The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-05-11
GATHERING OF The GRAY
The War Events Of Governor Ellis
Administration.
TRIBUTE TO THE CONFEDERATE SOLDIER
The Annual Meeting and Roll Call Of lhe Wake
County Veterans. New Members En-
rolled and Lunch Served 70
Visitors,
Visitors.
Yesterday was Memorial Day.

Yesterday was Memorial Day.
Despite the inclement weather the day
| was generally observed.
Men who wore thes gray came together
in a sort of reunion, women decled the
graves of the Confederate dead with
| flowers and orators recounted great deeds
! of daring or told again the principal
| events Of the War Between the States.
| In Raleigh the day was almost holi-
| day, many Of the stores were closed during
the afternoon and even those that re-
mained open did but little business, The
| banks and most of the State Offices were
| closed
AS usual, the grafton was delivered at
! Metropolitan Hail. Major Graham Dawes
| was the orator. His subject was "The
| Causes that Led up to the War Between
the States, and the Evens of the First
Year of the War
Major Dawes is, Of all men in North
| Carolina. the one best fitted to speak
on this subject He was the private sec
! retary Of Governor Ellis--North Carolina
! first war governor-and had access to all
the States official records and corre-
! spondence. Later he was tho adjutant
of the Twenty second North Carolina reg
iment under General Pettigrew. In ad-
dition to this he is a man Of letters and
| great historical learning.
His speech of yesterday was in every
way worthy of the man and his oppor-
tunities, and will constitute a page Of
| correct history.
After an opening hymn by a select
choir and an invocation by Rev Geo
F. Smith, Maj. Dawes was gracefully in
troduced to his audience by Capt. Samuel
A. Ashe, chief marshal for the day. Major
Dawes read his speech from manuscript,
but did it so well and spoke so distinctly
that he held the closest attention of his
audience throughout. The subject was
| one Of interest to old and young alike
and was treated in a most scholarly and
at the same time interesting manner
The hearer always felt as if he were
listening to man speaking of his actual
experiences or of things Of which he had
accurate personal knowledge.
On the rostrum with the speaker were
the Governor and all the State officers
some Of the Supreme court judges and
number of prominent Confederate vet
Grams. Clustered about the stage were
Confederate flags, bullet-torn battle-nags,
red and white bunting, cut flowers and
potted plants. Pictures of Lee and Jack
son hung on either side.
Though the hall was pretty well filed
with people, the crowd was much smaller
than it would have been but for the
steady drizzle Of rain which every one
who came had to brave. On account OF
the rain the program in regard to a pro-
cession to the cemetery was not carried
out, though many went out in carriages
and decorated the graves with flowers.
All visiting veterans were served with
lunch during the day by the Ladies Me-
mortal Association The dinner was
spread in Rescue HALL
At noon an annual mass meeting Of all
the veterans was held and the roll of
veterans in the county called There
| were about seventy-fve veterans present.
Commander A. b. Stronach, Of the L. OBJ.
Branch Camp. called the meeting TO or
der and presided, while Adiutant ]. G.
Birdsong called the roll. Commander
Stronach stated that this was not meet
ing Of the L. OBJ Branch Camp but a
mass meeting Of all the Confederate SOL
diers of the county About 260 names
were called, and at the conclusion seven
teen men came forward and had their
! names recorded, giving the company and
regiment in which they served as follows:
r. II. Stone, Co. d, 47th NJ @.
Bryant Martin, Co. D, 47th N. G.
Henry Perry, Co. I Ist N. g.
G. M. O'Neal, Co. d, 30th N. G.
B. r. Gill Co. p, 26th N. q
Fl Fl. Marshburn. co III, 3lst N. @.
VIM. Montford Co. ID, 67th N. g.
J. C. Blake, Co. /, 47th H. G.
J. r. O'Neal, Co. TX, 18th Ala.
e. A. Lee, co. g. 31st NJ G.
w. II. Utley, Co G, 31st N. O.
w. G. Rhodes Co. G. 31st N. O.
Jesse seagrayes, Go. @, 9TH NJ c.
A. j. Dement,. Co B, 3rd N. G. Cav.
A. p. King, Co. IT, 47th N. g.
w. c. Johnson, Go. G, 9Th G.
T. n Richardson co. Q, 52nd N g.
At o'clock the veterans met again
to attend the memorial exercises in a