The Washington bee., 1911-09-23
BAPTIST GATHERING
The Largest Gathering in its
History
MANY PROMINENT PEOPLE
NATIONAL BAPTIST CONVEN-
TON.
What The Bees Special Correspond
ent Saw.
BvM. c. Maxfield
Piftsburg. Pa. Sept. 10.


Pittsburg. Pa, Sept. 10.
In nv annual tour for observation
and instruction. I could not have Wis
tied Pittsburg at a better time than
this week during which time there
met in this city TWO great national
conventions The Union Veteran
Legion held It's 20th grand encamp-
ment. The grand parade OF this or
ganizatiOn took place on Wednesday,
September IS. starting from its head
quarters at the Fort Pitt Hotel.
The qualifications for membership
recurring a service of two continuous
years in the United States Army
during the civil war or a discharge
by reason If wounds received in the
line OF duty.
Ny patriotic heart was delighted
beyond description when I saw the
white and black men of iron side by
side carrying the banners OF the 9th
and 18th Corps. II will be remem-
bered that black men, with daring
sacrifice and with patriotic achieve
ment, carried these flags Of our COun-
Try to marial glory at Petersburg,
Va, on the dreadful days on June IS
and July 90, 1904. The sacrifices OF
black men fighting for liberty and
the Union, from the 9th and 18th
Corps, in the two days named, were
more than a thousand killed, wound
ed and missing.
[ was also more than glad to see
marching in the line some colOred
men belonging TO the gallant old 43d
u. s. colored troop. This regiment
volunteered and was made up in
Philadelphia, Pa, in 1868. A large
number of the men were ex-slaves,
who came from Maryland and Vir-
ginia
When the true history of the battle
of July 80, 1864. IS written, the 43d y.
S colored troops will be given the
honoTs for the greatest achievement
of any regiment IN the battle of the
Crater on that dreadful day. The
A3d L. s. colored troop IN its first
charge captured two flags and two
hundred prisoners This regiment
was a part OF the first brigade, OF
the Fourth Division, 9th Army Corps
The Fourth Division of the 9th Army
Corps was composed entirely OF col
ored troops. consisting of nine Tegl
ments, all OF which were engaged
IN the battle OF July 80, 1904, at Pc
tersburg, Va.
The Division was commanded by
Gen. Ewd. Ferrero. and the FRS
Brigade was commanded by Col
Joshua Siegfried, of Pennsylvania
and the Second Brigade was com
manded by Col Henry Thomas, o
Maryland
When | saw the brave old veterans
carrying the banner OF the 18th Army
Corps. my mind ran back over
period OF forty-seven years, when tht
Third Division 18th Army Corps
consisting OF the First L. s. COloreC
Troop. the Fourth. Fifth, Sixth
Twenty-second the Fifth Massachu
setts ColOred Cavalry, and Captain
Choats' Colored Battery of Artillery
these troops, SIX colOTed regiment
and one colored battery, went int
action June Is, 1904, and captured tn
line of works from No. ! to II, con
tanning seven pieces of large artillery
at a sacrifice in killed, wounded ant
missing of nearly 700 men. Thi
same Third Division, with COlore,
troops, at New Market Heights, Va
on September 20. 1864, captured
line OF works at greater sacrifice Ol
diving black men covered a space 0
only 900 yards long.
Current history is sadly silent Ol
these bright pages of colored Ameri
can valOT.
II is therefore hoped that the youn
colOred American Will be stimulate
to a higher standard of patriotic Ell
deavor and to love with more SINGER
ity for the flag of our country, whic
has cost so much in Self-SacrihCe I
save
had the honor to follow thes
brave legiOns of liberty TO the newly
erected memorial hall, built at a COS
Of S., 100000 as a monument to UniO
soldiers of Allegheny County, wh
gave up their lives for liberty an
Union during the war from 1901
1905. This memorial hall IS the grea
est temple on earth built in honor {
men who died for Liberty and uniol
II is a marvel in its conception, with
seating capacity of $500. The helgl
from the floor to the ceiling Is
feet. fanked with pillows and Hgl
descending from windows betwee
them 70 the floor below Grand Arm
Post rooms surround the building {
the first floor, the banquet hall,
grand seating capacity of 1000, wit
elevators leading thereto, and ais
rooms and library on the secor
floor. The pillows on the right of Il
entrance TO this grand temple ha7
these words inscribed thereon:
Erected by the people of Allegh
nv County TO express to poster
their appreciation Of the courage al
LOYALTY to the government and Il
devotion to freedom of the soldie
and sailors who enlisted from th
county and fought TO maintain Il
American union, IS6I-I865."
There is inscribed on the left of Il
entrance some Of the immortal wor
If Abraham Lincoln, one of our grea
est and best Americans. which rea
-, as follows.