Lower coast gazette., 1909-06-19
REUNION
TEARS AND CHEERS GREET THE
OLD HEROES.
Singing of "Dixie'' Sweeps the Great Gathering VII
Its Feet-Speeches of Eloquent orators Aoo
to Remarkable Demonstration.

his. has been assigned to me. And per- IT
nit me to say that | esteem this o "
esy to me as an exceptional distinction, y
or | am always proud and happy to '
meet and to greet the friends and COM :
AIDES of five and forty years ago. A l.
King, much less my humble self, might V
we'll be proud to stand uncovered before {
The venerable fragments Of as brave and
heroic armies as ever stormed a citadel, I
fought q battle or won a victory.
Representatives from every battlefield I
from the Potomac to the Rio Grande are
here. The followers Of Lee and john
ston, Hill and Gordon, Of Stewart and
Hampton. are here. Soldiers who fol-
lowed the two Johnsons, Bragg, Beaure-
gard, Hood, Polk, Hardee, S. D. Lee,
Buckner, Cheatham, Hindman, Walthall,
Cleburne and CRANBERRY, Forrest, Wheel
er, Morgan and Van Dorm, are here. He
roes that carried the flags Of Kirby
Smith and Price, McCulloch, Cabell and
Marmaduke, are here, as also, perhaps,
seamen who were with Semmes, Matfet,
Buchanan and other naval celebrities.
! What floods of heroic memories rush
upon US as these names and the valiant
exploits of the men they commanded are
recalled.
Il welcome and bow to the revered and
honored remnants Of armies that fought
battles and won victories when bare
footed, ragged and hungry. And we
would marvel that men of such mold
could ever have been vanquished, If we
did not know that they were finally over
powered more by the vast preponderance
OF numbers and than by gener-
alship, courage and prowess; more by
famine than by fighting. For four try.
ing and sa~nguinary years you maintained
your cause against odds that would have
driven the armies of Wellington or Ma
. poleon to despair. 1t required four Fed
. eral soldiers, who were better armed, bet
ter fed, better clad and better provided
in every important respect, four Ions
!. years to overpower one ragged, barefoot
g ed and hungry Confederate. When tn
disparity Of men and means, in wal ia
t c~ilities, appliances and resources of al
kinds, are considered, it must be admit
q ted that the South made a gallant fgh
in defensce of her right to independence
IT. l congratulate the survivors Of her pas
v ing armies not only on the gallant fgl
d they made, but upon the justice Of the
70 cause. Though self.interest and pow'
denied US separate independence, tt
+. principle for which we contended ST
10 lives in the right of self-government.
Of also congratulate you that the young
generations of this country and the pc
% pie of the world generally are beginni'
IN. to understand the issue involved in o
he great interstate war. Already the tru
N. of history is coming our way, and it
no not improbable that some of us will II
re to see our historic vindication TRUMP
I'm ant and complete.
in 81 have the fullest faith that poster
IRA will honor and perpetuate the story
ire your Just and heroic struggle, and thou
be. our hearts are beating slower than tn
red did in the wild, stirring days OF oil
ct. years, every throb is a conscious memo
in. of a right and and an honorable eau
At. No right cause can ever die. Final
). comrades, I have no language strt
BON enough and ardent enough in which
ght greet you here today.
"Again I salute you and bid you TIL
,or. welcome to the hearts and hospitali'
lite, of your friends, comrades and count
md. men here. Every flag that floats in
non city, every streamer that adorns a bu
hey ing, every blast from horn or bugle,
hle. every shout that rends the air, procla
ure. a welcome to the veterans"
ling Following Gen. Gordon's speech, Ma
in. James H. Malone, of Memphis, was
With troduced and delivered an address of
come on behalf of the city Of Memphi
rate Gen. Evans was introduced, and
con. more the cheers of the great assemb
med broke forth as the g~rizzled commando
tinc chief of the United Confederate Vete
old arose from his seat and approached
d of speakers stand.
filed Gen. Evans spoke deliberately.
seemed as though he were rather SEE
ches. inc faces of his audience for fashe
the recognition than appealing to them o
was wise. One looking and listening rect
: the the impression rather of a persona,
q ex. peal than Of a message to his audi
vete- It was as though the commandments
I de. were searching for the clcw which "
word let him into the heart of hearts OF
,mot- and every gray-uniformed veteran b
amer him. If the impression was correc
than was not long finding the respons
sought. It rippled out in cheers {
stepped forward to open his speech
Numbered in the pit when he ma
hon feeling a%llusion to the privations
. thi, dangers which bound them all toy
alf Of 1t came forth like a paean when he
union before them at the close and said:
Mem Now you have listened to my