The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-04-26
THE VETERANS MEETING,
SOLDIERS OF FORMER YEARS
GATHER IN REUNION AT
AIKEN.
Many Interesting Events and Stirring
Speeches During the Day Arouse
Enthusiasm of All.

Enthusiasm of All.
Aiken, April 23.--In the Thcstonc
theatre this morning, with a stage
profusely decorated with tattered BAN
ners and battle-scarred relics Of the
SOS, the annual reunion Of Soull
Carolina division, United CnrCcdcra,,
Veterans. officially op,u"d here.
The trains of last uight brought into
A'krU vast cun"nursc. pf people. while
th"S" ot thi5 morning Increased th,.
stream - ccmcr.. Hundreds II ad-
didOnal arrivals are expected dlu.ira
mo remainder of the Afternoon and
throughout the night, Numbers ur
Veterans arc coming in from Au.,}tst,..
ana othcr parts Of Rchmuud county.
Georgia To- mix and miurle with their
old comrades
seated Oh The stage Of tho tha.tio
when thc literary exercises began this
morning Wvrc numbers OF uiHcial IA
dies and The Daughters of the local
chapter, in addition to a number OF
distinguished men, including Gen. u.
X. Brooks, historian and orator: Gen.
{. Irvine Walker. honorary comman-
der-in- chief Of all the surviving force
of the ConfcdcraoyA Col L. S. Hen
derson, ex-Gov. John G. Sheppard.
Maj. Gen. Il. Hammett league. who is
commander Of the South Carolina di-
vision, and others.
The ushers were unavoidably slow
in seating the 1900 or more people
who filed into the theatre, and il was
not until 1890 o'clock-3O minutes
late--that the curtain went up and the
exercises began. with Capt c. X. Hen
derson, commander of the Barnard F..
Bee camp Of Aiken county veterans,
presiding at the preliminary opening.
AS the curtain rolled up the band
was playing a medley of old Southern
airs and war tunes. merging into The
Bonnie Blue Flag" as the curtain was
raised. This brought forth shout af-
ter shout but the demonstration was
not in the least degree comparable
with that which burst forth from
thousand throats when the band
struck up Dixie"
The presiding officer then sounded
his gavel for order and an invocation
was ordered by inc division chap
lain, Lieut.. Col. +. 50. - r"ris, ID. d..
OF Walterboro.
The first speakt Nae gcrbert L.
Gyles, mayor of Aikru. 5.uo delivered
q general address oi scicome to
Aiken, assuring the vi-....- at Aiken
deemed II a signal o uouoI I'D a pc
culiar pleasure to ua1" IN here.
He expressed, too, t..e nope that they
would remain longer i'm Aiken than
did Col. Fitzpatrick when he encount-
cred here, in 1865, the fighting men
of Joe Wheeler. This brought ap-
plause of appreciation and an under
standing laugh.
welcomir,. ths yet.rars w.. ro,
Daniel & vterdersor 90 chic o;.,. u,a
introduc,,on-or r,th.r HE rroso,,a
tior ,or ha ,,s r,o. .u 49,.
c.a, h.. 60,
cbeers ruie,. NTH -. anno,, -. 49,
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