Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-08-05
VETERANS FIGHT
The New Hope Battle Over Aaain-ife
BOYS Showed how they do 1t
Now a DAYS.

Now Days.
The veterans. the sons and the Pres
byterians of old Augusta church. mao
a great day Monday at New Hope
The Stanton military entertained tht
vets by showing them in the snam
battle how TO maneuver and hight DS
modern tactics and thus explained
how it is possible to do hard fi?hflne
now days in open order and not meet
the heavy losses that both conflicting
armies suffered in the civil war fight
ing in close column or line OF battle.
always calamity closing up the gaps
when the men fell. and still presenting
the solid ranks to be shot at and NOW
ed down again. Their drill and dress
parade too, was pretty and the Old vets
had to acknowledge that they had lost
the step and could not catch it again.
but they are proud of the boys and
know they would fight as hard and
we'll as ever they did il the occasion
comes.
When the large representation from
Stonewall Jackson camp reached the
ground they were hungry sure enough,
too late for dinner at the boys camp
and too early for supper with the
ladies. But they did not stay hungry
long. Before they knew it the boys
had great pots of coffee and things
ready and called them up, illustrating
the prOverb bal hospitality of the SOL
dier, who always would and always
will divide his last cracker and last
cup of coffee with a comrade. After
lunching, the old boys put off half a
mile for the battle field and in squads
they traversed it from end to end many
had been in the fight, most of them
had not, so the first had good listeners
from start to finish. Some mighty big
tales were told and stuck to, and the
the other fellows swallowed all, espec
tally that part that told how 1--WE got
up and skedaddled." But every one
enjoyed immensely that part of the
program, and were slow to return to
the camp in the grove which was on
the edge of the battle field OF forty
years ago.
The speaking was next on the pro-
gram, and a long procession of about
60 military and 100 veterans paraded
over the field into the pretty oak grove
where they disposed themselves with
the fine audience of citizens to listen
to the orators of the occasions They
were introduced by Lieut.. Silas IL.
Walker, who acted as chief marshal i'll
the absence of Lieut.. Carter Berke-
lev who was unfortunately detained
IN Staunton by sickness.
Capt. Opie, the first speaker, the
only one who was ''in the fight" gave
an interesting account of the battle as
he saw it, interspersed with some wit
ty war stories, which highly amused
his audience. Capt. r. 8. Ker, Com
monwealth's Attorney, Spanish war
veteran, made capital little speech,
in which he eloquently referred to the
cause that the Confederate veteran
represented and made such handsome
mention of the herOism of the "battle
SCARED old soldiers. that they could
hardly recognize themselves. but were
much pleased nevertheless.
Capt. Bumgardner closed with
spirited and characteristic address,
which captured the crowd. The fol
lowing fine passage quoted from the
writings of the celebrated DR.. john
ston, was peculiarly appropriate to
the occasion: Far from me, and
from my friends, be such frigld phil
Osophy as may conduct us Indifferent
and unmOved over any ground which
has been dignified by wisdom, bravery
and virtue. That man is little to be
envied, whose patriotism would not
| gain force upon the plain OF Mara
thon, or whose piety would not grow
warmer among the ruins OF Iona. .
Dull indeed must be the mind. and
caIous the heart of that son or daugh'
ter of old Augusta. who can view with
out emotion this gathering of Confed'
crate veterans, of SONS of veterans. OF
veterans, of daughters of veterans, o.
enlisted soldiers, who are the success
sors and the legitimate inheritOrs o
the warike virtues of a long line O
ilustriOus soldiers, assembled up0i
this spot, to which forty years a.
"ariere ban" of the empire county o
Augusta rendesvOuSed to encounte
an invading foe
The sham battle and drill of the tW
military companies followed. Afte
which the supper of fried chicken, &c
; ice cream, cake and lemonade, furnish
ed by the ladies' and the fragrant collie
a welcome and bOuntiful treat to th
: old boys, set up by the young one
The Roman band, while dlscours
| ed fine music, which all through tn
> day enlivened the occasion. AS n1gt
: approached the vets and elderly pei
pie moved hOmeward, and the Law
party with the young people he
. sway, the crowd being largely aul
O mented by merry parties who ha
started out late from Staunton an
continued to arrive until 10 o CLOCK.
Later, by the light of the moon, :.
= the small hours of the night, they T
% turned singing and shouting in HE
~ gIee. not soon to forget the big al
o joyous day, the sons OF veterans
+ Augusta and their friends mad arrah
= ed for the vets and their friends, al
trusting that it would not be anOth
forty wears before a Piedmont bait
field reunion would be arranged Il
10 der as happy auspices.