The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-08-31
.HUNTIINglgI!E''.I.'SI' { IS S
next REUNION
OFG. a.
Fine NE eting
At Wheeling.

WHEELING Aug. 81. with a
campfire, ope3ot the most enthusiastic
Of the twentyaixth reunion Of the So
ciety Of the Army Of West Virginia.
the thfee-day meeting Of comrades
of the blue. and the gray and the.
younger veterans Of the Spanish war
closed last night. Yesterday was de-
voted to addresses, probably the most
notable OF which was that Of Capt
Thomas Hudson Mckee, Of Washing.
ton, D. c. Col Vance through Illness,
was unable toleaye his room at the
hotel in the mStping. but at the after
noon session presided, though very
weak, and he will leave this morning
for his home in Columbus to recuper.
ate. Col. zeise and the other yeter-
ans, after looking to the closing up Of
various matters connected with the
reunion, will depart, while yesterday
saw the beginning of the exit OF yisi-i
tors from the city.
one Of the stirring features Of yes
terday, too, was the living flag, which
was presented in the grandstand in
the morning, and the young ladies
who participated we're conveyed to the
grounds in special cars on the Trac-
tion line and sang the entire distance;
to the Island various patriotic airs.
There %as large assemhlage at the
Fair grounds yesterday when Col.
Zeise called the veterans to order. He
made a few brief announcements and
introduced the first speaker Capt. ].
M. Vance, Of Ganipolis. BE began by
remasiing upon the absence Of Gen.
vance and followed with a number Of
.littie incidents Of his life, Stating that
the general was too modest to recite
them himself. He stated Gen, Vance
enlisted when a boy in his teens, anu
served through the entire war, and
from that he bnnched into incidents
OF his own career, which began in 1862
and continued to the end Of the wat.
Referring to the Shenandoah cam.
paign, he called IT regular graveyard
from Harpers Ferry to staunton, and
stated there was not much Of leisure,
as the whole campaign was cne of
hard work and death. He referred TO
the fact that many northern solliers
still sleep in the south, while many of
the south's bravest heroes lie in north
ern graves The closer feeling be.
tween the two sections, the absence
of all hatred and the gradual thinning
ranks of theyeterans, were all touch
ed upon, and he closed with the re-
mark that all we're soon going and let
all hope SO hold reunion onthe other
side.
At the session of the reunion yes
terday afternoon It was announced by
Col. Vance that a very cordial invita-
tion had been extended the veterans
to hold their next reunion at Hunting,
ton. The invitation was at once ac-
cepted, and the affair will likely oc-
cur on dates very close to the on 's
that 1t was observed upon this year.
plans for the Huntington reunion have
already begun to formulate, the Hunt
lngton Board of Trade to hold the af-
fair under their auspices, while It IS
barely possible that the Meister band,
which has ben giving such excellent
music during the present reunion. will
be invited to come to Huntington and
render the musical portion Of tee pro-
gramme for the twenty-seyenth annual
reunion Of the Society of the Army of
west Virginia.
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