The Savannah morning news., 1902-04-24
BUSINESS AT DALLAS
VETERANS TRANSACTED 1T WITH
A RUSH.
GEN. GORDON REELECTED.
NEW ORLEANS CHOSEN FOR NEXT
REUNION.


Grams Gave Gordon No Chance to
Get Out-Tributes Paid to Memo
ries of Hampton and Winnie Da-
Vis-"Private" John Allen Enter
tanned an Immense Audience
About $4,000 Veterans in Attend
ance.
Dallas, Tex, April 23.-The Confed-
crate Veterans assembled in reunion
to-day and transacted important bust
ness with a rush. Gems. Gordon, Lee
c. 1. Walker elected to succeed the
late Gen. Wade Hampton as comman-
der of the Army of Northern Virginia.
New Orleans was selected as the place
for the next reunion.
Gen. Gordon was given no chance
to retire. A voice from the back of
the hall cried: 1.-The only way you can
get away from the office, General, is
by dying"
So for another year, Gen. Gordon
will be commander-in-chief, Gen.
Stephen D. Lee, commander of the
Army of the Tennessee. and Gen. w.
L. cold Tige)) Cabell, commander of
the Army of the Trans Mississippi de-
partment. The election was unanimous
by standing vote. Glowing tributes
were paid TO the officers, and half the
audience was in tears when the meet
ing adjourned.
Long before the meeting opened the
camp grounds began to fill up, and by
II o'clock the largest crowd of the re-
union was present. The bureau of
information gave out statement
saying that lodgings for 140, 900 people
had been prepared. The estimated
number of veterans present was II, 600.
Gen. Gordon called the convention to
order at 10:45 and memorial services
for the late Gen. Wade Hampton be-
gan. Chaplain General Jones delivered
the invocation and Gen. Lee followed
with an eulogy of the late lamented
Southern warrior and statesman. From
Gen. Hampton the speaker had received
his commission as a lieutenant, a lieu
tenant colonel and a colonel of artil-
lery. His associations with the famous
soldier had been intimate and there
We're tears in his eyes as he spoke of
Hampton's recent death.
Gordon's Tribute to Hampton.
Gen. Gordon spoke briefly of the dead
soldier. with his DEATH said the
General, "a great light went out No,
did 1 say light went out? The light
OF such a, life can never go out, but will
burn forever, light to guide our foot
steps to the highest pinnacle of glory"
Nearer, My God, to Thee" was then
sung by the audience. following which
eulogistic resolutions for Gen. Hamp-
ton were adopted
"Old Tige" Cabell was called for and
added his tribute while his eyes were
filled with tears.
Private" John Allen of Mississippi,
who was to have been the orator of the
day yesterday, was next introduced
He said he could not be an
orator without windmill and that his
windmill has blown down he had to
stay at home and fix it, Then, for an
hour, the witty Mississippian kept his
hearers in high state of enjoyment
with anecdotes. He was nearly ex-
hausted when he concluded, but the
cries of ALLEN, Alleni" were so siren
uous that he was compelled to return
and say a few more words In con-
Guiding his speech, Mr.. Allen said:
Allen on the Rebel Yell.
'It was not the flash of the generals
SWOIQ lHdI SlTQck terror TO the an
KEGS hearts. 1t was the rebel yell and
the crack of the privates' rifles. They
were the men who kept the Yankees
off the generals while they slept. They
fought not for conquest, nor for am
bition, but for principles and senti-
ment, backed by the bravest, truest
women that ever lived. God bless our
country from sea to sea-"
At this point there were cries of
A
singularly like Little Old Fighting
joe entered. He was not Gen.
Wheeler, but he bore a telegram
from the latter, dated Brooklyn, as
follows:
"Regret that bad cold prevents my
coming. Health, happiness good luck
and Gods blessings to my beloved
comrades"
Tribute to Winnie Davis.
Gen. Gordon then announced that
the hour had come for the memorial
services for the Confederate dead. He
mentioned especially the name of
Winnie" Davis, the Daughter of the
Confederacy.'
Chaplain General j. w. Jones was
announced as the speaker. He said
in part
"Varina Anne Davis (more Familiarity
known as Winnie), the Daughter of
the Contederacy, the crowned queen of
our affections-was my personal
friend, whom 1 so admired, honored
and loved, that it is really difficult for
me to speak of her in terms that do
not seem extravagant.
Turning to a discussion of the field
leaders, he said:
thine fails me to tell of our leaders
Albert Sydney Johnston, the great
soldier, who fell in the hour of victory
at Shiloh, was all that prevented, so
far as we can see, the capture and de-
struction of Grants. army, Robert Ed
ward Lee, the peerless soldier Of the
century; the college president, the
stainless gentleman, devout Christian;
Joseph E. Johnston the great strate-
gist and the idol of his men; Gen. G..
T. Beauregard, the accomplished en-
gineer and gallant soldier, whose de-
Tense OF Charleston ranks with the
most heroic and skillful in the worlds
history; Kirby Smith, the able COM
mander of the trans Mississippi
whose heroic daring and MAIN
ed body won the unceasing
admiration of his men. and Stonewall
Jackson, the thunderbolt of the war"
Gen. Stephen D. Lee delivered a stir
ring appeal for the care of Confederate
soldiers graves by the government.
At 1245 p. m. a recess of one hour
was taken.
When the afternoon meeting was
called to order, Chairman j. Taylor
Stratton Of the Resolutions Commit
tee reported. Among the resolutions