New-York tribune., 1909-06-20
REBELS" CHEER GRANT
Parading Confederate Veterans
Greet Son of Ci5H Var Victor.

Menophis June IA gray line Of feeble men.
bowed under the weight Of more years than the
Good Book has allotted to the average OF mankind.
MANY indeed being over fourscore. toiled along
Nernnhis streets last week under hot June sun.
Although only two miles of the route of the re-
union parade Of 1909 had been covered. the old
Confederates afoot were already realizing that they
were not so young as In the days when they
opposed their ranks 10 "Sledgehammer' Grant
They had shouted themselves hoarse at Dixie"
and at 'eThe Bonnie Blue Flag" until there was
barely a shout left 20 each corporai's guard-so
they thought. But they were mistaken; there
were thousands of shouts and rebel yells' too
and all for a Yankee.
The old to,-s in gray knew that this particular
Yankee was in Memphis. and they gazed eagerly
at the windows OF two hotels, from one Of which
they were he would view the parade, but ne
was not to be seen. Suddenly there came pause
in the long line. then whispered name and
then a roar. The shouts that had died away from
prre exhaustion broke forth. redoubled. Grant!
Grant, Grant, echoed all down the line. those
a mile away taking it up vehemently as the
other.
General Clement A. Evans. just reelected COM
rnander in chief Of the United Confederate Neter-
ans had after looking in vain at hotel balconies
and automobiles found General Frederick Dent
Grant seated among ten thousand other citizens IN
the reviewing stand.
Here he is bOys.' shouted General Evans, as
he spurred his black charger up to the box that
held General Grant and his nosts. And then there
was a yell that no mortal would have thought
those threats equal To-
Mounted men threw themselves off their horses
and before the hands Of the two generals had part
ed their close clasp hundreds OF others were
thronging the stand TO get az 'SledgeharnIrer
Grants son Il was fully twenty minutes before
the ranks were Strengthened out sufficiently for the
pa-ade 10 be resumed, and then the following vet-
erans in gray made that part Of the street one
uandenoniun Of yeils for Grant
II is well known that the Grants are not easily
moved by outward show, but that General Fred
Grant was deeply touched at this spontaneous trb~
,1+e 10 his father and himself plainly to be
seen both his face and his voice betraying his
emotion as many good wishes We're called 10 him
from hundreds who could not get near enough TO
shake hands
Your daddy was a nghter.' called out one aged
man IN faded gray. Il know it. because fought
him all through the Shenandoah"
and YOU fought hard, too called back the gen
eral II was with my father there ana saw how
,ou could fight" And then there was another yel.
Another bent old man was helped TO the stand
and shook hands
God bless your fathers son." he said you
stav among US for while and wei show you
what we think of him. And we like you for your
self, too, general m
Your father told US 10 go home and go to work!
exclaimed another. And we've built this south
on those words"
And you've built Il well, too" the victors son
replied and tears were IN his eyes by this time
And then the totter1ng line moved on huhdreos
in IL who will never another Juno blessing me
reunion that brought them face to face with the
son Of their bygone foe