The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-09-29

Columbia, S. c., September 81
In celebration of the Red Shirt
democratic victory of 1876 and-t,
quote the language of Commando
in Chief John G. Mobley-"in com
|memoration of the liberation o
South Carolina from lawlessness ant
misrule," meeting of the "Ret
Shutters" was held here today an(
will continue through tomorrow.
The gathering was originally Sc
for the same date in August as the
state reunion of Confederate veter
ans, but General Brooks of the lat
ter organization objected to the pro
posed joint meeting, intimating thai
the Red Shirt meeting smacks Of
politics and pointing out that the
reunion of the veterans should be
non-pOlitical. In announcing the
change of date Of the Red Shirt
meeting. Commander Mobley express
sed Indignation at the charge OF
playing politics. saying in part:
"The greatest bond Of union
should exist between the Red
Shirts and the Confederate vet
Grams. All of the veterans wore
the Red Shirts i'm &c, and it
was a remnant of the men who
followed Jackson and Lee, un-
der the command of the great
general of Confederate cavalry,
Wade Hampton, who composed
a large part Of the army Of
Red Shirts that inspired respect
and fear in the hearts of the
Federals who garrisOned our
state in 1876, and made them
see the handwriting on the
WALL predicting desperate
conflict. And it would have been
conflict that, once started,
would have been on to a finish,
and where the war cry would
have been, Remember the brOk-
en- treaty or AppomattoX, the inn
prisonment of Jefferson Davis
and the dissertation of the
South"
Veterans in Attendance.
Many Confederate veterans are in
at today's reunion, wear
ing the Red Shirt which is the SYM
boil of the overthrow of the So
called "carpetbag government and
the end of negro dominance in the
political affairs of South Carolina.
Many other Confederates, however,
believe that the annual Red Shirt
are unwise and that they
serve to reopen old wounds which
should be permitted to heal.
Meeting of Blue and Gray.
Memphis, Tenn, September 81
Those who have hoped for great
national reunion of Union and Con-
federate veterans beheld their am
bition realized here today, when
thousands of soldiers of the north
and south assembled in Memphis
Tor joint observance of the semi
centennial of the beginning of the:
Civil war; Blue and gray fraternized
as they have never done before and
the Ratchet was buried for all time.
The stars and stripes and the stars
and bars were displayed through
out the city and on an equal plane,
neither above the other.
The committee i'm charge of dec
grafton, at the request of the Mem
phis post of the Grand Army of the
Republic, decreed that throughout
the decorations on all floats the
colors should entwined and equal
prominence given to both. This Or
der was carried out, and Johnny
Reb" and "Yank" joined i'm cheer
ing the banners of the lost cause
and the reunited Union.
Today's big gathering of ancient
ment of leaders of both the Grand
Army and the United Confederate
Veterans, and many men prominent
in both bodies of veterans were
here today. The parade and re.
union will be followed by various
events in behalf of the old soldiers,
including barbecue prepared by
slaves. Nathan Bedford
Forrest, grandson of General N. B.
Forrest, the famous Confederate
leader, has been one of the prime
movers in today's celebration and
visited cities throughout both north
and south to interest the veterans
in the affair.
Ten thousand big southern water
melons have been secured to supply
the old soldiers and their friends.
1t sometimes happens that I'M
faithful servants appropriate to
themselves things that don't belong
to them, but it seldom occurs that a