Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1909-10-22
THE DANVILLE REUNION

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The Reunion of the United Confed-
crate Veterans at Danvills on October
18th was in many respects the most
notable event in the history of the
''Men in Gray, certainly the most
notable one in years. Danville ''put on
her glorious apparel for the occasion,
One item alone shows the bigness Of
the people they arranged for GOO gall
Ions of ice cream and only zoo could be
eaten by the visitors.
The trains that came into the city on
the afternoon of Monday were laden
with men gray and grizzled but cheer
full and bouyant, and along with them
were sons and daughters many, all
eager to share in the delights Of the
reunion. The contingent from Tide
water was full, and, as seen elsewhere,
Lancaster carried off the chief honors.
Mayor Wooding in his welcome re-
ferred to the part Danville took in the
Civil War. 1t was here that President
Davis held the last official gathering of
his cabinet after his flight from Rich
mond.
The report of Commander Brooke
showed that seventy-four of the l26
camps were represented at the reunion.
The Sons of Veterans held their first
meeting Tuesday afternoon and effected
organization. The meeting was pre-
sided over by Commander w. G. Pritch-
ard, of Norfolk. An enormous crowd
Of 5000 packed the Ridge Street Tab
ernacle. when the address of welcome
to the Sons of Veterans was delivered
by Eugene Withers, of Danville. The
sponsors and maids of honor were
formally presented by w. Mcdonald
Lee. Other speakers at that session
were E. Lee Trinkle. of Wytheville, j.
Boyd Sears, of Mathews, and Governor
Swanson.
Says the Danville Bee: 'It was an
evening of oratory by the younger men
of Virginia, all sections of the State
being represented among the speakers.
Rarely are so many addresses of such
rhetorical beauty and elegance and such
effective delivery heard on such an
occasion. With two hours of almost
continuous oratory. it is impossible to
attempt an elaborate report of the ad-
dresses, and as their merit and beauty
consisted largely in the chaste diction
and rhetorical beauty in which the
thoughts of the speakers were clothed,
justice could hardly be done them in so
brief reference as is here attempted.
To music and eloquenee the charm of
beauty was added to complete the
pleasure of the evening Massed upon
the spacious rostrum were the many
sponsors and fair maids of honor rep.
resenting the various districts. Vir-
ginia womanhood was the theme and
inspiration Of all the speakers and right
eloquently did they respond to it's in
fiuence."
Few of the thousands who saw the
great parade Of Confederate Veterans
Of Virginia as it moved through walls
of humanity to the music of fife
and drum were aware that marching
afoot in the line with his fellows was
the next governor of Virginia, the Hon.
William Hodges Mann, of Nottoway.
Judge Mann was with the A. P. Hill
camp of Petersburg and was on the
left of the second column of fours in
that command. He need not have
walked. being urged by several to ride
in carriages or automobiles, but he
promptly, though courteously declined,
adding by way of explanation: my
place is in the ranks. / will march
there with my old comrades" And he
did over the entire line of march. The
feature of the reunion was this parade
when 1000 of the old heroes marched
up Main street to the triangle, where
they were greeted by hundreds of schoo
children banked on both sides of the
street, who waved Confederate flags
Sixty young girls dressed in white
wearing gray hats and carrying big
Confederate flags across their shoulders
marched in the parade and gave 6
beautiful drill.
Officers for the ensuing year were
elected at the second days session OF
the Grand Encampment of Confederate
Veterans of Virginia as follows:
Grand commander, John c.. Ewell, Of
Lancaster; first lieutenant grand com
mander, w. c. Whittle, of Norfolk
second lieutenant grand commander
Micajah Woods. of Charlottesville; thirt
lieutenant grand commander, Harr,
Wooding, of Danville; inspector gen
eral. Upton d. Jennings. of Lynchburg
quartermaster general. David A. Brown
jr., of Richmond; grand chaplain, Rev
j. p. Hyde. of Winchester; surgeon
general. DIR. Herbert Nj. Nash, O
Norfolk.
At a meeting of the Sons the follow
ing officers were elected;
Thomas w. Spindle, of Roanoke
grand commander; w. Mcdonald Lee
of Irvington, first lieutenant command
er. and John s. White. of Charlotfas