The age-herald., 1901-04-27
SOME BEAUTIFUL TRIBUTES PAID
Daughters of the Confederacy Pre- sented the Old Veterans With Crosses of Honor-Procession
 Extended Several Blocks.
On Fame's eternal camping ground Their silent tents are spread, And Glory guards with solemn round The bivouac of the dead.

Under bed of fresh spring flowers there sleeps in Oakhill cemetery near un- to hundred souls who wore the gray and fought for a cause they believed was right.
 Birmingham has not forgotten the bray cry of her intrepid forefathers and yes terday hundreds of children strewd the graves of her silent soldiers with beauti- full tokens of patriotic love.
 Memorial Day was observed by the Con- federate Veterans of Birmingham and their sons and daughters.
 Appropriate services. consisting of songs, recitations, addresses and music, were held at the Auditorium. The ser vices were conducted by Camp Hardee, Commander s. L. Robertson presiding, assisted by Pelham Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy.
 The speakers of the day were Gen. Rufus N Rhodes, who had been selected to represent the Daughters of the Con federacy; Capt. Benjamin H. Screws of Montgomery, who represented the Sons of Confederate Veterans; and Gen. George D. Johnston of Tuscaloosa.
 Mrs. J. A. Rountree, secretary of Pel- ham Chapter, recited an original poem, and Mrs. J. A. Montgomery made an ad- dress, telling what the Cross of Honor is. Mrs. Edwin Taylor Taliaferro read the bylaws regulating the presentation of the Cross of Honor to veterans.
 General Rhodes address, while brief, was filled with patriotic sentiment and reverence for the old soldiers who fought for what they believed was right. The address was a splendid effort and elicited the heartiest applause.
 There were two thousand or more per- sons in tho Auditorium when Professor Robertson called for order
 Crosses of Honor.
 The feature of the services was the presenting of crosses of honor to the old veterans who wore the gray in the four years of war waged between the South and the North from 1861 to 1865. There were four hundred or five hundred veterans present, and each one was given badge by the members of Pelham chapter of the Daughters of the Con- federacy, which will entitle him to one of the bronze crosses as soon as they are received by the local chapter. Through failure of the factory to make the crosses in time for delivery prior to yesterday they could not be given to the veterans on Memorial Day, but they will be given them later
 It was a beautiful spring day, and everybody turned out to see the veterans. the National Guard and the college ca dets as they formed in First avenue and marched to the Auditorium at Third ave- nue and Seventeenth street. The line ex- tended over nearly two blocks and the participants filled half of the Auditorium parluet.
 It was a quarter to 3 o'clock when the procession arrived at the Auditorium, and fifteen minutes later the services began with Memoli's band playing a funeral dirge This was followed with an invoca- ton by Rev. Dr. L. s. Handley, pastor of the Central Presbyterian Church, who IS himself an old Confederate veteran and A member of Camp Hardee.
 Mrs J. A. Rountree of Pelham Chapter,
 
 an original poem, extolling the virtues and heroic characters of the wearers of the gray.
 Mrs. Rountree's Poem.
 Mrs J. A. Montgomery daughter of the late Col. B. B. Lewis, member of Congress from Alabama and later presi- dent of the University of Alabama, de- livered an address on "The Cross of Honor"
 The address of Mrs. Montgomery and the poem of Mrs Rountree were both happy efforts and received the hearty ap- plause of the vast audience.
 Following the address of Mrs. Montgom- cry the badges which entitle the holders to the Cross of Honor were presented 10 the veterans. the badges being pinned on the coat lapels by daughters of old Con federate soldiers. There were eight of these daughters: Mrs. J. A. Rountree. Mrs. A. A. Clisby, Mrs. L. T. Bradfeld, Mrs Whitfield. Miss Lillian Roden, Miss Chisolm. Miss Josie Oxford and Miss Slaughter.
 After the song. My Country. Iris of Thee" by children of the public schools, Capt Benjamin H. Screws of Montgom- cry, Confederate veteran and an orator of great reputation in the south. was in- troduced by Prof. s. L. Robertson, com mander of Camp Hardee.
 Colonel Screws Address.
 Captain Screws bore in his hands no manuscript he had no set speech. Being