The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-01
Southern Cross Drill and
BallAttra acted arge.A At.
tendance at Night.
BRILLIANT SCENE
IN BIG B VI /. DING
Hundreds Dance TO Music Of Old
Battle Songs Fair Sponsors B
and Maids 81 Honor and
Mary Aged War
l,iors on the
Floor.

The Southern Cross Drill and the
grand reunion ball. held last night at
the Horse Show Building. was 5assbril-5
liant q sight as Richmond has sevcr
seen. and surpassed In gorgcousneus
tho social functions of Horse Show
week. when society always turns out In
full force. s.
a crowd that packed the seats and
boxes filed the immense building long
before the hour arrived for tho drill
to begin. and watched the arrival OF
tho, veterans. all OF whom, were In uni-
fern. the sponsors, gay in Confederate
colors. and the white. gowned maids OF
honor. VI
8 The main floor was set apart for the
dancers, and no one without special
card OF Invitation was allowed inside
the arena, whichsfor the night became
a. ballroom. Overhead hung the Con-.
iederate colors, with a great array OF
.battlefags and groups OF colnrs Of the
various Sta tes of the Confederacy, III
up with countless rows OF electric
lights concealed In red and white
flowers.
DtstinEuishcd Guests.
At. tho north end the platform was
reserved for distinguished guests and
here sat Miss Mary Custis Lee General
Lee. General and Mrs. Cox. Colonel and
Mrs Richardson. Colonel William Cor.
don McCabe. Mrs. Hyde. Mrs. Edward
p Christian. Mrs. Beveridge. Colonel
and Mrs. Jones. Mrs. Mahone, widow OF
General Mahone; General Gordon, Miss
Harrison. Mrs. John Lee. Colonel j.
Taylor Stratton. Mrs. 1iacgIIl. Colonel
Boiling, Mr.. and Mrs. Edgar Taylor.
! Miss TAYLOR. Colonel md Miss On.
Z Miss hurchill. Colonel I'm r. g ordon,
and many . ot7ifrs. q, III N H i,
delegation from Memphis. with the
lovely young girls who were. TO dance
In the SSouthern Cross Drill.
The veterans! all In uniform. and the
seventeen young ladies all in$ white,
wearing the Confederate stars and
bars as corsage, were greeted with a
great burst OF applause, TOR the "Drlll"
has become part Of the program Of
every reunion. and is the entertainment
which most delights the veterans from
every section OF the South.
Soon others began to arrive officers
Of the army and the State m iltia. some
IN the blue and wh.t" Of the infantry
others In blue and red of the artillery,
and few wearing the blue and ycl-
low Of the cavalry. Tho "Blues'' made
aSsplendid appearance in their striking
whita&and blue and silver dress unl-
forms. and one lady. a colonel OF cav
airy on General Lees staff. insisted
that tho uniform was the most gor-
Eeous in the world, not even excepting
that of the Cars private guards.
Battle OF Beauty.
Beautiful girls of Richmond and
from all parts of the South were pres-
cnt. from Louisiana. Alabama, Mis-
souri, Texas. Mississippi. Tennessee,
the Carolinas. Georgia, Maryland ca CHI
chosen TO represent her State because
OF I her Z, uundisputed u "belleship.".1t Il was
g. battle OF beauty. waged with all
tho daring and skill OF charming wo-
men. and ending with all the honors
OF war when the fair army retired In
the small hours Of the morning after
fearful execution and the slaughter
OF many hearts. The list OF casualties
VIII never be known; the names OF
the victims Will never be recorded, but
kthose who heard the cries OF the
wounded and observed their signals of
" distress VIII bear witness that no mar
escaped without injury. and that many
4 Will carry their honorable wounds to
their graves or more happily to fu-
turc engagement 4 =
Veterans Of many an engagement
Si1u 2t''oi = IHtLH oHe ulSasLcr took cOur
nge and bravely attempted the sieg,
OF an unknown force; but led on 5,
4 tho Wiles of strategy which. like ~,
3 poet, is "born, not made" in woman
5fell an easy prey to the battery a
smiles, supported by volleys of In
tantry fires from eyes trained to deadl,
execution. -
IN the Language OF the gentlema,
who wrote Latin books for unwillin,
students. They came. they saw, the,
conquered" and with a 'mere rlanc
5s Of the eye." according to Beau Brum
mel. Y
Southern Cross Drill.
It was 3 O'clock when the bant
struck up The Girl Left Behind Me-
and outon the floor marched the thirty
three couples OF veterans and Nlemph
girls. With the audience 1t was"a bet
before the line had gotten half aroun,
the arena. for the veterans marchc,
with an air. the manner which belong
only to the men OF the South. and tn
women We're as graceful and charming
as those of Southern song and story.
y What a sight it was! The old war
riors. not one Of whom but had see
his sixty-f1fth birthday. and some VIII
! confessed to seventy-flve years OF pc
rennlal youth; the women. daughter
and granddaughters OF the cavalierl
+ who never grow too old to forsake tn
delights of chj<alry.
Under the command Of CAPTAIN w. ]
McLane and led by General George "
Gordon, the couples marched to tn
strains OF Tho Girl Left Behind Me-
then to the ancient air OF "The Mock
+ Ing Bird" and In n blaze OF slor
ended to tho inspiring musicsof "Dixie
checrcd by the thousands who wey
Snthused by the picture.
Tho Southern Cross drill was dc
ylsed by Lieutenant pugan, OF sout
Carolina, while prisoner atJohnson'
"a Island with 5000 ofsr!s comrades C;ep
"A sral Gordon. whosled last might, wa