The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1901-07-12

COM aiming the pictures of Gen'ls Fl'z
Lee and Joe Wheeler was fired. THIS
was signal for applause from the
thousands Witnessing the sight. Then
like two pugnacious bulls the Merri-
mac and the Congress began to
'sidle around as one fellow express
cd it and furious naval battle be-
tween these water giants began. The
f ING WAS swifl and furious. At the
fae'. II their guns the whole water
front of the city was illuminated,
while the deep toned roar reminded
US of the realities of war. The land
batteries took "a part in the game
and >hells few through the air burst
ing IN every direction. This was a
magnificent sight aud | only regret
that very reader of The TINES
could not have been present and wit.
messed it. There is sublmity in
naval battle that no pen can picture
or imagination rightly conceive. The
ei 4uc''t roar # guns and the poetic
di- play of shells rs they dart through
The sky on their MISSION is grand.
So is also that of an artillery duel on
land Fer several minutes these
wnr vessels We're the focus for quar-
'er million # eyes or perhaps more,
Nrr everybody WAS in sight of tat
one p'int or auother,) The railroad
brid- e two miles below afforded y
frr opportunity to take BIRDS eye
view flt.
Nor was all Tho tnmult confined
to h tisntlng f this milnlc battle.
The air was filled with fire and every
boa, rang its bell while the engine
WHISTLES joined in the chorus. The
noise was deafen'ng hut the battle
went on in ts fury till at last the
Congress took fire and threw up zig
nails of dist,,ss aud the firing ceased
on botn sides-the barule was over.
During This pyr"technic display
of fire wvrks fu!ly 1000 rockets went
iuto the air. Sometimes the devices
contained the portrait of Jefferson
Davis, Gem, rails F"rreSt, Lee or
Goriun. }. B. Often we could see
L. G. VS. or some other faI.lliar
symbol Of the reunion festivities.
Sometimes long l,nc Of lights would
remain perfectly still in the sky rs f
they had been STATIONED there By a
divine hand. then suddenly taking
some'sault they would represent "a
half dozen familiar ohjec's before
going out or reaching the water or
ground.
Sometimes Roman bomhshell
would come over as if it was going
to light in the crowd on the bluff and
b. f,re coming down 10 the ground
would burst seal 'tering women,
children aod men who would squat
and Dodge to keep ont of it's reach.
This was a source of much merriment
for the gunncrs on the boats as well
as the undisturbed on the land
At one time rocket went up to
an attitude of perhaps 300 feet when
suddenly itexploded aud revealed the
name r. E Lee, A. N. ". followed
by another, N. B. Forrest then
another, j. E. Johnson and finally
Winnie Davis.
Nothing could be more pleasing
to lovers of the fine art than those
figures and forms growing out of the
manipulated designs brought into the
pyrotechnical display on the Missis-
sippi river on the night of May 20,
1901. Its like has never bren seen
before by many of US and to many of
whom it will never appear again.
About the close of the reunion Es.
tivities we had perfect ''love feast
in the parlor of our h"m, in tn" city
where we were joined by a number
of comrades and our hos and h " ess
did all in their power to make the oc-
casion a pleasant one { II IL. ant made
us feel that it was a reunion in fact
as well as in name. Ken'uckv, Ten.
nessee, Maryland, Virginia, Georgia