The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-05-29

or wounded Confederate soldier was found
and could be reached, there some southern
woman brought the blessing of Der pres.
cncc and the tender nlnstration Of her
hands. When the struggle had ended these
deyoipd women and their sisters through
out the South organized local chapters TO
Keep green the memory aud TO decorate aud
care For the graves OF fhe dead. The i'm.
hpination can portray no more pathetic
scene than that annually presented when
the bcrcnyed women OF a bcrpayed country
In all the cities and towns and villages OF
the South, from the Potomac to the Rio
Grande. assemble In the stnson OF flowers
TO honor the memory of their dead. The
Tennessee mother who Piled flowers nppn
the grave Of sOmc unknown hero took sud
consolation In the knowledge that the 500
of virginia or Georgia beneath which her
the tears of some unknown sister IN sor-
row. and his grave spread with the flowers
which In silence teach the lesson OF the
resurrection.
Women Of the South what words shall
express the respect and love aud reverence
IN which orr hearts hold your what IAN
guage shall welcome you to this city on
ms occaslon when the twentieth century
holds out Its hands TO greet the heroes of
tie lnstf No Drawer heart beat beneath
the uniform of the soldier than Beat within
the bosom of the mother who sent MIN
forth to the field, and patiently and with
anguish bore with unfateflug courage the
burden OF those years of war,
II there was danger on he neld. there
was suffering ana sorrow In the home II
there was hunger In The camp. there WAS
poverty IN The land: If there vas patient
and defiant endurance in the trenches,
there was q yet more patient aud more de,
fant endurance at the treslde. Men and
women stood beneath the same Mug and
bore equal nllcgiauce 70 all 1t represented,
To this reunion uf the heroes who ups
hold thut iing we welcome the survivors Of
those heroines by whom i was beloved
aud their daughters born since |, was for
ever furlcd. but who came into life i'm.
lt represented and who shalt transmit TO
other generations the lreSide history ana
Tho address of Judge Copper was re-
ceivcd with great applause.
General Gordon then spoke as follows,
rendering the hall to the veterans for thelr
Use during the convention and turning 1t
over to General John u. Gordon OF Georgia
the grand commander of the United Con
iederntc Veterans, as their representative.
Comrades. II now rCmnlns Tor ne 10
this city and to this hall am profoundly
grntihcd to see here today 50 uany of the
venerable men who did battle for the cause
for which Lee aud Forrest fought ana for
which Johnston aud Jackson died.
Until this hour | have regarded aud
valued my commission os brigader general
IN the Confederate suites array as the
highest honor ] have ever achieved but
today ] esteem il the proudrst notion
Of my life TO meet and greet the heroic
from tho Potomac to the Rio tran1c. The
followers or Lee and Jackson, Hampton
and stewart Gordon aud LonestrCet and
flth Lee and ni other leaders of that in
vinciblr army of Northern virginia ARE
here, Those of Albert sidney ana Joseph
=. Johnston, Bragg. Beanregard and Hood,
Forrest ana Van Dorm and Wheeler nfc
here. Those of Kirby Smith and price and
Taylor are here So TINT. every army and
nrnN corps that illustrated The vnor and
proves ui SSouthcrn soldier. and threw
lgster upuu the Confederate arms Is repre-
would make this reunion an Interesting and
glorious occasion. | esteem II u distin-
gushed honor merely TO stand in the pres.
encc Of much Less TO address, surh an AZ
sembly of patriots aud soldiers, with such
q record MS you can Justly claim. And
allow me to shy without exaggerated lnud'
alton, that In my estimate the world has
yet 10 witness In soldiers of the line Il
higher degree of martial individuality,
prowess courage ana efficiency than that
displayed 10y the private soldiers of the
Confederate armies They were often not
only generals unto themselves, but sug-
gcstcd 10 their officers what to do I'm the
stress ana prrpleNty Of spme sudden
emergency. Re sproud OF your record, pri.
yntc comrades, for IT has never yet been
lowered
For fonr thrilling ycars the Confederatrs
| successfully mniplRiucd thrir cause many
times lighting battles and winning VIZ
tories against heavy odds when barcfontrd.
ragged and hungry. We may search his
| cory IN vain for lotticr Instances OF heroic
! endurance In private soldiers, We have
seen them. uncomplainlugly, hmpIng bare
footed to the front through burning sands
and freezing SHOWS. Aud We would mar.
vel that men of such mold could ever have
| been NnnQulShcd " we dia not know that
| ihey were overcome more by the mOucu.
| luin of nnmhcts Than 10y proWcs5, mnrc 10y
| lNmihr IMAM bN dgAtlng.
me CONTEMPORARIES were outnunhrred In
Whlte population at the beginning ~ the
war h% tour ~ one; hesidcs the North
received additions {" IT'S army from our
territory AMI Foreign countries TO the mum
her or more than 100000 men. or about
one and ono-hAlt times ms many rs the
Soulh had IN atl her armies From urst TO
rn S, Ihr NHIam GHlis,1nudo III her armies IN
somtb hnI r., 'siit, ,U'" iu , w n,C ~
r sa,.nr ,ho, ' T '",n',''S ,unN W"'VNu
gou.ht th, wv" "i ~ NV, Wv nov Only
st,TWt ~, -N"tJi,i; ~ w SUM- tNl'hy We
,"waH. ~ WI WI ~ 'uln Nul'h me Norih
wrttN 49, W. ur"tu sulultis anu Suppilcs
,,nrs 40 1,,i W, nVotulhs anu nlaIug
,vhcn th " 1iun, ~ "t,v'' aut lneu an ana
w"r fnrilttins Pnn6 .n, M niVm, III menus IN
sr n' au,sIt,va NV appnanCes OF an kinds
n,,o e omet",t ,n II nlnHt pr admlltrd mat
W = ~, ~ t'au' Hui'nt lBht ~ uetense
=, -, 81 80 =" ~, ptt"utnU. mink OF ".
ia overcome one Co"fcdnra,ttre'S t'ur Years
la,e vnn nn sm"h r',,,,r cohgrnIu.
non s sUu "" s h"tt luo9ru hat country
l., - ns INN an6 wy nut your record
uno,, tbnI ~" WV" ""' u"eil longer
Ana NOW oo,,rodos 1T
ana ouen tnoro hil M, ,"snh Sr"el wv