The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1909-06-17

| bclock lucsuoN morning the leOg con
vention of the United Confederate Vcte
rams was called to order in the Bijor
Theater by Major-General John II. Nc
Dowell, chief marshal and commander OF
the Tennessee division, L. c. V.
The big thcater was crowded from pit
TO dome" The hum Of myriad human
voices, like the sound of many waters,
flied all the space, merging now ard then
into the blare of brass and the palpitant
challenge OF the drum--or dying out TO
make way for resonant oratory or the
sweet songs OF Dixie IL was pierced
also, now and then, by the famous rebel
YELL as a garment is pierced with the
fash Of a rapier.
The wine of life was poured, rich
with mighty emotion, rare with the i'm.
minent sense of its passing for all time.
Gray-haired veterans, clad in the gray
uniform in which they had borne arms
on many a hard-fought field, filled the
central portion OF the house and surged
in serried ranks upward along the ros-
trum. Comrades leaned across the aisles
or over the backs of their opera chairs
and shook hands in the renewal Of |.
fellowship which began one bright morn
ing in the early eos and, cemented by
suffering and the bloodshed of long cam.
paigns, survives until this day.
Out in the wings old cronies gathered
and retold their tales of other days.
They snapped "reminiscences and wiped
furtive eyes or roared their laughter over
funny happenings of half century ago.
In its mingled gayety and gloom, the sit
uation at the opening of the convention
was like unto that Of the beginning Of
the great civil strife eight and forty
years ago. Women were fluttering about,
making much of valiant men.
The scene Of the opening Of the after
noon session presented a wonderful con.
trast. Gone were the fluttering ribbons
and nodding plumes Of the morning.
Gone the thronging, chattering, applaud
Ing mass Of spectators. Bleak and bare
above the rostrum lowered the tiers Of
snowy seats where in the morning sat
the uniformed rows Of beauties, sponsors
and members of the United Confederate
Chairs. Bleak aud bare behind the par
quet and rearward toward the furtbest
stretch of the ceiling, shone the empty
seats which had thronged and thrummed
with eager and applauding friends in the
Down in the center, well toward
the front, hudlled handful of gray vet.
Grams in gray. Facing them upon the
half-deserted stage were a handful OF
gray-clad officers, whose thinning tenn
pies and deep-lined faces told of battles
waged and won and lost and of the in
evitable approach of final defeat at the
hands of the last great enemy, whose APP |
proaehes are silently but surely closing |
In about them one by one. But there |
was q look upon their faces and a CLEAN |
in their eyes which foretold that, as in
that defeat they suffered when the Stars /
Ind Bars went down in ultimate failure /
when in 1865 "the grinders ceased be.
,auss they were few these uneouquered
md unconquerable heroes would vet.
through faith in their Almighty Captain,
snatch from this approaching discomfit-
are victory that shan be everlasting.
Here and there, when the afternoon
'ession began, weary old veteran might
'e seen nodding in his seat. The faces
# many dropped with pathetic langlor.
The day was very hot, and the excite
nent and discomforts inevitably attend.
ng such gathering were telling upon
hose One-time stalwart frames. They
we're the remnant, shattered and feeble,
4 the mighty hosts of Lee and Beaure-
ard, of Jackson and Johnston-yielding
low, as they had yielded then, TO the in.
vitable, but facing the inevitable with
dauntless spirit.
The singing of the United Confederate
'hoirs was a decided feature of the con
ention. Scores of prettily uniformed
retty girls with trained voices chanting
he songs dear to the hearts of the old
onfeds would have stirred the blood Of
far more phlegmatic people than filed
he Bijou Theater.
After prayer by DIR. James H. Winches-
n, Of Memphis, chaplain-general Of the !
I. S. C. ", Gen. George w. Gordon was ,
ltroduced and spoke in welcome of the ,
ssembled veterans on behalf Of the ex- I
,utiye committee and Memphis yete-
ms. Gen. Gordon spoke with great de- ,
beration and splendid voice, every word !
his address penetrating TO the remot- a
It parts Of the building. His manner
as'very earnest, and he was more than '
nee interrupted by applause. His speech q
as as follows; :
Gen. Gordon's Address. I
Comrades and Countrymen-The hon {
; and pleasure Of greeting you here this d
,autiful summer morning, on behalf Of |
le executive committee Of the reunion D
ID the Confederate veterans Of Mem.