The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-05-26
GREAT REUNION
OPENS THIS WEEK
United Confederate Vet.
Grams Assemble Here
on Next Thursday
PREPARATIONS
NOW COMPLETE
-------
All Arrangements Made for En-
tertaining Netcrans--City Is
Being Handsomely Deco
rated-Visitors Will
Begin to Arrive
'Io-Morrow.

The seventeenth annual reunion OF
the United Confederate Veterans as
sembles in this city on Thursday of
this week, the first session OF the con-
vention being called to order al $50
A. NJ. at the Horse Show Building.
at the same hour the twelfth annual
reunion of the United Sons OF Confed-
crate Veterans will be called to order
In the city Auditorium and the ses-
slons OF the two bodies. with num-
Der OF adjunct gatherings. State and !
brigade reunions. will continue In Rtch-
mond for five DAYS. the exercises clos
ing with grand rally of Veterans,
sons OF Veterans. sponsors, maids OF
honor, memorial associations and
United Daughters of the Confederacy
at the Horse Show Building on Mon
day evening at o'clock.
Richmond Is the place for Confed-
crate reunion. 1t is here that are
gathered the sacred memories: here
the history OF the wartime clusters,
and hero sleep the holy dead.
General Bennett II. Young, COM
manding the Kentucky Division, struck
the keynote OF the reunion In his gen
eral order to the veterans OF his state.
sons OF the West who are descended |
from Virginia ancestry. to whom the
Richmond reunion would be in the
nature OF homecoming. The soil OF
the State has been enriched with the
blood OF uncounted thousands of the
flower OF American manhood. and TO
the American patriot, be he Northerner
or Southerner in HIS sentiment or his
politics. ther. Is ever something sacred
in the return TO Virginia and to its
capital city.
A Great Occasion.
Probably no city in the land can
give such a reception as Richmond Is
preparing for the gray-coated veterans
from all over the South The reunion
irnarks the completion of two great un-
dsrtakings which have absorbed the
: attention OF the patriotic men and the
even moro intensely patriotic women,
who have given OF the work of their
hands. OF their time and of their
energy to the completion OF the ronu
rnents to the memory of President JEFF
ferson Davis and to General j. f. b.
Stuart.
Both OF these monuments have been
completed and fully paid for. and with
the fund raised tor the entertainment
of the reunion. over sl50.O00 has been
raised for the perpetuation OF the
memory OF the Confederacy. and the
cause for which the South gave so
freely OF its means and of the best
blood of its manhood.
over hundred thousand dollars has
been spent In the two great monu-
ments which, through generations yet
60 come. VIII perpetuate the life and
spirit of the Confederacy Under wise
direction. a sum approaching $4,000
Is being spent in the fit entertainment
OF the surviving veterans. who gather
here, many of them for the last time,
to walk the streets of the city which
for fAir long years they fought to
save.
The undertaking of entertaining
Confederate Reunion Is no small one.
Large gatherings OF Confederates and
their sympathizers have gathered in
many cities OF the South. and large
crowds have gathered to see and hear:
but when the Mayor of Richmond, Hon.
Carlton Mccarthy. rose in the conven-
ton in New Orleans last year and in
vited the veterans to gather here for
their seventeenth annual session, the
enthusiastic reception of the proposal
which swept the convention like a
storm showed that every veteran able
to be moved would again march on
Richmond for a last great gathering of
the clans. The indications throughout
the year have fully justified the re-
sponse made to the invitation. From
all parts of .Ae country come assur-
Hnces of large attendance. Conserva-
tive estimates now range on an at
tendance of from twelve to fifteen
thousand veterans of good standing,
with five or six times as many visitors
Sons. Daughters. members of all kinds
of Confederate associations, and those
who come home to Virginia from all
over the South and West to join in a
good old rebel yell once more.
Chairman Gordon.
Shortly after the last reunion COM
nlittees from the various Confeder-
ate associations here gathered to Sc
lect a general chairman to direct the
work Of preparing for what promised
to be the greatest of Confederate Re-
unions. After deliberation, the choice
fell on Colonel John w. Gordon, an
officer who had seen distinguished SER
vice under General Stuart, and one who
has been ever faithful in his efforts to
pcrpetuate the memory OF the Confed-
cracy With assurances of liberal sup
port from all tie Confederate interests
pf the city, General Gordon undertook
work. aud toit he has given practically
NIL OF his time for the last siN months.
A largo number OF faithful committees
We're at once appointed, and to the
chairmen of these committees is dAo
much of the praise for the careful,
plans and successful execution OF the
preparations t',at lavn been made.
The finance committee have been un-
tiring in their efforts, and the citi-
Eens of Richmond have individually
contributed nearly $4,000 to the re-
union fund, The city of Richmond
supplemented this by $4,000, so that
nfund of about $4,000 has been avail
able for the use OF the various com
mittees, and Its superintendent has
been a matter of serious study.
10 Iintertuln $4,000 People.
The work of entertaining and caring
for the great crowd fell naturally into