Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1907-05-20
CONFEDERATE REUNION.

IL % caio W pttliCt Anhe aHS w VI
the entire Southland will turn towards
Richmond May 30;b, for on that coca :
sion will begin in the Virginia capital
the seventeenth annual reunion OF the
Grand Camp Of United Confederate
Veterans.
These great gatherings of "Msrs'
Roberts boys" have never failed to at
tract the attention Of the entire union in
the past and Richmond once before has
had the honor Of playing hostess fer the
old soldiers, but the duties that will de-
volve upon her this spring will be OF a
peculiarly novel sort.
In this connection it should be ex-
planned that the coming reunion, In all
probability, will be the last the ex-
Confederates will ever have-that is,
the last interstate affair. Forty-two
years have elapsed since the southern
stars and bars were forever furled at
Appomattox and the soldiers who then
fought with Lee no longer are young
men. The time has come when the
survivors of that dauntless baud have
slmos. arrived at the end Of LIES jour
neY. This they sadly realize. "Let u'
see Richmond once more and die" say
these venerable old heroes eyes,
just one more long trip away from home
and we are DONE"
And so it comes about that this sup
posedly last rally call of the Grand
Camp will bring together thousands aud
thousands who wish to stand again
within the walls of that capital for
which they 80 gallantly fought over four
decsdes ago.
Richmond realizes that the proper
entertainment OF these old soldiers Is
something more than a passing duty aad
a pleasure. She understands that it is
a solemn trust which must be faithfully
and appropriately fulfilled. AS con-
sequence, the whole town is making ar
rangements for the reunion. The City
Council already has appropriated $780,
900 for the occasion and at this writ
ing the l1cal committees have raised
even more, nor will they cease their
canyassing until total sum of S45, 600
is available for the entertainment OF
Richmond's hOnored guests.
Heretofore the reunions of the Grand
Camp have lasted only three days at
the most, but the quondam capital OF
the Confederacy feels that she must
surpass all other southern cities Ia the
matter of hospitality. Therefore her
programme covers five days, and In
cludes a number of notable features
which cannot fail to prove Interesting
to those holding dear the memory OF
the Lost Cause. The exercises will be-
gin Thursday. May 30tb, with grand
parade of the Veteran Cavalry Asso-
citation of the army of Northern Vir-
ginia and the dwelling OF the magnlll-
cent equestrian statue of Gen. j. +.
B. Stuart. Ga this occasion Judge
Theodore s. Garnet Of Norfolk will be
the orator. From the monument grounds
the procession will march to Hollywood
Cemetery where the usual memorial ex-
ercises annually Sc! for May SOih will
take place.
The interim between Thursday aud
Monday will be well filed with BALI,
receptions and meetings Of the Grand
Camp, and on Sunday memorial seryi-
ces will be held in sll the churches.
The greatest aud most spectacular
day of the reunion will be Monday,
June Srd, OF which date the superb
monument 20 President Davis will be
unveiled and the most ambitious of all
the orations delivered. 1t is on this
occasion, too, that the most imposing
of all the pirades will be seen. While
the Grand Camp is meeting in Richmond
numerous other Confederate organize
tons, including the Sons of Veterans
snd Daughters of the ConfederacYl will
also hold their session in the city.