth and Thirty-frst Iowa regi-
ments, he started to occupy the
nest egg of the rebellion. Upon
entering the city, crowds of me-
groes US with the most extrava-
CANT expressions of Joy. AS we
advanced down the crowded street
the scene was simply indescrib-
able. On all sides were heard the