The Savannah morning news., 1900-07-29
ECHOES OF BLUE AND GRAY.
GOOD ENTERTAINMENT BUT 1T
HAD ITS DEFECTS.

4Nt NltSN ma -Ae-AtiAANf ieh-t S@4S
2S.-Wen, the grand Blue and Gray re-
union is over and Atlanta has scored an
mother ''bullseye." And yet, with all the
good things that can be said of the af-
fair. 1t had its serious defects. Atlanta
is young city. without the old culture
of Macon. Augusta or Savannah. and there
are many things that she must yet learn
before she can become an "up-to-date'
entertainer. Money is not the only thing
needed to give success to such functions.
There was, apparently. lack of general
interest In the movement, as only few
/ buildings, public or private, were decorat-
ed. The few distinguished visitors, how
ever, were pretty well looked after, ard
evidently had a good time. The camp fire
at the Grand Opera House was the big
gest thing of the kind ever seen in Amer
lea. The body of that immense building,
| ground floor to topmost ceiling, was pack
ed several hundred ladies and a great
many more gentlemen standing during the
! entire exercises. The stage was filled with
! distinguished soldiers of the Blue and the
! Gray, while the private boxes were brill
/ liant with Atlantas loveliest ladies'.
The oldest-looking and feeblest of the
/ generals present was Maj. Gen. Samuel G.
| French c. S. A, now of Pensacola, Fla
/ but he was not really the oldest, that
! honor going to Lieut. Gen. Alexander p.
| Stewart, c. S. A, now of the National
| Military Park, at Chickamauga There
were four old West Pointers in the group
! of generals-Stewart, who was a Ten
| nesseean, a graduate of 1912 into the ar
tillery, but who resigned in 1S45; French
| of New Jersey who graduated into the
| artillery in 1913 a classmate of Gen
| U. s. Grant, but resigned in 1856; Mai
| Gen. Thomas j. Wood, L. S. A, of Ken
| lucky, who graduated into the topograph-
| ical engineers in 1910, but later on was
| transferred to the Dragons, and is now
on the retired list; Maj. Gen. Oliver o.
! Howard, L. S. A, of Maine, who gradu-
ated in 1854 into the ordnance department.,
| and is now on 4he retired list. French is
very feeble Howard, but for loss of his
right arm seems as active as ever, while
| Wood, although aged, is socially as live
| ~ as a cricket, but Stewart, without any
signs of old age, is as quiet and solemn
as an owl.
The absence of many general officers
of both armies was quite a surprise,
Gems. Gordon, Stewart and French being
the only Confederates. while Howard,
Wood, Warner and Beckinridge repre-
! sented the Union soldiers. Maj. Gen.
willard Warner, now of Chattanooga,
was a volunteer officer on Gen. Sher-
mans staff, while Maj. Gen. Joseph E.
| Breckenridge came into the army from
! Kentucky, as a lieutenant in 1861, and
won several brevets for gallant conduct
in the Atlanta campaigns He is now
| inspector general of the army, and was
major general of volunteers in the Span
| ish-Amercan War. Gen. Albert D. Shaw
and Gen. w. c. Johnson of New York
and Ohio, respectively, are generals only
as commanders-in-chi of the Grand
Army of the Republic, the former having
| succeeded the latter Gen. S. G. French,
formerly of Winter Park, and brigade
commander of the United Confederate
Veterans, and Col S. Herbert Lancey Of
| Maitland, special aide to Gen. Shaw, OF
the Grand Army of the Republic, were
the only Florida representatives. present
on the platform.
Among the abse ntees who were expected
were that grim old warrior, Maj. Gen. Da-
vid S Stanley, L. S. A; Brig. Gen. Glenn
eut A. Evans, c. S A; Lieut.. Gen. John
NJ. Scho,feld. L. S. A; Brig. Gen. NJ. I.
Ludington rs. A. and Brig. Gen. JOS
| eph Wheeler, L. S. A. but formerly c. s.
| A, Just now Gen. Wheeler is very busy
| getting troops ready for the China cam
| paign and this alone kept him away from
| his old comrades of Whee!er's Cavalry
| Camp. present IN command Oh OOl.
| Rrevet Brig Gen. John S. Prather. Hap
pily the old cavalrymen were given
rare treat at The studio of Hal Morrison,
the well-knowp artist, where Mrs. Minnie
Love Harvey daughter of the late Dr.
VIM Abram Love, the eminent Mason
had on exhibition her excellent portrait
of Gen. Wheeler in his Confederate uni
form during the Civil War Mrs. Harvey
is a gifted artist as we'll a charming
81
fearful eyes, paid tribute to her excel
lent portraiture of their beloved com
mander.
Al the camp fire on Thursday night,
the star speakers introduced by Col. W..
A. Hemphill, the genial presiding officer,
were Gen. John B. Gordon, commander
of the United Confederate Veterans, and
Gen. Albert D. Shaw, commander of the
Grand Army of the Republic both of
them being greeted with a storm of APP
plause. and made splendid addresses.
These were, however, prefaced by most
fervent and eloquent prayer by Rev. Dr..
w. W. Landrum, of ehe First Baptist
Church.
The fun of the evening commenced
when Col. Hemphill, in introducing Gen.
]. C. Breckinridge, said his brother. Col
w. c. 2. breckenridge. fought on the
Gray side and was captured by the Cen
eral in the Atlanta campaign. The audi
ence made a vigorous and prolonged
call for the Colonel to come forward and
stand by his brothers side-the Blue and
the Gray, in fact-but he declined. remark
ing that his brother was too handsome
man for him to be matched with. But
when Col. Breckenridge followed his
brother he fairly took the audience "off
its feet" or seats, by his thrilling and
! graceful oratory. There were many sub
lime sentences that were heartily APP
plauded, and when he proposed to stop
cries of go on, go on" came from ell
| parts of the house. And the same thing
occurred at the barbecue on the day fol-
| lowing.
But the winding up was the most inspir
ing Of anything in the reunion line .yet
| witnessed. Six of the Confederate veterans
came on the stage to sing an original COM
position. I'VE are old-time Confederates
they are good enough for me-" Seated
| next to me was Gen. O. O. Howard. who
had made an excellent speech during the
evening, and as the song progressed he
seemed to become deeply enthused. and
when the singers came to the verse. Now
our oountrys united-It's good enough for
me-" and then. I'VE are all now Ameri-
cans-That's good enough for me"-a
broad happy smile spread over the old
warriors face; but when Capt. Tip"
Harrison, the leader of the band, turned
around and gracefully waving his hand
in our direction, started the last verse