Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1909-06-18
THE REUNION.
Veterans and Ladies In the Great.
est Event They Ever Held.

EST Event They Ever Held.
Clad in the rough gray hcmespun
which they wore in the sixties and
carrying the ancient rifles, 10. 600 United
Confederate Veterans marched ct Mem
phis, Tenn. in what was probably the
last big parade in which they will ever
participate. Some of them wore stray
Cling boards as gray as their uniforms,
and there were many empty sleeves.
The heat was intense-the culmina-
ton of three days of the warmest
weather Memphis has had in years.
The sun beat down pitilessly upon the
asphalted streets and vas thrown back
into the faces of the heavily clad vet
Grams as they marched along. Com
manders of divisions and brigades d.
rected that the older and feebler men,
bers Of their commands should drop
out. But officers reported that they
could find no men old enough or feeble
enough to take advantage of the indul-
gence.
Bands from all over the South, 25 of
them. were interspersed here and there
through the parade, and when steps
Jagged or aged legs trembled, stirring
notes of Dixie" or Maryland, my
Maryland" were sufficient to reinvigor-
ate the marchers. Everywhere were
fags-the stars and bars of the lost
cause.
GIRLS HEADED DIyISIoNS
At the head of each division rode the
sponsors and maids of honor Southern
girls, wore huge crimson shoulder
knots that told Of their proud position,
The uniformed choir girls (some from
Lancaster) rode in floats and created
considerable applause. Following the
regular divisions came the survivors of
Forests famous cavalry corps, gray
clad, with the Haunting yellow trim
mings which denoted their arm of the
service.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans.
several thousand strong, closed the pa
rade. These were headed 10y the COM
handing officers and their stats on
horse. and here again Virginia came in
for great applause.
sALuFRD GENERAL GRANT.
In the reviewing stand, in the place
of honor. surrounded by the Governors
OF three States, stood a heavy, athletic
looking man in civilian garb. his closely
trimmed black beard sprinkled with
gray. The man was Gen. Frederick ID.
Grant, United States Army. son of the
Federal commander who received the
surrender of the Southern army at Ap-
pomattox. Gen. Grant shook hands
with Gen. Evans, head of the Confed-
crate Veterans, and hundreds of the |
old vets.
GREAT DEMONSTRATION.
Governor Patterson, of Tennessee.
delivered the address of welcome TO the
Veterans and it was eloquently re-
'ponded to by Judge Theodore S. Gar.
1ett, of Norfolk.
Immediately before Governor Patter-
ION spoke. Mrs. j. Griff Edwards, of
'ortsmouth, Va, eommander-in-chief
Il the choir, sang Dixie. This
weet faced young lady, with q voice of
'ondrous charm, carrying in her hand
he silken banner of the Lost Cause.
iidsd to the speakers stand. In her
inform OF gray, wearing the three
tars of colonel. she stood a moment: q
len, before she could give the signal
the orchestra, nearly every man on O
he stage stood up. Heels clinked to- n
ether with military precision, and t
ands rose sharply to forehead in mill e
Try salute. But It was when her fresh a
Veet voice trilled out the words of the N
Imous battle hymn that the big dem 81
lstration of the reunion broke out. N
the last words died away there was u
lie of the old yells that fairly split the al
Men threw their hats into b.
e air, Rugged one another, and more b,
an one OF them broke into tears which W
icy made no attempt to hide. The W
invention was q sea of waving Stars W
Id Bars. and the music of the band el
as drowned by the cheers. RI
In the afternoon session of the choir d,
dies and Daughters of Confederacy bl
RS. Edwards received another ovation. I'll
fact it was enthusiasm wherever CT
e appeared. This convention was
esided over by w. Mcdonald Lee, of
vington, Va, who made the response
the welcome from the city of Mem
is. ola
Mrs. Edwards party of twenty-five ST
rginians made the trip and return in ne
special car, stopping off day to visit OF
okout Mountain and the battlefield Nj
Chiclrapoauoa do