Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1909-06-17
S. D. LEE MONUMENT
PRESENTED BY GEN. EVANS;
ACCEPTED BY GEN. GRANT.
Occasion Drew Together Thousands
Of People at vieksburg Sew
sral Patriotic Addresses.

Neksburg, Miss.-Ths scene Of the
Confederate Veterans reunion was
transferred from Memphis To- Nicksburg
Friday, and several thousand OF the old
soldicrs who followed Lee in the sixtic.
witnessed the unveiling OF the heroic
statue to zen. stephen Dill Lec. The
splendid monument stand. IN the Ma
tional Park, upon the exact spot from
which Gen. Lee directed the movements
Of his troops during the siege OF Nieks-
burg. Ii was the iavorite spot In the
heart of Gen. Lee, who, until his death.
was eommsndsnt of the park and pre-i.
dsnt OF the park commission.
Vieksburg had been preparing for the
desiication for months. The town va.
saily decorated with flags and bunting.
the stars and Bars and the stars and
STRIPE. always entwinsd.
Maj. Gen. Frederick Den; Grant, com
mandant Of the department Of the aks-.
United States army, accompanied by
Mrs. Grant and his staff. with Col. Hen
~ Watterson, OF Louisville. arrived
Thursday night. Gen. Clement 4. Ev.
ans and his staff reached here Friday
morning. The parade formed at p. M.
and, headed by Gen. Grant and an es-
eort OF United States csvalry. proved
ed TO the National Parh
The Warren Light Artillery 6red
generals salute. and tsen Col Henry
Watterson called the assembly to order.
The aged editor was evidently suffering
from the intense heat. but his eyes
bcamed and his voice rang out clearly.
a. he briefly outlined the purpose Of the
meeting. lie took for his subject The
Reunited sections"
Upon taking the chair as presiding Of
ficer, Mr.. Watterson said;
Standing by the Father Of Waters,
let me first give thanks 70 Cod that.
from the Fails Of 1T. Anthony to the
Gulf Of Mexico it flows through an un-
broken succession of American states.
at once chain and an emblem OF per
petual union between the North and the
South.
It was 10 gain this outlet to the ses
that we acquired the Louisianas OF
France. II was to keep it open that the
yeomen of the great s;ortbw..t took
the feld. The purpose te close it proved
an error Of far-reaching magnitu ude; but
If il b. true. a. Cibbon tell. n. that
-Hi.torv !. HttIe nore than In. regis
ter of the crimes. folles and misfor-
tunes of mankind rb.t must mo, all
of M have tn an.ver for wh., reason
come. to IN. snaI disposition Of m, fact.
Of . conflict which even now hsfs.,
phiIo.ophv. b..,,u-e the So,,th fore-
doomed ,o defeat ,i.k,d all .nd had
everything tn hose. tn. wonder h4in,
and the aIory. that a.ain-. surh odd.
the seIf-e1pfi.nt hut vana,,i.h..d ard van
i,bed Copfeder.ev vas sble to hold out
40 long.
Those Of NJ ,xbo survive that dread
ordeal are old men no,. and each an
ntal roll call briuys 70. fewer of m to-
,.etb.r Presently. thur, will remain
amop, tn. Iivin, not On. xho Tough, a,
either .ide Uap,x- tb.,se ,rko have b.eu
spared to look uTon a land never agair
20 be wet bv fraternal blood. aud a pes-
ols reunited sor.y.r il, hand and hear,
IN. mvstie chords Of memory. stretch
inc from every battlefield and natrio,ie
grave 10 every living heart and hearth
stone touched long ago by the angels
of our better natur. .velI .t last IN.
universal chorus Of IN. Union. the MEM
ory of deeds of kindness and of valor
done; Of a common blood and race: for,
impossible as the line OF fire seemed, We
were one people then, and We are on
people now, the war OF sections a mutual
and blessed heritage.
After the unveiling of the statue. Mr..
Watterson. a. a prelude TO the iutroiuc-
tion Of Lieut.. Gen. Clement 4. Evans,
who presented il, in the name Of the
Confederate Veterans, and Mai. Gen.
Frederick ID. Grant. who accepted it On
behalf of the government and the army,
and the Hon. George II. Peek, Who de-
lyered the Grafton. said:
Il have declared that We are one p~o-
pie. No air lines. nor water lines, nor
isothermal lines. separate Us into geo