The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-23
GENERAL HARRISON
 AGAIN COMMANDER The Old Veterans Had Annual
 Love Feast MAYOR EXUMs SPEAKS Depleted Host Hears Addresses, Songs and "Reminiscences of OIden Days. Very Full Details of the
 Meeting
-AYoR ExUMs SPEAKS

nearly all of whom have passed the 65-
 year mile post, held their annual love
 feast in Birmingham yesterday. Sur
 rounded by daughters and sons and friends, the depleted host gathered in
 a little handful of about 800 brave sur
 vivors at the Orpheum theatre, were fer
 vently welcomed to Birmingham by Mayor l Culpepper Exum and Senator Joseph F.
 Johnston; talked over old scenes and old
 times; paid their regular tribute to the
 women of the Confederacy, and elected
 Gen. George P. Harrison commander of
 the Alabama division once more.
 The convention was called to order by
 Col. Harvey E. Jones. ad1utant general
 and chief of staff, and the Rev. George
 D. Brewer, chaplain general of the Ala
 bama division, delivered the invocation
 The Boys Industrial school band then
 struck up Dixie" and the rebel yell broke out in earnest Tears came to many
 an eye as Flagbearers S. w. Smith of
 Anniston and c. M Sturgiss of the Third
 Alabama. waving the Stars and Bars,
 danced up and down the aisles. Every l head was barred and everyone stood on l his feet to honor the flag which they had followed through four years of bloody l war.
 l However, the most beautiful feature of
 the convention was the singing of the | old southern songs, led by Mrs. Carl W. Leeds, who was dressed as a south | ern girl, wrapped in a Confederate flag 1 The rebel yell called her back three 1 times and the ladies of the Birmingham Oratorio society, who were scattered l through the audience seemed to echo the l familiar words.
 | Those on the stage were: Gen. George | F. Harrison and his staff Generals liar very E. Jones' B. M. Washburn, W W. | Screws, Joseph F. Johnston, F. B. Weth- CTS, David M. Scott. George k. Brewer, W. B. Leedy, Barkley G. M. Grove, | Stanley and Thomas Dorman, besides Gen. E. w. Fucker, N. B. Feagin, C. IT, vine Walker, J. W. Bush and Paul San guinetti
 The Responsive Reading Following the tribute to the flag this | impressive responsive reading was partici- pated in by both the commander and comrades, standing: Commander Harrison said:
 ITO the memory of those who True to the instincts of their birth, Faithful to the teachings of their fathers
 Constant in their love for the state. Died in the performance of their duty;
 Who have glorified Fallen Cause
 By the manhood of their lives. The patient endurance of their suffering, And the heroism of death And who f
 In the dark hours of imprisonment.
 In the hopelessness of the hospital, | In the sharp agony of the field,
 Found hope and consolation
 In the belief
 That they would not be forgotten" The comrade then responded: '"rhese were men
 Whom power could not corrupt, Whom death could not terrify. Whom defeat could not hishonor, And let their virtues plead For just judgment Of the cause in which they perished. Alabama taught them How to live and how to die: She has preserved for her children The priceless treasure of their mem ories
 Teaching all who may claim
 The same birthright That Truth, Courage and Patriotism 1 Endure forever
 l The following tribute was then paid to
 the women of the Confederacy: General Harrison said: Comrades, the women of the Confed-
 eracy! We honor and love the memories
 of their proven worth and bid their sue
 cessors emulate their virtues'' | Answer by the comrades; | God bless the women of the confed-
 eracy.'
 Mayor Exum Speaks l Noting the absence of anyone to repre- sent the state, General Harrison intro
 dueed Birmingnams Mayor | You veterans said Mayor Exum, "ap-
 preciate job. You had a big job and | you did it well. Mine Is to welcome you,
 and, although l am sure a hearty vel come has already reached you, Birmng- | ham teeming with industry, is always | ready to welcome you. 1 'I glory in these occasions and l hope | to see them here every year, as long as l there is one Confederate veteran living. If there is only one, Birmingham will
 welcome him."
 | In closing, the Mayor said:. 'There is nothing in my command that is not yours | for the asking, and if you don't ask and
 can find 1t out, I'll present it to you, | ar--fenV1 tt fl General Harrison then introduced Sem | it.4 Jo. epu r. johnston to speak for
 Camp Hardee, who also introduced him.. l self as Private, Sergeant. Captain John | ston Returning to war times, the sens- | tor told, in figures, how the imported so.- | diers of the federal army alone outnum-
 bered the little band of 500, 900 men en-
 rolled In the Confederate army.
 You came back and you were well oomed as if you brought the trappinss | of victory. If a thousand Confederate | veterans were to appear today In the l streets of Paris or London, the people | there would take off their hats as | tribute to their record as soldiers. | T have taken the oath, and intend to be loyal to the flag of my nation be-
 cause my fathers fought for 1t. but the flag of my heart will always be the stars and bars So lono as there is Confeder- ate veteran in this city Fou will be well come. Birmingham will never grow SC fast that she will not love your tradi- | tions, and we hope that you will live to see the south the most glorious section in the world''
 | General Harrison Responds | Commander Maj. Gen. George F. liar
 rison made the response for the vet erans. He told of his fears last sum mer that the veterans would not De invited to meet anywhere. and his | pleasure in hearing that "Birmingham wants you Knowing that none Of us are boys except in feeling, l reared to | let one reunion pass, and so long as | there is one Confederate veteran that can put my arm around l want these 1 reunions"
 | General Harrison then recounted the | feelings actuating the men who fought | in the civil war. "I contemplated noth- | ing upon entering the army but to strike for defense of my mother and my | sister. Laying aside all const1tutional questions, we need go no further than
 to say that we fought for our homes.