The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-05-16
Among Former Enemies.
UNION VETERANS PRAISE AND APPLAUD
GEN. JULIAN S. CARR.


Address the Loyal Legion at Detroit,
Michigan-Secret of Loyalty Of the
South, the Bulwark of Our Strength,
the Noble Hearted Southern Woman,
Said the Speaker.
(Raleigh Morning POst.)
As was recently announced, Gen.
Julian S. Carr was invited to deliver
an address at the annual banquet Of
the Loyal Legion for 1901.
The banquet was given at Detroit,
Michigan, last Thursday evening, and
Gen. Carr-the first Confederate ever
invited to address this organization,
composed of commissioned officers
who served in the Union army
throughout the Civil War, and honor
ably discharged-was present, and
delivered an address that was evil
IDENTIFY very fine one.
Judging from the accounts printed
in the Detroit and other newspapers
Gen. Carr's reception and address
were magnificent and memorable, the
ovation accorded him great and
affecting one, as will be seen from the
extracts taken from one of the Detroit
papers and printed below
A gentleman who was present, in
speaking of Gen. Carr's reception and
address, SAYS:
''Gen. Carr's reference to that
peerless soldier, Robert f. Lee and
to the indomitable pluck and uncon-
,i,if Of IL
South, 'who sent their boys to battle
with the injunction to 60 forth to
battle and return upon their shields
if needs be- were heartily applauded
to the echo. The band played Dixie
at the close of his speech during the
delivery OF which mahy of the old
veterans eyes grew suspiciously
moisD, and the assem- blage went wild
with ethusiasm and crowded around
the Confederate guest to thank him
and shake his hand. 1t seemed as
though they would never get through
congratulating him."
HIGH PRAISE OF DETROIT PAPER
The following account of Gen. Carr's
reception and speech is taken from
the Detroit Journal Of May 3rd, under
big 'five decker" head:
There was a dramatic and unusual
silence for few moments at the
Loyal Legion banquet at the Cadillac
last evening. The gray-haircd vet
erans leaned forward in their chairs.
their cigars neglected, their faces
drawn tense with interest. Not even
the clink of the wine glass was heard.
Gen. Julian S. Carr was making the
speech Of the evening and his ringing
words, rich in Southern accent, had
been telling of the awful struggle of
the South, how he had gone home, a
ragged, emaciated youth of 10, to
begin life anew after Lees army had
gone down to honorable defeat at Ap-
pomattox. Gen. Carr laid aside his
manuscript. His handsome face was
lighted with enthusiasm. and his
voice quivered with emotion
s'My friends" he said, II cannot
leave this subject without telling the
secret of our loyalty, the bulwark of
our strength. 1t was the noble heart
| ed Southern woman. Listen: One
day there was court martial held in
a regiment of the Southern army, and
a manly looking boy in gray was
being tried for desertion. 1t was a
terrible scene, intensified by the fact
that the handsome soldier seemed not
to realize that he was near an igno-
minious death. The general, acting
Judge of the court. noticed that the
| accused had no counsel
"'Have you no friend to act as
your counsel?'
".No, sir
The general, thinking that the
young man would act as his own
then proceeded to ask the prisoner to
plead guilty or not guilty.
's' Guilty. said the prisoner
But, said the General, who wish
ed to give the young man every
chance to clear himself of the charge,
'can you not give some reason for
your act, some mitigating cause? II
so, you owe it to yourself, to your
good name, and to your family
"For the first time the man seemed
to feel thrill of emotion. He trem-
! bled, and in choking voice said:
IL have reason, but | fear it
would not avail NE before a military
tribunal
but let US have it, said the
judge.
The prisoner in tattered gray
thrust his hand into his breast pocket
and drew forth letter which he
placed on the table before the Judge
The eyes OF the magistrate filed with
! tears as he read a few lines. and he
silently passed the paper to the Off
GERS who formed the court. One by
one they read the soiled letter, and
gray-haired, hard-hesrted men who
had experienced every horror of the
battlefield, were overcome with a
strange emotion. The letter read:
Dear Edward: Unless you come
home at once we shall starve. Little
Eddie cries every night with hunger, and
Mary, who never complains, gets thinner
and thinner every day. o, Edward, for
the love OF God, come home, or we shall
starve.
1.-The prisoner spoke: Il read that
over and over while on picket duty.
l applied for furlough. The appli-
cation was rejected. Iapplied again.
Again it was rejected ! could not
| bear it. determined to leave if the
whole battery of Southern guns were
turned upon me. The next day
held my wife in my arms. %, Ed
ward she said, 1 Am SO glad you got
your furlough. l am so glad She
must have felt me shudder. She
drew away from me- You haven't
come without it?' She read the truth
in my face. Go back she cried. go
back. We can starve, but you must
] not di disnrace our n a me =, And gent Ia