Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1902-04-30
THE DALLAS REUNION.
Many Former South CaroIinians Meet Those
Who Attended tho Texas Reunion.

tsfaH ""S Nhoheut uio ttAuS nbuhtuH-
Walballa, April g. Editors Keowee
Courier: On the 18th instant we left
Seneca Tor the purpose Of taking in the
Confederate reunion in Dallas, Texas.
Our party leaving Oconeo on that day
consisted OF Mr.. Jesse w. Stribling, two
daughters of Major w. j.. Stribling,
Wales Lowery, II. y. III. Lowery, j. j.
Ballenger, Edgar Hiott and myself. At
Westminster, we were joined by Mr.. and
Mrs. M. A. Terrell and s. p. Tannery; at
Fort Madison by G.. j. Ramsay, Mr.. and
Mrs. Paul p. Sullivan and Miss Jarratt.
At Atlanta we divided, some going the
Choctaw route and some the New Orleans
route. The latter route was the one we
took.
At New Orleans our party stopped over
and took In the city. AS Mr.. j. w. Strjh..
ling had been over the place several
times we were enabled to see many Of
the places of interest that party of
entire strangers would, perhaps, never
have known of. The United States Mint,
the French Market, the old cathedrals,
the cemeteries, Lake Ponchartrain and
other places were visited by us and tho
tombs, monuments, eto., there than any
place l have ever visited. A person is
certainly well buried in New Orleans.
We arrived at Dallas, Texas, in due
time without delay or mishap on the
trip, the old soldier part of the other
party Joining us at tho encampment of
veterans at the fair grounds of Dallas.
The grounds were laid out and tents put
up in old army style, the different States
being designated by signs nailed on posts,
commencing alphabetically, from Ala
bama to Texas. We had large wall tents
provided with from four to six cots, with
pillows and blankets on them, to each
To- n,ll ~ ~.,,l-
ing this way, and one could hear old,
familiar sayings ringing through the
camp, such as "Fall in for roll CALL" and
when a cannon would be fired (which
was done when our meals were ready
"Lie down, malishr' etc. We had q mess
hall which accommodated 200 at one
time, and the tables were supplied with
sausage, bread, rice, pickles, potatoes,
beans and the best of coffee. Everything
was served by walters who were polite
and obligiug and in great abundance.
One seldom gets a better meal at a hotel
or restaurant anywhere for fifty cents.
Dallas certainly treated the old veterans
royalty, and all of them who could be
pleased at all were loud in their praises
for Dallas and the management. The
ladies of the city would visit the camp
and seemed to try to make the greatest
strangers feel at home. Dallas and Texas
are both large places, and the hearts of
the Texans are as large as the two put
together, and they will all ask you to go
home with them even If they never saw
you before.
The conduct of our old comrades was
commendable in the extreme. In almost
every instance, and under most condi-
tions, proved themselves gentlemen. In
all our mingling among them we saw
only two who seemed to be under the
m N nf w INF Nf cai tn
be present.
We met great many old South Caro-
linians there-some who were old sol
diers and some who were too young to
go in the war-who came to meet and
welcome US, and all wanted us to go TO
their homes and visit them, and if we
could have done SO it would have been
a great pleasure to them and us.
We failed to find, judging from appear
ances and inquiries made, asinglo South
Carolinian who is now in Texas who has
disgraced or lowered himself in any man.
ner; but, on the contrary, we found that
all who have gone to Texas have sue
ceeded we'll in every Instance, and in
some cases have amassed some money
and many honors in their adopted home.
We were proud to meet them and they
seemed glad to see us. Among those we
met and can recall were: j. Ben Abbott,
George w. Abbott, James G. Doyle, w.
B. Doyle, James Doyle, Charley Mason,
Sam Bowden, John Burns, Bob Milwee,
Sloan White, Jodia Harris, T. Q, Ward,
w. j. Treadaway, Capt. Bill Terrell, Sam
Ramsay, G. w. Grubbs, Ellis Tribble, j.
l.. Campbell, Joe Lawrence, G. b. Bur-
ley, Scott Bruce, Berry Reeder, Ed. Rus
sell, Sam Dalton, George Thompson, j.
T. Yeargin, S. j. Ashmore, r. s. Hayes,
K. M. Rholetter, w. S. Taylor, j. N. Sim
mons, Ell. H. Simmons, d. w. Simmons,
Prof. H. G.. Reed and sons, Eugene and
Henry, Warren Davis, Charlie Hill, Chas.
Jaynes and Tom Jaynes. There were
many others whom we met, but cannot
now recall.
Mrs. Mead L. Davis, her son Porter and
Mrs. Sterrett, and Mrs. Clark, niece of
j. b. and George Abbott, and Mrs. Mary
Hollemap Warren. q new-foan1 rs..ati .
of mine, visited our camp and contrib
uted so much TO our happiness that we
must especially mention them in this
article; and all from South Carolina, and
many from other parts of the country,
were under many obligations to Messrs.
Jaynes for the fine music they gave us,
which reminded us of old Clearmont
Academy's commencements when Kit
Spears school would end. If we could
have had Sam Dendy with his old fiddle
the thing would have been complete. AS
1t was, several times, in playing their old,
familiar pieces of before the war, you
could see the tears roll down the checks
of the old soldier, and the eyes of the
musicians would not be entirely dry as
they played the tunes by request of some
one present, and they, too, remembered
the times before the war.
Now, Messrs. Editors, I have written
this to let the friends of those who are
in Texas hear from their friends and
dear ones. If you think it worth pub
fishing, do so, and If not, the waste bas-
ket is handy. j. w. Holleman.