The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1900-06-21
BILL ARP'S LETTER
Philosopher Has Good Things to
Say of Veterans.
ALSO PRAISES CITY OF LOUISVILLE.
Declares That Confederate Heroes Are
Deserving of the Highest
Respect and Love.


ion at Louisville. Nothing like it has
been witnessed since the close of the
civil war. 1t passeth comprehension.
This is Thursday, the second day, and
there are now here twice as many vete
rams as ever gathered anywhere. For
many years we were not allowed to
gather anywhere to jubilate, but now
we go where we please and say what
we please and voice our old Confeder-
ate sentiments and sing Dixie" and
unfuri our banners and even the boys
in blue join in the general hilarity. I
remember when General George Fl.
Thomas was here in 1865 and 1 have
preserved letter from him in which
he said we Romans must not exhibit
a Confederate flag any more in public
nor even keep one in private, for it
| was the emblem of treason and the
| punishment of treason was death.
Our Roman young men and maidens
| had used an old tattered banner in a
tableau exhibition that was given in
the city hall to raise little money to
| put back some pews in the city
| churches, for the Federals had taken
out the pews and used them for horse
| .roughs and used the churches for
provender. That old war stained ban
ner was the one our boys of the
Eighth Georgia regiment marched into
the first battle of Manassas with IN
der General Barlow and our young
people thought it no harm to place it
in dead soldiers, hand in tableau
scene of field after the battle. Then
we were allowed to think what we
please, but now we can say what we
please and do what we please and
there's no treason in it. What a
good doctor old Father Time is. Why
he was a Federal soldier who opened
the ball at Phenix hall last night and
gave a welcome to the veterans. Cap
blue, but he paid tribute to US and
spoke kind and loving words and
would put Us on the pension rolls il
he could. He is great big-hearted
gentleman, he is.
There are Al, 900 veterans here now
sure enough veterans who wore the
gray, and they are the Invest men in a
dead cause the world ever saw. There
are twice as many here as were in
Charleston last year. Captain Pirtle
said in his address of welcome: 1.-The
city is yours" and it is. Such hospi-
tality was never witnessed anywhere.
Just read the papers and it will amaze
You. There are veterans here in bust
| ness who entertain every one who is
left of their old regiments. Here is
Captain Norton, who went out from
Rome with the Light Guards, and has
| accumulated fortune here since the
war. He wrote letter to every sur
wing member Of the Eighth Georgia
regiment, urging them to come and tc
be his guests. l am proud to be one
of them, and Colonel Towers is here,
too, giving orders from these head.
quarters,
A year ago we were lamenting the
rapid passing of the Confederate vet.
Grams and we really feared we would
never more gather enough Of them to
make it interesting. But here they
have doubled in number and tribbled
in life and it can't be accounted for
unless the states have increased their
pensions. Money helps to prolong
life, no doubt of it. Georgia now
gives half a million year to her old
soldiers and they just keep living on
and on.
! Time cuts down all,
Both great and small,
Except a persioned soldier
| They do not die
But multiply
As fast as they grow older.
| 1t may be, however, that Louisville
has importuned and reached out her
generous hands so far and so wide and
been so lavish in her preparations to
receive them that they dropped every
thing and came. 1t was worth pill
| grimage to Mecca to hear DR.. Palmer's
great address-great is the word
great and grand. 1 want every son
and daughter of q Confederate veteran
to read it and feel inspired with Con-
federate pride. The truth is we have
| whipped this fight and the victory is
ours; after so long time we are slow
ly and surely killing off the ISLANDERS.
Barbara Freitchie and Sheridan's ride
are dead and buried. The fact has
been established that little Phil
Sheridan never rode at all-or if he
| did, he rode the other way-Gencral
Manning has settled that, and even the
northern press admits it. He is the
braggart who said he would make our
land so desolate the crows would have
TO carry their rations with them when
they flew over it.
But the crows dident. The south
is all right-no crows-no buzzards
and no carpet gers--thank The good
Lord for His mercies.
AS we iourneyed hither the boys
joined us all along the line. They
came with shout of hilarity, "All
aboard for Louisville" Car after car
was attached at the country towns
and railroad functions, and before we
reached Chattanooga there were twelve
- f,,D G