The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-05-31
/. WILMINGTON, N c., FRIDAY, MAY 81, 1901.

appearance were 1ntenS1ne0 ten fold.
There were loud calls for a speech from
General Wheeler and he expressed his
thanks for the welcome accorded him.
He paid an eloquent tribute to the valor
of the men OF the south.
There were loud calls for Fitzhugh
Lee and that general who was intro
duced by General Gordon as modest
youth who had grown into a modest
man. delivered q short speech, filed
with pfthy drives at the modesty OF the
infantry, in which General Gordon
served. He concluded his speech by
telling a story Of a colored man at
tached to Longstreet's corps who RI
ways sought a place Of safety during
battles by hunting up 1.-The place where
the generals We're" 81 admit that the
generals were in a safe place." said
General Gordon. ''for in front of them
was a wall of valiant privates which
was seldom broken.
"I have the pleasure now of intro
ducing to you general who did not re-
main always in a safe place, for he was
shot into mircemeat- l have the
pleasure and honor of introducing to
you General William Bate. OF Tennes-
see"
General Bate spoke briefly.
After the membership of the COM
mittees had been announced the con-
vention adjourned until tomorrow.
There were 2,305 members of the
United Confederate Veterans, repre-
senting 1881 camps of the organization
present in the hall this morning. Sew
eral delegations arrived too late to par
ticipate in the opening session of the
convention. but 1T is expected that when
the gathering comes to order tomorrow
morning there will be fully $500 old
soldiers in attendance.
Although the convention in point of
oil
spects was a most brilliant success,
the weather put a damper on the one
feature of the reunion, which Men,
phis had arranged with especial care
and pride. This was the great floral
parade, which, owing to the threaten
ing clouds and muddy streets in the
outskirts of the city was postponed
until tomorrow.
Last night there was heavy fall
of rain and two small showers occurred
just before noon. The ladies having
in charge the arrangements for the
parade declined TO proceed with their
programme, Notwithstanding the urg-
ings of a number of the committee
men. The ladies asserted that in as
much as they had spent so much time
and labor in their preparations they
could not have the decorated vehicles
moved from the outskirts of the city,
where many of them have been pre-
pared, along the muddy streets through
which they would be compelled to pass
before they could reach the down town
streets.
The exhibition of fireworks on the
Mississippi river was also postponed
until tomorrow night.
Before the meeting of the convention
in Confederate hall the Ladies' Memoir
ial Association signalized the first day
of the reunion by holding in Cavalry
church a memorial meeting for Jeffer-
son Davis. The exercises comprised
the rendering of several hymns and of
Roosini's "Infiammatus'' by the Cal
vary church choir and memorial ad-
dress by Bishop-T -Tl1emas G. Gailor.
The great convention hall was the
centre of an enormous crowd for nearly
two hours before the hour set for the
commencement of the exercises. The
interior of the hall was a thing of
beauty. the excellent work of the decor
ators being shown in all It's merit.
The exercises were almost entirely con-
fined to the welcoming addresses, the
completion of permanent organization
and the appointment Of the committees
on resolutions and credentials.