The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-12-26
THE GRAY PILGRIMS.
Lines Written by Confederate Vet eran Dedicated to His Comrades
 of the Lost Cause.

Written for the Memphis reuninon.l whence cometh all these Pilgrims in the pleas- and month of May? And wherefore do these aged men toward Memphis wend their way? With shrunken frames, and figures bent, and faces scared and old Seek they some Memphian Oracle. their fu- ture to unfold? These men are they who wore the gray in eighteen sxty-one; The future does not trouble then>-their duty $ Their hair is scant. their beards are gray. p,, their shoulders bent and round, hoary head hath crowned! It was not thus that they appeared some forty When health and strength were in their limbs, their veins with youth aglow. They firmly stood in serried ranks, each lad fin Gray attired Their eyes were bright. their muscles tense. their hearts with ardor fired. For when upon their mother-sOil the proud in Vader trod, Each eager rushed to meet the foe and free They heard the so1thiand's trumpet call and answered well the blast: The young, the old--they mustered all-each fearful he'd be last. Iris hard, indeed. to realize that these in this array, Are men who under Johnston. Lee and Jack son wore the Gray; For they're as small as common men! where as their deeds of old Would seem to say, Who wore the Gray were cast in giant mod'' And these same old. dccrepld men are some who in that day Of fearful fratricldai strife, did all that mor- tals may! They're gath'rin here in memory of a cause they loved full well; Perchance from their old feeble throats we'll hear the Rebel Yell." not rise in it did, forsooth; For Time has shrilled their vocal chords, while robbing them of youth; Nor will 1t voice the fierce. wild ire, born of the battles ragei Yet will 1t mark the patriot hre-their chill dren's heritage. But 'tis not age alone that aims the luster of Nor lung impaired that causeth them to utter muffled signs Their thoughts today are far away on They think of those they'll meet no more til Gabriel sounds his blast They think of those who with them faced the sleet of shot and shell. And drowned the roar of battle with ring Of those who. boys in point of age in point ''Nets'-- Who dauntless braved the Cannon's ncIth and feared no bayonets. They think Of those who. fighting. .ell with
  Of messy mounds on many fields where raliart comrades rest. Anon you'll hear a auiv'ring sigh escape some Pilgrim Gray, And furtive hand will seek the eye to brush q tear away. And when the Angel Gabriel sounds the final reveille, Assemble on the Colors, next the signal call will be,
 Then from mountain. plain and valley they will gather with their scars And they'll yell in joyful chorus underneath the Stars and Bars And thcy'n sing the song of Dixie as they form their last array, And their feet will beat the cadence as they march upon their way, And when good Saint Peter challenges as sentry at the Gates They'll proudly give the countersign: "Were EN-Confederates." " Then will jolly old Saint Peter give to each welcome hand Saying. "l have heard that heather gods the Titans did withstand: But 1 fear celestial ramparts wouldn't fare so very well. Should these Pilgrims Gray assail them with their old time" Rebel YelI''
 Il. MAURY GARRETT. Carthagc Miss.