The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1903-06-10
THE MIssIssIppI REUNION.

nad grand time. met several
of my old company and regiment
and had the pleasure of meeting
my old comrade, Tom Hooker,
whom | had not seen since the
war. Soon after the bloody
struggle ended, Tom sought his
fortune in Texas, where he still
resides. Some of us will never
forget Toms gallantry at the bat
tie of Franklin, Tenn. May the
snow of age fall lightly upon him
and Heavens richest blessings
rest upon the gray heads of all
the old boys.
The welcome address was deliv-
cred by Mayor Hemingway, and
was responded to by Senator Mon
ey. The day was spent in the
transaction of business, reading
papers, etc. Capt. w. H. Hardy,
of Hattiesburg, read paper, one
hour and forty minutes in length,
on "The Right of Secession"
which was listened to with wrapt
attention by the great audience.
1t was ordered that a copy of this
able document be placed in the
archives of the corner stone of
the new capitol building. The
grandest speech of the occasion
was made by a Methodist minis
ter, whose name | cannot recall.
He resides in Jackson and wore
the gray during the COS. While
| fail to recall his name, if he will
run for Governor, | will vote for
him, if he is a preacher.
Gen. Robert Lowrey was re-
elected commander of the division,
and Capt. j. j. White, of Nc
Comb, was made Brigadier Gen
eral. Gen. White is the lumber
king of South Mississippi, and a
millionaire, but is always in evil
dence at the gatherings of the
boys in gray. God bless the old
man. We will all miss him when
he goes away.
The meeting adjourned to meet
next year at such time and place
as Commander Lowry may Sc
lect. This, in al. probability, is
the last gathering of the Missis-
sippi hosts in the old capitol bull
ding. Farewell! old capitol. You
have served your day and genera
ton, and you have served them
well. You have heard the tramp
of millions who have gathered
within your now dilapidated walls
and under your discovered roof.
You have felt the heart throbs of
patriotism and heard speeches that
caused men to hasten down your
corridors and rush to the field of
carnage and of death.
Turning from the old capitol
to the new, the rain greatly inter
fered with the arrangements of
the day, about which Editor
Hobbs will doubtless have some
thing to say. The grand recep-
ton given in Legislative Hall
at $50 p. m. was brilliant affair.
AS is we'll known, Judah P. Ben
jamin, Jew, an eminent lawyer,
a statesman and Southern patriot,
served in Jeff Davis cabinet in
the capacity of Secretary of State.
After the war he left America and
went to England, where his emf
nent craftsmanship was soon re-
cognized by the Queen and she
FASTENED to give him a seat on
her bench of couonsellors. After
serving in this high position of
honor with great credit to himself
and his people, he went to France,
where he died in 1884. Now, in
order to show their high appreci-
alton of Southern patriotism, the
Jews of Mississippi, on the occa-
sion of this reception, presented
a life-size portrait of Judah P.
Benjamin to the State, and this
portrait is to decorate the walls
of the new capitol. For oratory,
patriotism and pathos, the speech
of Rabbi Brill, of Greenville, on
presenting this portrait, eclipsed
anything of the kind that ever |
heard. | began feeling myself to
see if there was not a little Jew
ish blood in my veins. Rabbi
Brill is of fine physique, about 80
years of age, and has the English
language fully at his command.
In behalf of the State, Dunbar
Rowland, director of the Depart
ment of Archives and History of
Mississippi, in an eloquent speech,
received the picture.
At the close of Mr.. Rowland's
speech, Bishop Galloway mounted
the rostrum, consisting of two
planks lying across the heads of
some barrels, and waving an old
faded fabric before the great au-
dience, in a few, well-chosen
words, presented to the State a
section of the old Confederate
flag that futtered over the capitol
at Richmond, Va, when Lee evac-
uated that city and Grant took
possession. It was in behalf of
Lieut.. Lemuel Shipman, of Meri-
dian, that the Bishop presented
this scrap of the old historic flag.
Lieut.. Shipman is a native of
Pennsylvania, and was a Federal
soldier under Gen. Grant at the
fall of Richmond and when the
bonny-blue flag was hauled down
he fell heir to part Of it, which
he has preserved during these