Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1910-05-03
Confederate Reunion In Mobile.

placid bay that bears its name and
empties into the Gulf of Mexico. amid
roses. magnolias and sweet bay. and en-
vironed with historic memories. the Con-
federate keuni on for 1910 was held last
week. The grand men and fair women
of beautiful Mobile gave the old 'boys
in gray" grand, glorious welcome, and
the reunion proved one of the best ever
held. The city was gaily decorated.
hotels and private houses afforded ac
comodations at reasonable rates, and
a field of tents and big dining hall in
Monroe Park. wherh the meetings were
held. sheltered and fed old veterans by
hundreds. The reunion meetings were
exceedingly land oftimes thrillingly) IN
teresting from beginning to end. but of
them we can only give several brief
notes.
Lieutenant Governor J. Taylor Ely
son, of Virginia. presented the Battle
Abbey" report. which showed what pro-
gress had been made in erecting the in
stitute monument in Richmond. Through
the generosity of the citya fine site has
been obtained and out of $2I2.So5 in
hand for this great memorial of the Con-
federacy. $3.50, 900 has been appropriated
for suitable building for which competi-
tive designs are being drawn. The
committee hopes to have the building
erected before the next reunion. The
report made an earnest appeal for
contributions oe portraits, manuscripts.
| paintings and books, or other material
pertaining to the life of the Confederacy,
which will find an appropriate place in
Battle Abbey.
A reception was given at the Scottish
Rite Cathedral Wednesday evening by
the Mobile Chapter. U. D. c., which had
as honor guests four distinguished reun-
ion visitors. among them Mrs. Virginia
F. McSherry of Martinsburg, w. Va,
| president general of the United Daugh-
tiers of the Confederacy. Mrs. McSherry
also delivered fine address to the vet
Grams IN the big reunion tent. In a
heated contest which narrowed down to
the two cities of Chattan ooga and Little
Rock, the latter city was chosen as the
place for the 1911 meeting.
| 1t was resolved that the convention
recognizes the committee i'll charge of
monuments. and will now and hereafter
give 1t all the support in its power to
work It has undertaken of erecting IN
each state of the South at least one
monument to our glorious Women of the
Confederacy.
A message from General Evans was
read in which he took sorrowful leave of
the veterans as their commander and on
account of feeble health declined ALSO
lutely to be considered forI reelection for
another term. Gen. w. l.. Cabell the
venerable commander of the Trans Mis-
sIssippi department, who, while vigorous
of mind is1eeble of body, and who would
have been next in succession. was
supported by two of the officers on the
platform while he put in nomination for
commander-in-c chief Gen. George w.
Gordon of Tennessee. The election of
General Gordon was made unanimous
amid much enthusiasm and by acclama-
| ton. and General Evans and General
Cabell were elected honorary command
ers for life.
OF the former Charles I own boys.
Arther w. ('Sunshine") Hawks. Thos.
| A. Redman and Theodore w. Dooley
were there, and Col John H. Leathers
of the famous Stonewall Brigade a
former Jefferson comfy boy, was one
of the leaders of The Kentucky delega-
ton.
In the sunshine of glorious April
day, and to the acclamatons of dense
| crowds assembled at all vantage points
and lining two miles of decorated streets,
the rapidly thinning line of gray remain
ing of the army that fured its banner in
AOODt obd1 AiOSCd luS lWeHtlSlH
reunion of the United Confederate Vet
Grams with parade that will live as one
of the great occasions in Mobiles history.
Many bands of music gave out notes of
the loved southern airs. to which gray
haired veterans stepped out brskly al
most as in days of yore. The Virginia
md Wact N,ro,;,,;o
evasion all along the line. and one old
lady along Government street exclaimed
as they passed. That is the best look
ing body in the parade" The Mobile
Register aptly says; Although the years
have passed and have made their mark
upon the heroes who fought the battles
of the South, there is life and vlgor in
quite host of these wonderful old fell
lows. and their parade is still imposing
in numbers and aboundlng in enthu-
SiaSm."
This last section of the parade was
made up of the Sons of Veterans and |
their sponsors and ehaperones and al
though very few of the officers of the
organization were mounted this part of |
the column made as effective a dem.
onstration as the Others
The reunion OF 1910 ended in a blaze
of colored fire and whirl of gaiety-the
parade of the Order of Myths and the
grand circulating ball in honor of the
sponsors and maids of the soldiers of the
South Crowds that seemed to fade
away as if by magic following the parade