Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-20
CONFEDERATE VETS MEET
Thirteenth Annual Reunion is Held in New
Orleans Auditorium.
GENERAL GORDON is THE oRA1oF
Sises VRlor of the Soldiers of the
.th, hut says All Are Now
CitiEens of a RE-
united Nation.

NEW ORLEANS, May 1s.-The thirteenth
annual reunion of the United Confederate
veterans opened today under most favor
able auspices.
The great auditorium erected in the CEN
ter OF the race track at the fair grounds
was filled with a cheering, enthusiastic
multitude long before the hour set for the
formal opening Of the exercises, and when
at noon General j. b. Levert, commanding
the Louisiana division, called the conven-
tion to order, there was not a vacant seat
In the hall, which easily holds 10000 people.
Rev J. William Jones, chaplain general
of the United Confederate veterans, in
voked the divine blessing, and Hon. T. b.
kruttschniett of New Orleans, chairman
Of the local executive committee, under
whose direction the auditorium was erected,
spoke words of welcome to the delegates
and their friends and concluded his ad-
dress by rendering to the old soldiers the
auditorium erected for their especial use,
AS commander-in-chief Of the veterans, 1t
was the province OF General John B. Gordon
to reply, and as his solderly form and
battle-scarred visage came to the front of
the rostrum, the delegates rose enmasse
and give him cheer after cheer. The gen
eral repeatedly bowed his acknowledge
ment of the loyal and affectionate greeting.
AuspiciOus Event in History.
General Gordon said in part:
To my thought 1t is most fitting that this
proud and patriotic organization should
1t birth. The meeting of such men as you
today, whose past deeds will remain for
ever an inspiration to American Valor and
to the future sacrifices for constitutional
freedom, is an auspicious event in the
eountrys history, wherever and whenever
II may occur, but peculiarly inspiring is
this reunion in Louisiana, on the Tooth an
niversary of her birth into governmental
alliance with American states. A Rome
ecclesiastical would have discovered in a
meeting of such mvn, at such time, an
omen Of good, the cause of liberty; and
5dtSinS ht SaS IS tb Soe renbln II
must OF necessity be benehcent and only
Feel No Bitterness.
We will not indulge on this centennial,
other times, in any bitterness. We feel
| none. We have long since drawn the
curtain of oblivion over the regretful and
unseemly things of the past and we cher
| ish. as Americans, the Valor and noble
! deeds of both armies and of ali sections
the nowey thai Would 's sttempt 10 make ms
| blush for it would be both stupid and blind
! We are heirs, joint heirs, with the repub-
lies children in the inheritance of freedom
past. Moreover, we are now facing 1u-
ture pregnant with tremendous possibili.
| hope and assurance, born of an unswerv'
ing purpose to discharge our every duty
| TO all races and to the entire country.
We are growing old but we still stand
firmly on the low strip Of land which
separates us from boundless ocean.
And % as we 60 hence we VIII SSslmly droI o
who will worthily wear them; and in nc
crisis of the republic, whether In farm oI
| field, win they be found wanting.
At the conclusion of General Gordon's ad
dress he led to the front OF the platform
Mrs. Stonewall Jackson and said:
| It was my fortune, and 1 will never
! cease to thank God that IL was my fortune
| to follow, to know we'll and to love Stone
| wall Jackson. He is not here but the bes
half Of him is here in the person Of his
| wife. Comrades, / present to you Mrs
| Stonewall jackson.
In the wild cheers that swept the hall
the fair-faced lady from Virginia was made
to know once more how southern, love re
members.
"And here's a young Jackson" called ou
the general, leading forward a pretty girl
Miss Julia Jackson-C Christian, the grand
daughter of the famous soldier. AS h
spoke he kissed her and the cheers wer'
! redoubled for the general and the girl.
General Gordon then assumed the gave
and introduced Governor Heard of Louisi
ana, who, in behalf of the state EXTENDED
| a formal welcome to the delegates and thei
friends.
While the veterans were assembling a
the fair grounds the convention OF tn,
Sons of Veterans was called to order II
the Crescent theater by ]. d. Nix. com
mander of Camp Beauregard.
Memorial services in honor of Jefferson
Davis were held in Christ church at /
| a. m.