The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-01-24
CELEBRATED BY CONFEDERATE VET
ERANS AND JaUGH FERS.
Imposing Military Parade and in
teresffng Exercises ut the Opera
House-EIoquent Tribute by DIR.
MISUNDERSTANDING Addresses by
DR.. Carmichael and Miss James

Cape Fear Camp, No. 254, L. c. ", and
Cape Fear Chapter, No. 3, United
Daughters of the ~Confederacy, to cele-
brate this great soldiers birthday, but
as it fell on Sunday it was celebrated
yesterday instead.
The celebration was n in every way
a great success and the occasion was
a very interesting and imposing one.
Captain James I. Nets, commander OF
Cape Fear Camp, was chief marshal for
the day. and his aides were Mr.. S. VI.
Boatwright, of George Davis Camp
No. so. Son of Veterans; Mr.. Roger
Moore. of the Wilmington Light Infan-
try; Mr.. J. II. LeGwin. of the Naval
Reserves. and Mr.. Edward B. Dudley,
of Col. Walker Taylor's Boys Brigade.
AT 2:30 p. m. a procession of military
was formed on Market street opposite
the armory of the Wilmington Light
Infantry, with the right resting on
Fourth street. At 3 p. m. the procession
moved in the following order:
Captain James L. Nets and Aides
Mounted.
Platoon of Police.
The Second Regiment Band.
Third North Carolina Infantry Asso-
citation. Col. William l.. DeRosset
commanding.
Cape Fear Camp, No. Pa. U. c. ". Vice
Commander F. w. Kerchner, COM
manding.
George Davis Camp, No. so, Sons of
Confederate Veterans.
Wilmington Light Infantry. Captain a.
P. Adrian commanding.
Wilmington Division. No. l, n. c. Naval
Brigade. Lieutenant H. NJ. Chase,
commanding.
Col. Walker Taylor's Boys Brigade, Col.
Taylor commanding.
To inspiring music by the band the
procession moved on Market street to
Front. up Front to Red Cross. out Red
Cross to Third. down Third to Princess
and on Princess to the opera house.
Great crowds lined the streets and
viewed the parade. and there was an
imense amount of enthusiasm from one
end of the route to the other. At Third
and Princess streets the military stack
ed arms and then went into the opera
house.
BY the time the procession arrived
the opera house was overlooking with
people. The parquet was packed witt
the veterans, sons of veterans, and the
ladies' and gentlemen of Wilmington.
There were also many visitors.
The Daughters of the C~onfederacy
met at he armory, and in a body they
marched down Market street to FOURTH,
on Fourth to Princess and thence on
Princess to the opera house. They also
occupied the parQuet.
The dress circle was crowded with
spectators and there must have been
more than a hundred boys in the gal
lery. Altogether it is probable that
nearly a thousand people were present.
h stage was handsomely decorated
with the state and Confederate national
and battle flags, and the scene made
was a portrait of General Lee mounted
on an easel. which was prettily draped
in the Confederate colors and decorated
with wild smilax. The speakers stand
and a table occupying the front of the
stage were also decorated with colorS
and smilax.
On the stage was seated the following
ladies Of Cape Fear Chapter: Mrs. w.
M. Parsley. the president; Mrs. James
M. Stevenson, the oldest m of the
chapter, Mrs. John c. James, secretary.
Miss Mary F. Meares, treasurer; Miss
Mary F. Sanders. registrar of the Con-
federate museum; Mrs. Gabriel Holmes,
Mrs. John ]. Hedrick, Mrs. George w
Higgins. Miss Hettie James, Miss Anna
Savage and Mrs. G. c.. Brown, chair
men Of the various committees.
After quiet had been restored. an in
tensely interesting programme was car
ried out with Chief Marshal James /.
Nets as master of ceremonies.
After music by the band, Captain
Nets introduced the Rev. p. c. Morton,
who he said had been a Confederate
chaplain in the Twenty-third Virginia
regiment. Genera Stonewall Jackson's
division. and had served the soldiers in
camp and hospital during the war.
The Rev. Mr.. Morton delivered a most
beautiful and appropriate prayer. He
thanked God the Father of His children
for His promise to hear, answer and for
give them who call upon Him. Offered
n for His gracious gifts and that
we were born in this sunny southland
of religious liberty and patriotism He
prayed that our people might ever re-
the great truth that righteous
ness exa t tia natio1. He ofere I h ks
for the good and great men God has
given US. and for the precious legacy
left to Us and posterity in the life and
character of Robert Z. Lee. He prayed
for the veterans of our loved lost cause,
for h sons and daughters of the Con-
f~ederacy. for those grand women who
In sympathy and sorrow miniStered to
our suffering soldiers and still with un
wearfed care toiled for those aged and
afflicted in poverty's vale. prayed for the
veterans that they might so believe and
live and looking to the High Captain of
our salvation. so keep the step with
Jesus that When the last battle is
fought they may shout thanks be to
God that giveth US the victory. . :.
and passing over the river rest under
the shade of the trees.
The prayer was followed with q Sc
lection by the band. after which Cap
tain Nets introduced h Rev. Calvin
s. Blackwell. d. D.. of the First Rap-
fist church. who had been selected as
the orator of the occasion. DR.. Black