Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1900-06-05
coniederate ponnioIi.

vile, KY, last week, was great big,
grand affair, notwithstanding an almost
continuous downpour of rain. which ne
cessitated striking from the programme
allfeatures of outdoor entertainment for
which preparation had been made ON an
immense scale. The veterans, were there
in immense numbers. the people of Louis
vile did the handsome thing, the city
was brilliant in electric display and dec
orations, and good fellowship was on
every hand.
At the opening of the reunion meeting
General Gordon made abandsome speech
and Rev. DR.. B. NJ. Palmer. OF New Or
leans. delivered an eloquent Grafton
Dixie, . e Old Kentucky Home - and
other tunes were rendered, the speeches
made and the roof almost lifted, when, as
the Courier Journal says, Gen, Gordon
stepped to the front of the stage and
yelled
Boys, you who cars sing Aud
Lang Syne.
Buried somewhere in the heart of the
crowd near the stage bugler blew a
shrill blare as prelude Instantly ten
thousand men and women rose to their
feet as If they had been drilled to rise
simultaneously.
Should dear old comrades be forgot.
| And never brought to mind7"
1t was like the roar of vast herd of
buffalolstampeded on the plains: The
sound rose and fell like the sea during
storm. High above the crowd. standing
on the balcony near tfierail at the western
end of the hall was a girl clad in crimson
and white. and above all that grand
powerful roar of melody her beautiful al
to voice rang out clearly and distinctly.
ITO join in blessed memories
OF days of auld lang syne.''
On the left and on the right men and
women were weeping. They made no
attempt to hide their tears, nor was there
any need for hiding. They held to each
others arms and sang or tried to sing of
Where we may reunite,
With Morgan, Sidney Johnston, Helm,
And all who wore the gray.
1t was scene long to be remembered
by all who saw or heard, and not one of
those grizzled warriors will ever forget
/ While the bands played Dixie and 1o,-
900 soldiers who wore the gray stood and
yelled and waved their hats, hands and
handkerchiefs, Gen. John B. Gordon was
elected Commander-in-Chief to serve
another year. The other officers of the
association were also reelected.
At the opening of Thursdays session
Gen. Gordon asked that the veterans
stand and sing "All Hail the Power of
Jesus Name" The vast. gathering rose
as one man and the thousands of voices
in accord seemed to shake the big hall.
An attempt to defeat clause in the
resolutions which commended and recip-
rocated recent utterances by Gen. Daniel
E. Sickles at Grand Army gathering on
Southern soil was Overwhelmingly de-
feated. Leading survivors of the Con-
federacy, one and all, begged that no old
wounds be reopened and that sectional
ism be left to molderi in the grave to which
it was confded two years ago, when hos
tIllties with Spain broke out.
In an argument favoring the adoption
of the clause in theresolutions expressing
kindly feelings to General Sickles and
the Army of the Potomac, Rev. w. E.
Hill, formerly of Virginia, but now of
Mississippi, made plea for the adoption
of the paragraph, and ]. H. Shepherd,
of Richmond, was one of the few who
fought it.
Gen. Gordon was loudly called for, and
came to the front aud said; e 1 trust the
time will never come while stand on
Southern ground. or among the chival-
rous men of the South. when will refuse
to send kindly message to an enemy.
know the sender of this message. On
the heights of Gettysburg he stood gal
lantly in front of my lines, and it was my
bullets that sent him to the rear with a
leg off. For me, am going to recipro-
cate the kindly message of the Northern
soldier"
Wild cheers greeted this declaration.
The question was put, and in was adopted
with a roarot assent.
But at no time was the applause
louder than when announcement was
made that the promised 800, 600 contri-
button of Charles Broadway Rouss of
New York, to the Battle Abbey fund, had
been authorized to be drawn from bank
by the generous donor.
Gen. Gordon interrupted the reading
of the Battle Abby report at the letter of
Charles Broadway Rouss, by asking that
the greetings of the veterans be sent to
this blind, generous friend of the Con-
federacy who gave 500. 900 to the Me-
mortal Association. The vast crowd re-
sponded with a rising vote and with ring
ing cheers.
Among the resolutions adopted was
one declaring that hereafter, in speaking
of the war between the United States
and the Confederate States the conflict
shall be designated as the war between
the States.
A. J. Smith, one-armed Federal vet
eran, of New York. amid wild cheers, in
vited the veterans to meet next year in
Buffalo. The invitation was courteouslv
declined and resolution of kindly ap-
probation in response to it adopted.-
Memphis, Tenn, was selected as the
next place of meeting.
About $4,000 was contributed for the
Jefferson Davis monument.
The mammoth ball Thursday night