The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-05-17
FAYErrEv1LLE MEMoR1An DAY
Dinner to the Soldies-Imprcssive
Exercises-OctOgenarian Has a Re
union-Graded School Commence
ment.
Especial to The Messenger.)

the attendance was very large. with a
great gathering from the country. At
II O'Clock Camp $50, United Confeder-
reelected Mr.. w. CT. Hall commander,
Major A. A. Mcclellan adtutant, and
all the other officers on the list.
At 10 o'clock the veterans formed in
line about 125 in number. and were
marched by Commander Hall to the
armory, where they received a very cor
dial welcome from the patriotic women
of the city and county, and were invit-
ments they were hidden TO a bountiful
ments they were hidden a beautiful
dinner. which comprised everything in
a bill OF fare of substantial meats and
delicate pastry, with refreshing drinks;
and. UGH was the abundance, that
much was left over and given away
after the appetites of all had been sat-
isfied.
At Ais o'clock the Independent Light
Infantry, Major j. G. Hollingsworth
commanding, marched from its armory,
headed by the cornet band OF Holt
Morgan Mills village, and escorted the
veterans to Monumental Square. \
pleasant INCIDENT of the day o place
just here. Captain J. a. Mcpherson.
register of deeds, one of the raves
OF Confederate soldiers, who is i'll in
the hospital, was rolled in a chair to
the window, and his old comrades-in-
arms saluted him as they passed. On
Monumental Square, after the render
ing of music by a choir. Major a. A.
Mcclellan, adjutant of Camp So, pre-
scented the crosses of honor to the Vet
Grams in the following excellent ad-
dress:
Fellow Comrades:
1t is hardly necessary for me to say
that L am not before you today to
make a speech, as such a thing would
fDe out Of my line; but my duty, fellow
soldiers, is to assist that grand and
noble organization, THE Daughters
Of the Confederacy," in distributing
to such OF you as have complied with
their requirements a Cross Of Honor.
What are these requirements? First,
the applicant must have been a Con-
federate soldier. Second, he must have
left behind him a clean record. Third,
this must be vouched for by at least
two comrades who knew him when
shot and shell filled the air. Fourth, if
a member of a camp of United Con-
federate Veterans, the application
must be approved by the officials OF
the camp to which he belongs, but as
some are MOI members CI any Cdilp
this 4th condition is not required Of
all.
These requirements and the safe
guards thrown around the diStribu-
ton show that these crosses are not
given you for their money value, but,
my comrades, as you names are call
ed and you come rWard to have this
simple cross pinned upon your breast
by authority of the Daughters OF the
Confederacy, | beg you to remember
that you are being given that which a
kings treasure cannot buy, and that
it is given you as a mark of honor for
trueSt service to your state and coun-
try. Wear it proudly, and when the
last roll is called let it pass as a badge
of honor to those you leave behind.
Now, my friends, my heart, l know,
is white, but L am not an old man like
some OF you, for when the first gun
was fired 1 was but a lad, and so could
not see active service for four full
years as many of you did; but, my
comrades, during the first two years,
when L was too young for service, L
saw many things that could not come
under your observation. Yes, my sol
der friends, 1 saw then your county
and town officials raising funds and
establishing depots for the distribution
Of supplies to wives and children that
= III 1ISSu ~ NLAAo WAC 49, So
even the sight nat impressed me
most: 1 saw the mothers and grand
mothers of his little band of
ters" robbing their homes of carpets
and every possible article that could
be spared to send TO you in the field,
and their pantries and cellars Of every
de!icacy therein for your hospitals
when you were sick. In fact, l think
it more than probable hat l am be-
fore you to-day as the result under
Providence, Of such a shipment dur
ing the summer of 1864; l had been
at home on q furlough. and
when ready to return to my
then in Virginia, 1 found fully a wag-
on-load OF supplies of different kinds,
which it was expected that 1 should
carry back to the regiment. The We'll
don Railroad was in the hands of the
enemy, n it was necessary to go by
Raleigh, Greensboro and Danville, at
which latter place / found it impos-
sible to secure immediate tr~ansporta-
ton, and having previously learned
that it was best for a Confederate sol
der to hold fast to his haversaCk. L
had to stay over in Danvi one day.
and by so doing missed the battle of
Fort Harrison on Sentember so. 1864.
where our command lost more than
one-half Of its number.
To-day, I see gathered around me
the daughters ana u
these noble Mothers of 1S61-1S65'-
gathered here to bestow upon you
these badges of honor.
Do you know, my soldier friends,
that while we may have fired the
guns, it was the noble women OF the
south that fought h war; 1 there
fore, say boldly hat as Confederate
veterans We ave not done our dutv
towards these mob mothers. We
| should never be satisfied until we see,
and our children see. beside yon Con-
| federate soldier, who stands there a
true and tried sentinel to preserve and
| watch over our most sacred memories,
| a companion monument of like size
TO these noble women urging our SOL
| diers on to victory or DEATH"
The line of march was then taken
up to the cemetery. where prayer was
made by Rev. V. G.. Smith, and the
choir sang "Tenting Tonight and
Nearer. My God. to Thee" and Cap
tain j. H. Currie invited the decoration