The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-06-17


o'clock Tuesday morning the 1909 con-
vention of the United Confederate Vete-
rams was called to order in the Bijou
1heater by Major-General John II. Nc
Dowell chief marshal and commander Of
the Tennessee division, U. C.. v.
The big theater was crowded from "pit
20 dome" The hum of myriad human
voices, like the sound of many waters,
Allied all the space, merging now and 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. 1t was pierced
also, now and then, by the famous "rebel
yell" as 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 it's passing for all time
Gray-haired veterans, clad in the gray
uniform in which they had borne arms
on many 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 q
fellowship which began one bright morn
Ing in the early COS 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 wonderful con-
trast. Gone were the futtering 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 and bare behind the par
quet and rearward toward the furthest
strekch of the ceiling, shone the empty
seats \which had thronged and thrummed
with eager and applauding friends in the
morning. Down in the center, well toward
the front, hus'dled handful of gray vet
Grams in gray Facing them upon the
half-deserted sta were handful of
gray-clad officers, whose thinning tenn
pies and deep-linedN faces told of battles
waged and won and Nost; and of the in
evitable approach of hnal defeat at the
hands of the last great enemy, whose ap-
proaches are silently but surely closing
In about them one by one. But there
was look upon their faces and CLEAN
in their eyes which foretold that, as in
that defeat they suffered when the Stars
and Bars went down in ultimate failure
when in 1865 "the grinders ceased be-
cause they were few" these unconquered
and unconquerable heroes would yet,
through faith in their Almighty Captain,
snatch from this approaching discomat-
ure victory that shall be everlasting.
Here and there, when the afternoon
session began, a weary old veteran might
be seen nodding in his seat. The faces
Of many dropped with pathetic languor.
The day was very hot, and thl excite
ment and discomforts inevitably attend
ing such gathering were telling upon
those one-time stalwart frames. They
were the remnant, shattered and feeble,
Of the mighty hosts of Lee and Beaure-
gard, Of Jackson and Johnston-yielding
now, as they had yielded then, to the in
evitable, but facing the inevitable with
. dauntless spirit.
The singing of the United Confederate
Choirs was decided feature of the con-
vention. Scores of prettily uniformed
pretty girls with trained voices chanting
the songs dear to the hearts of the old
Confeds would have stirred the blood of
q far more phlegmatic people than filed
the Bijou Theater.
After prayer by DR.. James H. Winches-
ter, of Memphis, chaplain-general of the
u. s. G. ", Gen. George w. Gordon was
introduced and spoke in welcome of the
assembled veterans on behalf of the ex-
ecutive committee and Memphis vete-
rams. Gen. Gordon spoke with great de-
liberation and splendid voice, every word
Of his address penetrating to the remot-
est parts Of the building. His manner
was very earnest, and he was more than
once interrupted by applause. His speech
was as follows:
Gen. Cordon's Address.
'Comrades and Countrymen-The hon
Or and pleasure Of greeting you here this
beautiful summer morning, on behalf Of
the executive committee of the reunion
and the Confederate veterans of Mem