The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-07-05

gettysburg. Pa, July In the pitt
less glare of a sun that sent the mer-
curry bubbling over the hundred mark
and made clothes a burden and a bath
only delusion, the armies Of the
North and South today began the
formal exercises set to mark the semi
centennial of Gettysburg.
Veterans to the number of $4,000.
the army officers estimated, filed into
the big tent set apart for the exercis-
es, sat in the haze Of heat for two
hours and shook the camp with their
cheers when the speakers made refer
ence to a reunited nation. Every seat
under the canvas was taken long be-
fore Secretary of War Garrison and
Governor Tener, the orators Of the
day, came chugging up in their auto
mobiles
Although the men in grey we're far
outnumbered by those in blue, there
were possibly a thousand Southern
ers in the amphitheatre, and what
they lacked in numbers they made up
in lung power
When Governor Tenel finished his
speech Gen. Bennett II. Young, COM
mander-in-c chief of the Confederate
Veterans, rose slowly and bowed to
him. II can give you something that
no one else can give you," he said.
I'VE will now give you the rebel
yell'"
Nine famous Confederate generals
and a thousand Veterans of the South
gave it so loudly that it was heard
far back in the camp toward Gettys-
burg. UaA
When Gen. Young stepped forward
to deliver his address he was greeted
with enthusiasm, the Union veterans,
led by Commander-in-C Chief Beers,
giving him three lusty cheers and a
tiger"
He took as his keynote the convic-
ton Of each side in the great strug-
gle that each fought for a principle
which each believed was the truth
One Of his opening statements was
that the Northern soldiers deserved
more credit than the Southerners for
the PRONUNCIATION and successful
realization of the present great Re-
union, which he characterized as the
greatest movement Of it's kind in the
world.
This compliment to the Northern
veterans was greeted with loud cries
OF no" to which Gen Young quick
ly replied: II know Detter than you
do" His speech captured the aud
ience and he was overwhelmed by
handshakes.
Among the two hundred guests on
the platform were Governors Mann,
Virginia; McCreary, Kentucky, and
Eberhardt. Minnesota; Senator Pen
rose, of Pennsylvania, and the fol-
lowing Confederate generals:
Robinson, Texas; West, Georgia;
Thomas j. Shaffer, Louisiana; A. d.
Williams, Florida; E. M. Law, Florida,
and Carr, North Carolina.
The invocation was delivered by the
Rev. George Edwards Lovejoy, chap
lain in chief of the Grand Army of
the Republic. The beneiiction was
to have been delivered by the Rev.
II. II. Hamill. chaplain general OF the
Confederate Veterans, who did not
appear
All through the night the veterans
poured into camp, took graciously of
what small blessings fate passed out
to them for few hours and found
permanent quarters when the hard
pressed regular army officers could get
them ready. Late today Major Nor
moyle, second in command to Brig.
Gen. Liggett, estimated that more
than fifty thousand men are quarter
ed i'm a camp intended to hold forty
thousand.
Through persistent efforts, how
ever, every man has been cared for as
well as possible. Thousands have been
given quarters in the big tent and
hundreds of others in smaller tents
used In the day time for speech-mak
ing and reunions No officer cared to
estimate the number OF Southerners
here There are more than 5000
from Virginia, and it is probable that
one-quarter Of the total number is
represented by the men from Dixie.
Many veterans got no further than
one meal in camp and one look at the
crowded tents and then started back
home as quickly az they could go The
real exodus, however will lot begin