The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1903-02-20

lew minor details and few peculiar
lties which were observed while hasti
l.y passing from place to place. vii
state it was not the city your humbl,
scribe had come to see, neither the
convention, because the former hat
once been seen and the latter wa.
tar beyond his ability to describe OF
comprehend, but it was the old sol
dlers first, last and forever, that hac
attracted my presence to this won
derful little city. About the middle
OF the afternoon of the first
day it was announced by the
anxious crowds that, the King o
Calf was approaching the city on q
special train over the Frisco railroad
and in a few moments great crowds
were rushing towards the depot, bu,
your scribe didn't have time to look
for Kings, but in few moments all
the whistles and bells of the city be-
hln to blow or ring and such another
noise you never heard, unless it was
at a new years watch in city as
large as Dallas or larger, for they
certainly did all they could. That
night was arranged for reception
aud ball for the King and his sub
jec;s by the young ladies at their
club. 1t was said none but dress
suits would be admitted. 1 made my
way from one headquarter to another
looking for information whereby 1
might find some old South Carolina
soldiers, also some who had prom
ised me they would be there from
Mississippi. so after looking through
the different registers 1 found ths
only place to find a real soldier for
sure would be at the fair grounds and
by middle of afternoon 1 was at the
Palmstto headquarters in the fair
grounds, and such q sight, such
cherished hope of fraternity. all the
dreams of patriots and the long lost
hopes Of philanthroplsts could never
do justice to the reality of love and
friendship as expressed by the hearty
handshake, the fond embrace, the
tear dinmed eyes and ever sobs and
moanswhich were dem9pefftiRtiHYtfh t iHYtheeffshf efftshhef
tempe, aments as they met each other
for the first time with many of them)
since the war of 1865. TO see those
aged men with flowing white locks
all bent with the strife Of this world,
over some ofwhom more than eighty
eventful years have rolled, and hear
them greet their old comrades as of
yore, and to behold their whole being
animated as it were by the fire of
their youth, was certainly the most
awe inspiring meeting that your
humble writer had ever witnessed,
and | regret very much that I am
not competent to tell the story just
as it appearen to me or so that the
readers could grasp even a faint idea
of what it is to see those dear old
heroes meet each other after so many
years of separation. The writer has
never seen a picture or words in
print that could portray to his mind
the enthusiasm and loyalty that were
there so perfectly demonstrated by
the thousands of old soldiers. The
meeting was certainly beneficial, ply
sicaily as we'll as mentally, to many
of those present, for some that the
writer had known for years, who
were not able to do any work l..,e a
few chores, even forgot their stick
and would start to walking away like
"a young men. though 1 regret that
one of my friends from Mississippi,
who was S3 years old, was not able
to stay at the convention; he was
only on the grounds few hours
when he became so nervous he hac
to be taken back to his old home.
am very sorry that did not procure
all the full names, the Carolina ad-
dresses and the present addresses o
every native CaroliDian that l me
and | assure the readers that shoul'
1 ever have the privilege of meetin,
wish them again | will procure al
the information possible. 1 have th
names Of about twenty from Unio1
county, all of which I will give il
my next letter. / had not expecte
to give the pubic the names or othe
information of the reunion when
gathered them hence my negligenc
in the matter.
With best wishes to THE TINE