Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-02
VETERANS IN A TURMOIL
Ex-CONFEDERATEs AT LOUISVILLE
DISCUSS sICKLEs' REMARKS.
One Faction Opposed COngratulatory
Reply, but Were Voted Down
Flag Incident.

The tenth annual reunion of the United
| Confederate Veterans. which has been in
| session in Louisville for several days past,
adjourned sine die at 6 o'clock last night.
| The meeting of 1901 will be held in Mem
| phis. Three cities were competitors for
the honor Of entertaining the veterans next
! year. The final vote showed for Memphis.
520 votes; Jacksonville, 256; Buffalo, %.
| A vote of thanks was extended for the
| kind invitation of Buffalo.
All the officers of the association were
elected by reclamation. The list is as fol-
| lows:
General commanding General John B.
| Gordon.
| Lieutenant general. Wade Hampton. army
of northern" Virginia, department COM
mander.
Lieutenant general. S. D. Lee command
ing army of Tennessee department
Lieutenant general, W. L. Cabell, COM
handing transmtssissppi department
The last session of the convention was
| confined entirely to the vote the place
for the next convention, and was prac
ticaily devoid of incident, but the latter
part of the morning session was full of
excitement. For upward of half an hour
the convention was in uproar and in
state of great excitement and confusion.
The trouble arose at the conclusion of
the presentation of the report of the COM
mittee resolutions A resolution had
been incorporated in the report, which
had been presented by w. H. Burgynn of
North Carolina. to the effect that the
convention of Confederate Veterans rec
ognized with appreciation the language
Of Gen. Daniel L. Sickles the orator of
the annual reunion of the Army of the
Potomac at Fredericksburg. in which he
had mentioned most kindly the men of
the confederacy, and the resolution said
the confederates reciprocated the feeling
shown toward them by the men of the
Army of the Potomac.
General Gordon put the question on the
adoption of the report. There was
chorus of ayes" and when he called for
the the, vote in the negative. he said quickly.
The ayes have it." After he had an
ncunced the vote there came a few cries
OF no General Gordon said:
Il did not think there would be any neg
alive votes on such a question. but as
there We're some after 1 declared the vote
l viii now resubmit it,
The author of the resolution took the
floor to speak in behalf of the resolution,
and made a strong plea for its adoption.
He said he had been present at the meet
ing at Fredericksburg and had heard the
kindly sentiments expressed by the soldiers
of the north and he desired the passage
of the resolution merely a matter of
courtesy. Col. ]. H. Shepherd of Rich
mond. Va. secured the floor and said:
Il want no coquetting with the Yankees
accept anything from their hands; don't
accept anything from Union soldiers. Vote
1t down. comrades; vote it DOWN.
Instantly there was a terrific uproar.
Dozens of delegates were on their feet de-
handing recognition from the chair. Rev.
William f. Hill of Mississippi secured the
eye of the chairman. He read again the
resolution and strongly urged its adoption
saying that the man who would vote against
1t was not worthy the name of soldier
Gen. S. D: Lee also urged the adoption of
the resolution. AS he concluded Col. Shep-
herd came to the front Of the platform and
cried: Vote it down! Vote 1t down. He
sit down."
Mr.. W. L. De Rossett of North Carolina
declared he was the only member of the
committee on resolutions who had opposed
the adoption Of the resolution. He was
against 1t for the reason that he thought
they should not take action until they had
received official notice of the action taken
by the Army Of the Potomac. To adopt it
now he considered humiliation of the con-
federate association.
The uproar was now something tremen-
dous. men by the dozen shouting to attract
the attention Of the chair. calling "Vote,'
Question" NO" Eyes" and Gordon
Gordon"
Besides this, there were shouts from a
great many who did nothing else. Others
added to the din by cheering the speech of
/ some delegate close to them whose re-
marks were inaudible to all but those with
In few feet of him. Gen. Gordon finally
restored order and in response to the call
smile on his face and said:
It trust the time will never come while
stand on southern ground or among the
chivalrous men of the south when I will
refuse to send kindly message to an
enemy.
81 know the sender of this message. On
the heights Of Gettysburg he stood gal
lantly in front of my lines, and it was our
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 it was adopted with
roar Of assent. Gen. Lyon of Kentucky
moved that the resolution be- reconsidered,
and a motion to table came on the heels OF
his original motion. The motion to table,
was lost.
The motion to have only the confederate
flag in the Sons of Veterans division Of the
parade which the veterans had previously
refused to lay on the table, did not come
up. the delegates by common consent al
lowing the flag question to be settled by
the committee OF veterans. which had the