The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-07-06
BOYS WHO WORE THE GREY.

BOYS WHO WORE THE GREY.
1t would torture the brain
And poison memory to dwell again
Upon the pitiless past
When our beautiful flag
Traiied as it were in the dust,
When our Southern men
Fought and failed not
Der red-hot sheets Of lead.
Fought to the last, bereft OF home ties
Loyal and brave, tender and sweet,
True as steel, men that never flinched
When orders came to move.
Onward they swept in battle array
Never quailing mid shot and shell;
Onward they rushed to duty and death
On to the goal of victory.
Onward through the seething
Flames hot as hades.
Men and dew-kissed youths
On toward the right
We Gods, what nerve,
I've often heard papa say
OF the boys who were the grey.
And to-day as catch on the breeze
Dixie borne through the trees
/ turn to picture on the wall
or papa dressed in grey
AS he afterwards told me,
Made when in prison one summer day,
And in the misty Swallowed light
His strong right hand seems to move
And the mobile lips to say
Charge-Onward, charge
Boys OF the Fourth who wore the grey.
JoIE OwNBY CRADDoCK.
The Fourth began with the for
NAL reception of Confederate Vet
Grams and State Militia arriving
from Nashville on the evening of
the Sd. They were m It by DR..
Turner and his associates on the
reception committee and the Union
City Concert Band. The crowds
gathered at the hotels, parks and
clubs. At the park many of the
visitors were entertained with
music by tn e Second Tennessee
Regiment Band OF this place.
The great national holiday was
ushered in by six O'Clock morning
salute from three cannons under the
direction of Captains ID. H. Little
and w. Y Massengill, The crowds
poured 10 on every train and by 10
O'Clock the city was filled wi h
thousands of v;<itors. The recep-
tion committees and brass bands
were all busy meeting the trains.
White-haired Confederate veter-
ans, uniformed aud under arms,
youthful soldiers of the Tennessee
National Guard, pretty girls in
white dresses, crowds of sightse-
ers and merrymakers thronged the
streets and parks of Union City
and made the celebration of the
Fourth a memorable occasion. The
celebration was attended by another
monster crowd Of witnesses.
Probably the last sham battle OF
Confederate veterans was by far
the largest ever assembled in Obion
county. Every train brought in its
horde of pleasure seekers, and they
made the streets of the city almost
impossible. Three companies of
ex-Confederates, led by Capt. John
w. Morton, Gen. Forests old chief
of artillery, arrived on the trains
over the NJ, c. & st. L. and the M.
& o., cheered by the crowds about
the Union Depot and by bands of
music and salvos of artillery.
IDEAL WEATHER.
The weather for the celebration
could not have been better. Not
withstanding the bright sunshine,
there was cool breeze and every
body in good humor and happy.
The refreshment standsdid land
Office business all day long.
Among the prominent people here
were Robt. L. Taylor, Miss Kate
Taylor of Nashville, Miss Mary
Huey of Springfield Miss SUSIE
Gentry of Franklin, Capt. and Mrs.
]. l.. Macarthur of the Soldiers
Home, Mr.. and Mrs. S. II. Stout of
Memphis; Miss Vera Sherron. spon.
sor Company B, Hallum Goodloe,
Asst Secretary of State. and Asst
Adjutant-General Harvey Alexan-
der, Nashville Jno. Sharp, Attor-
ney w. NJ. Mccall, ]. G. r. Adams,