The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-09-06
THE VETERANS AT ASHEvlLlE.
THOUSANDS OF OLD SOLDIERS
ENJOY THE REUNION.
Many IIlustrious Visitors Present
General Carr Reelected Command
er-in-C hief-Captain Nets Nomin-
ated for Brigadier OF The Third
Brigade-General Lee and ex-
Secretary OF the Navy Herbert
Speak. , {


In accordance with the general order
issued yesterday, some thousands OF
old soldiers had gathered on the court
house square the approaches to which
were spanned by arches gafly bedeck-
ed in red and white. The speakers
crowd stood about it and between it
n the court house.
Inside h court house the people
were packed, almost all veterans and
sponsors. The reporter inquired of
MajOr-General j. NJ. Ray what are
the duties of a ITO bow and
SMILE" said he. and look pretty"
Chaplain U. c. ". General J. VIM.
Jones, after being sent after several
times, finally came in and opened the
exercises with prayer.
General J.. S. Carr. in calling the
house TO order. made some remarks
appropriate to the occasion. He said
the business before the house "a to
elect officers. He believes, ne said, in
rotation in office. and he asked the
reunion to let him lay down his COM
mission and elect some n in his
place. He called over the names of
distinguished visitors. mentioned else
where herein. each of which received
hearty applause.
He called to the stand Colonel John
S. Byrd, of Charleston, s. c., who rails
ed the first Confederate flag on Fort
Sumter. He is gray-haired, ruddy-
faced, slender, erect.
Major II. A. London spoke of The
poor organization of the North Caro-
lima Veterans. and was followed or
the same subject by General Mickle,
Acknowledgement U. c. ".
General w. p. Roberts nominated
General Carr for commander-in-chief,
and he was reelected by reclamation.
p. c.. Carlton was elected ~brigadier
Of the First Brigade; w. l.. London,
FSecond Brigade.
Some one nominated ]. ]. Voting
ton, of New Bern. for brigadier Of the
Third Brigade, but it didn't take at
all. When Captain Nets was also
nominated, there were loud cries,
Nets, Mettsl' Wofingto thereup-
on Withdrew his name.
J. NJ. Ray was chosen brigadier OF
h Fourth Brigade.
1t remained for Colonel Loui Leon,
of Charlotte. to spring the sensation.
He took the stand and presented h
following resolutions:
Whereas, We nave heard for the
last ten years of the Grand Army of
the Republic proposing resolutions
looking TO a grand reunion of the blue
and the gray, and we also know that
these resolutions are always tabled;
and as we, the Confederate Veterans or
North Carolina. in grand reunion at
Asheville, assembled, think that some
of the blue or some of the gray may
think these resolutions are u senti-
ments; therefore, be it,
Resolved, That we. h Confederate
Veterans of North Carolina. want it
understood that we, as a body repre-
senting the Confederate Veterans of
North Carolina, are not in favor Of
such reunion"
Colonel Leon moved to adopt this
resolution.
A great many veterans were on
their feet, but Captain Billy McLaurin,
Of Laurinburg, got the floor. opposed
the resolution on the ground that the
action of the national unio should
be sufficient. moved to table, and re-
ceived applause.
Everybody was on his feet. All sorts
Of motions were made.
Colonel Leon said that General Lee
a appointed a committee to confer
with the G. A. R. with a view TO a re-
union of the blue and gray.
General stephen D. Lee, commander
OI Tile L.. L. ". was IlIHSell pT6SSul,
and rose here to interrupt, They
asked me to appoint such a commit
tee. but I absolutely refused to do it,"
This called forth great applause.
Colonel Leon read from some paper
the item which had impressed him;
and General Lee followed him with q
brief explanation.
Here Captain McLaurin renewed
his motion to table. Major London,
x-;tL L;- 1000
that the resolution be withdrawn.
There were so many Indications of ap-
| prevail hat Colonel Leon acted upon
the suggestion.
General w. l.. London introduced a
resolution thanking the railroads,
Asheville and Master of Ceremonies
Ray for courtesies.
Now turn me to the resumption Of
activities iE the open air. Captain
Reinhardt was on the speakers stand,
bawling, open column there!"
for the big bugs who were
coming through to join him. The
drums and flies were doing the best
they could. AS the distinguished men
rammed their way along, there was
nc end of cheering.
General Carr announced all the
speakers. At first the crowd sat down
in front, stood up in the middle, oc-
cupied the court house porch in the
rear, n teemed on the balcony and
in the windows.
Among the many Confederate uni
forms, General Stephen D. Lee, of Mis-
sissippi, appeared in plain black. He
spoke glowingly of North Carolina his
tory. He said that she had furnished
10000 more men than her arm-bear-
ing population; that she had squan-
dered 22.S4O more YES than any
other Confederate slate. He spoke
with enthusiasm of the Twenty-sixth
regiment; the first battle of the Revo-
lutionary war was fought at Alamance,
and the first declaration of indepen-
dence was in M~ecklenburg. All this
was received. of course. with i'm
menSe applause.
When h drummer and ifer sus-
pended, Major London exhibited and
commented upon the flag of the Thir-
ty-ninth. IT went through 81 battles.
Next appeared the flag carried at
Bethel. When the banner of the
Twenty-fifth was unfurled. a big fellow
4 cA4,,fal NDnx-c 1nnl~ Of %h4 N l-r--