The Tupelo journal., 1909-06-18

and heard my message. ! want to listen
to yours. Let me hear it again as YOU
have all heard it SO often in the charge.
Let me hear the rebel YELL"
And didn't they yell7
You could hear Jackson's legions thun-
dering down the slope and catch the dust
of Forests brigade gathering by like
a whirlwind in that yell. It came again
and again, circled three times from the
pit to the very peaks Of the roof of the
great building and died away in a hum of
laughter and approval that bordered
upon tears.
As Gen. Evans took his seat amid a
storm of applause following the giving of
the yell, which by the way got the dear
old boys into good trim for enjoying the
rest of the proceedings and "limbered
up" the gathering nightly, the cheering
broke out afresh and was caught up from
the -four corners of the building by the
great audience and tossed back and forth
in a storm of applause. Gov. Patterson
was seen moving smilingly toward the
center of the stage.
The Governor was gracefully intro
duced by Major-General Mcdowell, and
was cheered again as he stepped forth to
deliver his address. In the meantime,
however, the choirs in the rear had Gre
ated a diversion by breaking into the roll
licking song of "Dixie," a song that never
fails to find vociferous response from
any American gathering, North or South.
The solo was rendered by Mrs. Ed
wards, and the instrumental accompani.
ment was given by Saxby's band. The
introduction to the song was one of the
most picturesque and startling events OF
the convention. At the right of the so
loist, just at the center of the tiers of
seats on the back of the stage occupied
by the chairs, a jaunty little maid in
crimson uniform arose and sounded "as-
sembly" upon the bugle. 1t was Miss
Beatrice Bingham, of Memphis.
Deliberately, clearly, with exquisitely
modulated cadence, the notes of the wei,
known call rang out as the choir with
one motion arose in its place. And be
fore the breathless audience could guess
what was coming next the whole hun.
dred or so of them had plunged into the
soulstirring challenge of Dixie's strains
1t was several minutes before the aP
plause died down and Gov. Patterson
was introduced and began his address.
Gov. Patterson is one of the great ora
tors of the South. Of commanding pres
ence and powerful voice, he never speaks
without delivering a message. There
was considerable disorder in the hall as
he began, for the enthusiasm stirred by
the song and by his own appearance had
stirred the people deeply; but in a few
moments the house was absolutely quiet,
and until the peroration with its ringing
sentiment swept them off their feet the
great gathering gave him the most fiat
tering attention saving when the feeling
evoked by his sentiments provoked them
into stormy applause, as it frequently
did.
At the close of Gov. Patterson's az
dress the Confederate choirs scored an
other success in the song, Maryland, My
Maryland" This evoked generous aP
plause, ending with the real old rebel
yell, following which Major-General Nc
Dowell turned over the gavel to Gen.
Evans and the conversion went into the
transaction of business.
Gen. Evans read his annual report,
which was received with many express
ions of approval.
Gen. Clement A. Evans introduced the
annual orator of the United Confederate
Veterans, Gen. Theodore S. Garrett, of
Virginia, whose grafton was one of the
most profoundly optimistic and scholarly
ever delivered before that body. Gen.
Garrett spoke with a powerful voice and
perfect enunciation. The interest &C
corded him was all that the most exact
ing orator could have demanded. 1t was
peppered and sailed literally with ap'
plause.
Following Gen. Garnett's grafton, Sax
by's band rendered a medley of Southern
airs, and Gen. Evans was about to intro
duce the next speaker, when some old
Confederate cried out:
'Dixie! Give us Dixie!"
The cry was taken up. 1t came from
all quarters of the house. Prof. Saxby,
who was in the act of taking his seat,
wavered, smiled, and with indulgent good
humor, lifted his baton. The strains Of
"Dixie" crashed upon the tumult and
strove with cheers for pre-eminence.
Maybe the old boys in gray don't like
'Dixie!"
Col. Lewis Guion, of New Orleans, was
then introduced, and appealed e~loquently
to the veterans and their friends to take
up the work of erecting suitable monu.
ments to the brave Confederate dead,
citing what had been accomplished in
this direction by the Federal survivors Of
the war. He admitted the disparity in
financial means between the two sections,
but urged that the people of the South
should do what they could to p%erpetuate
the memory of their heroes before the
last of them shall have passed away.
Col. A. j. Harris, of the monument COM
mittee, read his report. Col. S. A. Cum
ningham, of the Veteran, spoke briefly
on behalf of his publication, and the con.
~vention adjourned until Wednesday.
Carries Flag He Bore Through Battles.
Bearing the flag he carried through a
score of the hardest battles of the war,
A. c. Presley, of Monroe, N. c., color
sergeant of the Forty-eighth North Caro-
lima regiment, is attending the Confed-
nrofo royp;op boro