Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1912-05-15
OLD SOLDIERS
!. WERE HAPPY
Excellent Address Made by
One of Edgefield's Dis
tinguished Sons.
A GOOD DINNER SERVED
Ex-Gov. Sheppard Presided Over
the Meeting With Charac-
teristic Dignity. ''Vets"
Well Pleased.

May 10th, the day for the annual
reunion of Confederate veterans,
dawned bright and beautiful with
every environment favorable to the
comfort and entertainment of the
veterans who were the guests of
honor on this occasion.
At one o'clock promptly, about
sixty veterans from various sections
of our county began to assemble,
together with the Daughters of the
Confederacy, who were the e'hostesses,
and the gentlemen they had invited
who had really furnished the feast
itself if not the thought that pro-
duced it, and in the grove adjoin-
ing the Baptist church all were
seated after the benedictionIby DR..
NJ. D. Jeffries. .oa..sssGz1sszz.as;
The first course, served in trays,
consisted of sliced bread, sand
wiches, meat, pickles, salads and
coffee; the next served separately
was the very best of pies, cakes,
tarss, md 1emonade. a general
good time was enjoyed, and every
body was in kindly humor with
themselves and the world at large.
At two o'clock the veterans,
Daughters of the Confederacy, and
the large crowd of Edgefeld peo-
pie came together at the Baptist
church to do honor to the Confed-
crate dead, and take sweet and sad
pleasure in the exercises. The fol-
lowing program was carried out:
Ex- Gov. John G. Sheppard, in his
Characteristic and dignifed manner,
presided at the meeting, and called
upon Rev. E. G. Bailey of the Pres
byterian church to make the open
ing prayer. This was followed by
an organ prelude by Mrs. Mamie N.
Tillman who was iu charge of the
musical program. Singing in
Gods Acre" was a beautiful vocal
solo, with .pipe organ accompani-
ment sung by Mrs. J. r. Tompkins,
and another very appropriate musi-
cal number, Silence! Holy Mem
cries Cluster" by the choir was
much appreciated by the large and
sympathetic audience. A generous
collection was taken for Shiloh mon
ument fund, in response to Mr..
Sheppard's very wisely made plea
for this cause, and the school chill
dren sang the "The Bonnie Blue
Flag" Mr.. Sheppard, after max
ing appropriate reference to the
origin1--s.sl permanency of Memorial
Day, what it typifed, as we'll as
paying first tribute to the veteran
present, introduced to the audience
one of Edgefeld's native sons,
whom she had loved long since, and
lost awhile" Gen. M. L. Bonham
now of Anderson. Even the young
er generations in the audience de-
lighted to hear him tell, as if he
really saw it again, in fancy, the
scenes of other days, the old church
and the faces once full of life and
courage and hope, now lying in the
grave yard hard by. He must have
been deeply impressed with those
scenes in his boy hood to so vividly
recall and express them. 1t was re-
marked that Edgefeld could pro-
duce orators for all occasions, those
who had first seen the light on her
soil. If they are not now her citi-
zens, they have been, and will al
ways return at her call.
Crosses of Honor were delivered
to about fifteen veterans, in short
talk by DR.. M. D. Jeffries. The
exercises were closed with prayer by
Rev. J. r. Walker of the Method,
ist church. Committees from the
u. D. G. distributed in both ceme-
teries of the town wreaths which
were placed on graves of all vete-
rams, and the monument to the "un-
known dead" was also decorated
for the occasion.
This reunion and Memorial Day
has become an institution in Edge