The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-05-04
LOUISVILLE REUNION NOTES.

LOUISVILLE hcUNluN NuiIo'
interesting Features OF n MeetihsoI
United confederate Veterans. To De
Held May 3Oth-June Srd.
Congressman John Allen. better
known as Private John Allen. Is
coming TO the Confederate Reunion
at Louisville. He is the u~nrivalled
storyteller.
One of the most interesting features
of the confederate reunion at Louis
VILE, KY, May 80, June 3. viii be the
appearance OF a company OF Cherokee
Indians. who will accompany the vet
Grams from North Carolina Thirty
fulIblooded red men will take part In
the great parade and participate In
the festivities OF the men who wore
the gray. For they, too, wore the
badge of the c~onfederacy and fought
bravely to defend it throughout the
great conflict.
The thirty Indians who will attend
the reunion are the SURVIVORS or the
famous Cherokee battalion on General
Thomas West North Carolina brigade.
The redskin were living in North
Carolina when the war broke out and
they followed in the steps of their COM
rades of the old southern state. They
resided on a reservation near Asheville.
which had been set apart for them
some years before the civil war. When
the exodus of the Cherokees to the
west began, those living in North
Carolina refused TO go. They were
satisfied with the Carolina country,
and in response to their appeal they
were granted the reservation which
they still occupy.
The record of the Cherokee brigade
is one of credit and distinction. They
were brave, hardy soldiers. In the
southern army there were a number
OF Indian regiments, including the
famous fighting Choctaws Of Missis-
sippi, but the Cherokees were the peer
of n of the fighting men,. They will
come to Louisville as part OF the
Fourth North Carolina brigade,
United Confederate Veterans. under
the of General F. NJ. Ray.
At the Louisville reunion a favor
lite feature will be the camp fire where
daring deeds will be detailed. Lieu
tenant General Stephen D. Lee recent
ly related one of the closest calls he
ever had as follows
1T is difficult for me to single out
the closest situation in which I was
found to death during the war. OF
course in all battles, like any soldier,
1 ran great risks. / can recall, how
ever. three occasions when an individ-
ual sharpshooter of the enemy took
deliberate aim at me al not over two
steps distance and missed me. One
of these occasions was at the battle of
Hills of Bakers creek. near
Vfcksburg, where I had three horses
shot under me in less than twenty
minutes, and riding under the crest
OF a hill a Federal sharpshooter on the
crest arose, took deliberte aim. and
shot at me. Another occasion in the
disastrous rout of Hoods army before
Nashville. when the lines gave way.
l rode to the left to see the extent OF
the rout just on my flank, and rode I'D
TO within twenty steps of a federal
sharpShooter. He brought his gun
DOWN on me. / told him not to shoot
that / was General Lee, supposine him
70 De-" - our own sh~arpshooters.
he fired and missed me and fred
three more shots at me on horseback
before L got out of range. On another
occasion in Virginia, while dn a cayal-
~ charge in command of the Fourth
virginia cavalry, a federal captain go
ing through a gate shut ii and as I
came against the gate on the opposite
side, he faced about and presented
MS pistol within three feet of nv
breast and the cap snapped. This was
on the old battle field of Malvern Hin
aIter the battle in a cavalry charge.
O@NaCIDll uuTlHE the 4QRaI L
made by General Grant on the
trenches Of vicksburg, May p. 1852
with Colonel Wall, of Texas. and hi.
ad)utant, / was directing the confed-
crate troops in repulsing the assauI,
Soioned Wallis adjutant was shot and
Killed: TWO days afterward during the
cessation Of hostilities for the huriaI
OF the federal dead lying in front OF
the trenches a captain in the federal
army came UP to me and said. Were
| you not one OF the three men alta pdin~
at that point during the assauIt i've
gay 8 and OF of the three was
killed. i replied yes He sa;d. ~
congratulate you on your narrow ..
ape seeing that the three were On
GERS, L caused my company Of a.
1 men 10 take deliberate aim ana g.
voley at the group and was astonisbad
"mgh Only OF the three fell
merely mention these several in
others" lecai many
Colonel Will s. Hays is organizing
He cnorus for the entertainment of
oH u ~onIederat visitors at the Louis
| yAIe confederate reunion. NAV IN.
June g. He win have picked voices
exceed from the choirs Of the colored
Snurcnes- Old-time darkey songs viii
De features. Colonel Hays has writ
ten a song, Come a Runnin'," espec-
| Laify Tor the occasion. The uIinois
CentraI railroad has printed 100. 00o
copies Of the song.
General George Norman. adtutant
general OF the United Confederate Vet
Grams, after a visit to Louisville XIV
reports that the plans are perfect ana
the reunion, May 30, June 3. viii he
an unsurpassed occasion.
A LYNcHING IN PROSPECT.