Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1901-05-29


to State and City.
MEMPHIS, May %. - Although the
hour for calling the convention of the
United Confederate Veterans to order
was 10 a. m, according to the program,
it was 90 minutes later than that time
when General George w. Gordon of
Memphis raped his desk with a gavel
made of wood taken from tree which
shaded the favorite seat of Jefferson
Davis at Beauvoir, Miss.
"You will please rise, comrades, " he
said, "while our chaplain-in-chief de-
hvers the invocation.
The Rev. J. William Jones Of Rich
Inond, Va, then advanced to the front
of the rostrum, and, while the veterans
stood bareheaded, prayed as follows:
Eloquent Invocation.
"Oh, God! our help in ages past, our
hope for years to come-God of Israel,
God of Abraham, Isaac and jacob
God of the centuries-God of our IA
thers-God Of Jefferson Davis, Sidney
Johnston, Robert Lee and Stonewall
Jackson-Lord of hosts and GOD of bat
tleS-GOd of our common country-God
of our sOuthland-Our GOdl We bring
Thee alteration and praise of grateful
hearts as we gather i'll reunion today.
eve thank Thee that Thou didst pre-
serve our lives amidst the leaden and
iron hail of battle, in the lOathsome
hospitals and III the hated prison, and
that while so many OF our comrades fell
in those dark days or have stepped out
OF the ranks in the years since, we have
been spared and are here today to greet
each other once more in the flesh before
we, too, shall cross over the river.
"And now, 0 God, we beseech Thee
that richest blessings may come down
upon and abide with this meeting.
''Bless our beloved commander and
all of our officers and all Of these dele
gates. Graciously y preside over this vast
assembly and let nothing be said or
done which Thou wilt not approve. And
we beseech Thee, O Lord, that Thou
wilt bless all of our confederate veterans
wherever they may be today. Make
them III the future as they have been in
the past-true to the duty of the hour
aAd good citizens of our common coun-
try. But, forbid, o God, that they
should ever forget the past or fail to
teach their children the great principles
fathers established and for which we
fought in the brave old days of '61-'65.
"May our loving Father graciously
provide for our needy comrades, their
widows and orphans, and so smile upon
and prosper our southland that we may
have the sweet privilege of caring for
them in a proper way.
''And, now, 0 Lord, we beseech Thee
to bless thy servant, the president of
the United States, and all in authority
under him, that we may have wise laws
and good government.
eve thank Thee that Thou hast
raised up from her bed of illness the
wife of our president, and we pray that
the Great Physician may restore her to
even more than her accustomed health
and strength.
eve pray Thy blessing upon every
section of our common country-that
disease and danger and death may be
warded off from the people; that there
may be fruitful seasons, plenteous har-
vests and business prosperity; but,
above all, that ours may be i'll reality,
and not merely in name, a Christian
land, and that the great problems now
before US or that may arise during this
twentieth century upon which we have
entered may be properly served by the
great solvent Of the ages-the passing
of time.
Clear, 0, we beseech Thee, this, our
opening prayer, ana grant these petit
tion. Pardon, for Jesus sake, our many
sins; make US all true soldiers of the
cross; sanctify and save US, since we
ask and offer all in the name and for
the sake of Christ, dear Redeemer, the
great captain of our salvation. Amen!"
Welcomed to Tennessee.
At the conclusion of the prayer Gen.
eral Gordon introduced Governor Nc.
MILAN of Tennessee, who welcomed the
delegates in behalf Of the state.
Governor Mcmillan gave a most
hearty welcome to the visitors of the
city, and his address was received with
every manifestation of approval He
complimented the men of the south on
their glorious record in the war and de-
plored the fact that so many of the glo-
rious band had passed away. Cheer
after cheer greeted the governor as he
resumed his scat.
Mayor Williams of the city of Mem.
phis was next introduced by General
Gordon and extended to the visitors the
welcome of the city of Memphis.
The greetings of the Memphis vet
Grams and executive committee of the
citizens of Memphis were extended by
former United States Senator T. B.
Turley.
Senator Turley opened his address by
declaring his pleasure at the duty that
had devolved on him of extending the
greetings of the citizens of Memphis.
Among the citizens, he said, were many
who during the war had placed their
sympathy and resources against the
cause Of the confederacy. To these cit.
izens of Memphis who had opposed the
south during the war much of the sue.
cess OF ths reunion was due,
His announcement of the part taken
in the work by the federal spmpathizers
was greeted with repeated cheers.
The senator expressed again, in clos
ing his address, the great qualification
Of the veterans of Memphis and mem
bers of the executive committee in meet
ing the old soldiers of the south
Chairman Gordon then, in a happy
little speech, admirably delivered. con-
Quoted forward Hon. Timothy E. Cooper
of Mississippi, who extended a welcome
to the Daughters of the Confederacv.
the Confederated Southern Memorial
associations and to the representatives
of the Jefferson Davis Monument asso.
Citations.
Fitzhugh Lee.
While Colonel Young was in the
midst OF his address, the form Of Gen
eral Fitzhugh Lee was seen as the gen.
eral plowed his way through the crowd
on his way to the platform. He was
greeted with warm cheers as he steDped