The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-02
ING SCENES AT THE. CLOSE OF GREAT CONVENTION
md he was elected by rising. silent

md he was elected by n rising, silent
vote.
General Cnbcll ia q native or yir.
Einin, having been born Just across tho
Dan River from Danvllle. He was
educated In Virginia schools and whom
young man went to Arkansas. 10
was there when tho war broke out,
and was among the first to enlist. He
fought the whole thing out, and rose
from the position of captain to briga-
dior general 1t Is said that he had
certain stnying qualities when in bat
tic that reminded his comrades OF
certain tenacious fouf-footed animals
that also have wonderful staying quail
tiles, and 80 they nlcknamed him "Old
Ttge." The nickname hangs by tho
grand old hero yet, and IN Texas, to
which state lie moved some twenty
years ago, everybody nffectionately
calls him "Old Tige." General Cnbell
is as we'll known In Virginia as in
Texas.
Next Meeting Place.
Perhaps tho most exciting event OF
the closing day came with the selcc-
ton of the next place OF meeting OF
the convention and tho grand reunion.
Mr.. ]. II. Kirkpatrick, q young laws
yer from far away Texas, but with n
Virginia name, was i1Foduced. and no
made an eloquent plea that San An
tonic. Texas. should be made tho homo
OF tho next reunion.
He was followed by Judge Norman
u. Kittrcll. OF San Antonio. Both OF
the speakers were eloquent, and with
the Alamo for their text. they pictured
Texan beauty and Texan valor as
things Incompatible and worth trav-
| cling many miles to sec. Judge Kit
trell went so far as TO express tho SOL
emn religious belief that when the
Almighty had completed the stars and
the blue vaults of heaven. aud tho
beautiful fields of earth, He selected
choicest cuts from each Of these, and,
after bundling them together in ono
compact scene of beauty and grandeur,
said. "Here Is Texas, and this conn
pletes beautiful creation"
All this oratory aroused considerable
enthusiasm, but It was evident when
General George p. Harrison, of Ala
bama. mnde his plea for the next re-
union to be held In Birmingham that
tho vets wore inclined to the Alabama
town. Mr. Leland Hume and General
George w. Gordon put Nashville In
nomination. and pleaded for that city.
Vut u "ds e'IU'UI tUdt tHs HSNL WAS
between the Texas and Alabama towns.
When the roll was called and tho
name of Tennessee had been reached
General Gordon withdrew the nomlna-
ton OF Nashville and cast the votes
| of Tennessee for Birmingham. Tho
vote by States. which was taken amidst
| excitement and not little confusion,
resulted In the selection OF Birming-
ham. The vote was finally announced:
Birmingham. 1.s20; San ANTONIO, sl2.
| Before the vote could be announced,
however, General Van zant, tho COM
mander of the Texas Grand Camp,
erose and moved that the election OF
Birmingham be made unanimous, and
| the motion WAS carried with a hurrah
| and a genuine rebel yell"
At the Close.
| The real business of the convention
was now over. but the exercises did
not end then. General Lee said thu
| man to whom was due in very large
measure the SUCCESS of this great re-
union would be ordered to report a.
headquarters Immediately. An officer
brought to tho front Colonel John W.
Gordon, OF this city, and then Captain
J. Thompson Brown. on behalf OF the
general local committee. presented to
| Colonel Gordon handsome loving cup
| as a token OF the appreciation by the
| committee and the people OF Richmond
of the courtesy skill and ability which
| Colonel Gordon. as general chairman.
had displayed in planning and man.
aging the details of this great re-
union. Colonel Gordon accepted the
loving cup and Responded briefly to the
! speech OF Captain Brown
Resolutions of thanks to the people
| OF Richmond, the railways, the news.
papers. and to others, were passed, and
some other minor business was dis
| posed OF. and then Colonel West, Of
Georgia. stepped to the front and said:
| II now move that we adjourn to meet
In Birmingham. Ala. on such day as
tho grand commander shall elect"
| The motion was carried In hurry,
and almost before the old fighters
knew 1t, tho seventeenth annual re-
/ union exercises were at an end.
| The veterans and the men and wo-
1 men who were scheduled as visitors
/ fingered In the big building for an
hour or two to hear the High School
chorus sing the old war songs and to
| hear Kossnich's band play Dixie" and
odd kentucky Home" and Aud Lang
Syne." and Home, Sweet Home" and
all the old-timers that bring tears to
| the eyes and smiles to the faces of the
old time folks.
1t has been q great reunion, and
! among Its greatest features have been
the musical lens that have carried
the "old boys" back to the old times.
Perhops one of the biggest things tho
reunion has done for Richmond and
Virginia has been the reviving of the
| old war songs.
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