The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-04-04
Col. Brailsford Not Pleased, But Makes Z
Good Suggestion.

Editor The Manning Times:
Your inquiring in last weeks issue
as TO what is being done to represcn,
"Camp Harry Benbow'' at the ap
proaching general Reunion to take
place on May Both, at Louisville. KY.
furnishes me with the opportunity OF
stating our status as to that meeting.
The date selected for that meeting
virtually forbids the attendance of the
agricultural clases and was chosen il
Difference to the convenienceS and In
terests of the commercial classes as be.
ing more desirable element to enter
tain, less likely to claim Louisville
hospitality and with much more money
to spend This is not the first occasion
that this discrimination has been made.
are toiling for dear ones and heroically
striving TO defend them against shy
locks and famine. and if the rule of the
ma jority are TO govern. surely their
convenience should have been the first
consideration.
To call our Camp to assemble at the
court house just now would be most in
conSiderate in view of the rush we are
making to recover lost ground from wet
days and late spring would very nat
uraily and eXcusably result in beg
gardly array of empty benches. | am
satisfied there is not a member of our
Camp that anticipates going to Louis
vile. Should there be such lone in
dividual he can call upon Hon. Geo. r.
Jones, secretary and treasurer, for a
certificate of membership emitting him
to all the hospitality dispensed on the
occasion.
1t impresSes me that the Veterans are
rapidly realizing that these general Re-
unions are gotten up in the interests Of
the cities and railroads. and with no
purpose to do them special honor, for
their car fare, hack and hotel expenses
are precisely that of any dude or drum
mer. 1t IS true that the absolutely des-
titute are herded together and fed up
on rough and cold rations with the
view of increasing the grand procession
of heroes, who are then marched for
hours through the streets often under
4 blazing sun to be stared out of cOun-
tenance by a stupid crowd, the majority
of whom feels no more interest in them
than they would in a circus procession.
These grand Reunions mean a half mil
lion dollars to any city that secures it.:
hence their patriotic desire and hot
fights to obtain it. No. the Confederate
boys are getting at stage OF Juvenlllty
and they can't afford to subject them
selves to the fatigues, discomforts and
exposure of these mammoth meetings
called Reunions, but composed of two
thirds citizens out on cheap excursion.
I am sure | but voice the sentiment
Of the veterans, when | say we have no
desire now to go beyond the confines of
cur State to attend reunions. Our ac
uuaintance with troops from other
States are but limited. and this idea Of
mobilizing thousands of old soldiers
unknown to each other is the outcome
of selfish greed, and mercenary motives
and never reflected our wishes.
Our State reunions are most congo
NAL to us for we look into the brave
faces of men who touched elbows with
US in the deadly charge, and when we
fell bore us bleeding to the rear. These
reunions should be rron the tented
field, and it is my desire to have passed
at the next session of the Legislature a
bill authorizing the Governor to in
struct the Adjutant General to select
a suitable spot upon q mountain stream
remote from any town, and upon the 1st.
Monday in August of every alternate
year erect thereon sufficient number
of tents to accommodate all State veter-
ans. cooking untensilS and corded wood
to be supplied on the grounds. The
tents to be erected in brigade formation
and posted so that one can readily find
his friends.
To see the boys under canvas once
more would be realization indeed.
free to sing his war songs, throw off his
coat. kick off his shoes and pretend he
hasn't got any cares as Of yore, and
smoke his pipe by the camp fire far
away from the dust and confusion of a
city and the fear of the trolley car run
ming over them Their mesSes would
be organized by correspondence, and
coops of chickens. bags of home cured
hams and buckets of butter forwarded
to chief of mess. Soldiers would again
break bread together, drink out of the
same canteen and served by the same
faithful cooks in many instances.
D. W. BRAILSFORD,
f,o,,,,,o,5;po, Ca,,n HarrI- Ron boU