The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-05-26
INARYE'S HEIGHTS
WERE ST0RNED
Vets of the Blue Take
Fredericksburg.
NJ 'KINLEY WAS THERE.
Society of Army Of Potomac Meet on
Confederate Soil.
SPEECH OF GENERAL SlCkLESr
He SPOKE of the Complete acconci;ia-
tion Between the Two Sections.
Cornerstone Laid to Monu-
ncnt to Members of the
Fifth Army Corps.
Coming Hcrc.
SPEECH OF GENERAL SlCKLESr

FREDERICKSBURG, VA, May 25-
Spectator the first time since the close
OF the Civil War, the Society OF the Army
of the Potomac is in session south OF the
Potomac river. in the heart OF the former
Confederacy. The veterans began 10
gather last night and to-day historic
Fredericksburg resounds with the tramp
Of the boys who wore the blue, while the
guests of the society, and, in fact. every
visitor, finds nothing to remind him that
he is among the one-time enemies, except
the unhounded hospitality that always
characterizes the people of the Old Domin-
ion, ana especially the people OF Freder-
icksburg. Bedecked with national colors,
with old Glory floating TO the southern
breeZes, the city welcomes It's Vlsitofs
warmly and cordially.
PRESIDENT THERE.
The President of the United States has
rejooed the hearts of his old comrades
by his presence on this occasion. MI.
Mckinley, together with the members OF
his Cabinet, arrived here about Ii a. NJ
and was met at the Depot by the various
committees, members of the Society ol
the Army of the Potomac and citizens. a
tremendous crowd was d the station when
the presidential train pulled in.
He was given an enthusiastic ovation.
After some little delay, the parade was
formed, in charge Of Colonel e. B. Cole,
chief marshal and his aides-A. w. EN-
brey, q. P. Rowe, Jr, and w. j. Jacobs
With music furnished by the Marine
Band, which accompanied the President,
and Bowering's Band, Of this city, the
President was escorted to the courthouse,
where the exercises of the society were
formally opened, after welcoming speeches
by Governor j. Hose Tyler, on the part
of Virginia, and Mr.. ST. George r. Fitz-
hugh, acting in the same capacity for the
city. Hon. Martin T. McA1ahon presided,
GOVERNOR APPLAUDED.
Governor Tylerts remarks We're warmly
greeted, ana he was most cordia! in his
invitation to the society to meetin Vir-
ginia as often as they chose, and he guar
anteed the Hospitality OF its people.
Mr.. Fitzhugh spoke in happy vein,
eloquenty referring to the end of ell sec
tiona feeling between North and South,
and gracefully paying high tribute to the
visitors.
At the conclusion of Mr. Fitzhughs re-
marks General Daniel e, Sicl1les, of New
York. the orator of the OCCASION was in
troduced, and after acknowledging the
applause that greeted him, spoke first of
the hospitalities of the city of Freder-
icksburg and expressed on the part OF the
Society his appreciation of same, after
humorously referring to the difficulties he
experienced in 1862 upon attempting to
visit the city.
RECONCILIATION COMPLETE.
General Sickles in the following eloquent
words touched on the completed restored
friendship between the North and the
South:
THE Society of the Army of the poto-
mac is not here to-day to fight its battles
DER AGAIN. | shall fail to give just eN-
preston to the sentiments of my comrades
if / revive the asperities Which divided the
Old North from the Old South and do
not appeal to the broader and better SYM
pathies which have restored fraternal ties
among former adversaries. II it be true
that the world has never seen such a
gigantic conflict between people of the
same nationality as that which severed
the North and South within the memory
Of millions of survivors, it is equally re-
markable that history chronicles no exam
pie OF reconciliation SO spontaneous. so
prompt, and SO complete as was shown
by the Spanish-American war to have fol-
lowed the civil strife that shook this con-
tinent only a generation ago. AS Colonel
Dumas said to Claude Menotte: 1t Is as
tonshing how much l like a man after I
have fought him.?
PRECIOUS MEMORIES.
fredericksburg is consecrated by pre-
cious historical memories. It was the
home of the mother of Washingt ton, TO
whom a graceful monument has been
erected here by the Daughters of the
Revolution. Here Washington spent his
boyhood From here he went to join the
Army of Braddock and began the career
that made him immortal. Almost in sight
of your steeples were born some of the
foremost men of this country-Jefferson,
Madison, Monroe. General r. E. Lee and
General Zachary Taylor, Within small
area near the spot where we are seated.
are the great hattlefieIds of F'redericks-
burg. Charlottesville, Spotsylvania and
the Wilderness, where more men fought
and fell than upon any space of equal di-
mensions on the face of the earth. These
famous battle-groundS should be made a
National Military Park. Let all the dead
be- gathered in one common cemetery,
where they may lie forever in peaceful
su.nber, honored by the citizens Of
common country, now reunited and in
separable, as memorial of a reconclia-
ton which has made US one pecple-un-
der one flas-under one Constituton-un-
der one God.
General Sick!es continued at some
length making a speech which secured
him warm congrat atulations on every side.
VIRGINIA LUNCH.
At the conclusion Of General Sic1les'
address the meeting was dismissed. AID
the parade forming again, the Society
adjourned to the Opera House, where a
handsome lunch was served in Virginia
style by a committee Of forty ladies' The
tables and Opera House were beautifully
decorated with flags and flowers in pro-
fusion, and the guests were served by
twenty colored walters.
At 2:ao O'Clock a public reception was
held by the President at the handsome
residence of Mr.. ST. George r. Fitzhush.
a large number of the society calling.
with many prominent citizens. The Pres
ident then drove to Aaryes Heights.
where the old colonial mansion, now The
home of Captain NJ B. Rowe and family.
was handsomely decorated, and after