The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-05-29
OPENING OF
 THE REUNION Old COnfederateS Meet in Memphis. PARADE WAS POSTPONED -.- <. Threatening 2 Weather and Muddy Str Z :ts the Cause. . -E The Convention <n Point of Enthu- siasm and oratory, Was a Great
 success-0eorge W. Gordon
 Welcomed Soldiers.
PARADE WAS POSTPONED

Memphis. Tenn, May 2s.-Twenty- thiee hundred and five members of the United Confederate Veterans. survivors
 of the great armies that battled for the
 cause of the Confederacy during the civil war. and presenting 1881 camps of the organization. met in Confederate
 Hall this morning for their eleventh annual reunion. Several delegations ar
 rived too late in the day to participate in the opening session of the Conven- ton, but it is expected that when the gathering comes to order at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning there will be fully 2.500 old soldiers in attendance.
 Although the convention. in point of oratory, enthusiasm and all other re- spects was a most brilliant success, the
 weather put a damper on the one fea- ture of the reunion which the good people of Memphis had arranged with especial care and pride for the enter tainment of their many guests. This was the great floral parade. which. owing to the threatening clouds and muddy streets in the outskirts of the city, was postponed until tomorrow. Last night there was 8 heavy fall of rain anu two small SuOWeTS OCCuITSu this morning, just before noon. The ladies having in charge the arrange ment for the parade declined to pro- ceed with their program. notwithstand- ing the urgings of a number of the committeeman having in charge the general features of the reunion enter tainment. The ladies asserted that in asmuch as they had spent so much time and labor in their preparations. they could not have the decorated ve- hicles moved from the outskirts of the city where many of them have been prepared, along the muddy streets pelled to pass before they could reach the downtown pavements.
 The Parade Postponed.
 The tires of many of the vehicles are actually covered with flowers, which would present but a sorry appearance after a journey of a mile or two in the mud. It. was. therefore, decided to postpone the parade until tomorrow afternoon, and if the weather is not favorable at that time, 1t may be again deferred until Thursday. The weather probabilities for Wednesday are threat ening, with possible showers.
 The" exhibition of fireworks on the Mississippi River was also postponed until tomorrow night.
 Before the meeting of the convention in Confederate HalI the Ladies Memo rial 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
 Rossini's anthem, "Inflammatus," by the Cavalry Choir and d memorial ad- dress by Bishop Thomas F. Gailor. The church was filled to the utmost by listeners to the beautiful service.
 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, which was 10 o'clock. Crowds of delegates, attended in many instances by mem bers of their families, besieged every entrance and the sergeant-at-arms and his numerous assistants had their hands full in controlling them.
 In Convention Hall.
 The task, which was not light one by any means, was accomplished with out trouble of any description. The interior of the hall was, this morning, a thing of beauty. The last finishing touches had been put upon 1t and the excellent work of the decorators was shown in all its merit. On every side were arranged banners, portraits of prominent Confederate leaders, wound with bright colored bunting. Great banners hung from the roof. and innu- merable smaller ones were in evidence on every hand.
 The exercises of today were almost entirely confined to the welcoming ad- dresses delivered by the representatives of the people of Memphis and of the State of Tennessee. and from members of different organizations affiliated with the United Confederate Veterans.
 The only actual business performed was the completion of the permanent organization and the appointment of the Committees on Resolutions and
 Gen. c. W. Gordon Speaks. In welcoming the old veterans to Memphis, Gen. George w. Gordon said; Comrades-It now remains for me to | salute you and bid you thrice welcome to this city and to this hall. am profoundly gratified to see here today so many of the venerable men who did battle for the cause for which Lee and Forrest fought and for which Johnston and Jackson died.
 Until this hour I have regarded and valued my commission as brigadier- general in the Confederate States army as the highest honor I have ever achieved; but today I esteem M the proudest distinction of my life to meet and to greet the heroic survivors of every important battlefield from the
 Potomac to the Rio Grande. The fol- | lowers of Lee and Jackson, Hampton l and Stewart. Gordon and Longstreet
 and FftB Lee and of other leaders of that invincible army of Northern Vir-
 ginia are here. Those of Albert Sidney
 and Joseph E. Johnston, BEagg Beau
 regard and Hood, Forrest and Van
 Dorn and Wheeler are here. Those of
 Kirby Smith and Price and Taylor are here. So that. every army and army
 corps that illustrated the valor and prowess of Southern soldiers and threw
 luster upon the Confederate arms is represented here today; and this fact alone would make this reunion aH in-
 teresting and glorious occasion. I es-
 teem it a distinguished honor merely to stand in the presence of, much less