Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-06-02
VETERANS LOYAL
TO PRESIDENT
Former Confederates Join
In Prayers for the
End Of War.
BLESSINGS OF PEACE
Sons of Men Who Wore the Grey
Echo Spirit of Men Who Faced
War Half a Century Ago.

Richmond. June. 2.-Pledges or
snnnort to the President of the UNI
tod States ain these perilous times
and prayers for righteous peace OF
+he world characterized the opening
here of the twenty-ffth annual re-
union of the United Confederate Vet
Grams.
tn the tunes of "Dixie." Garry Me
Back to Old Virginia" and "Stone-
wall Jackson's Way" thousands OF
wearers of the grey from all parts OF
the Southland marched through the
gaily bedecked streets OF the old
capital of the Confederacy to the
City Auditorium.
Braving driving rain and raw
wind as light-heartedly as when they
marched under the Stars and Bars
fifty years ago, the 1000 veterans
hrayed discomfort and inconvenience
and there was no damper upon the
spirits of the Veterans and Sons OF
Veterans.
with the first strains OF music the
four thousand who gathered IN the
city found it impossible to repress
the selling tides Of emotion sursihg
I'D within them, and they did not try.
The rebel yell was uttered from near
~ every throat.
Inspired as they filed into the hall
bv hundred of "Stars and Bars
waved aloft by a concourse of boys
and girls, the aged survivors Of the
armies of the Confederacy pranceo
and shouted themselves hoarse, later
displaying boundless enthusiasm al
the sight of black clad little Wo-
man, the widow of General j. E. b.
Stuart, cavalry hero Of the South,
who was presented to the assem- r.
In the midst of their acclaim OF
the Confederate cause, and while the
rebel yell was being sounded, there
came to the session of the conven-
tion a letter asking that a prayer Tor
peace in the warning nations of Eu-
rope be uttered at some time during
every day of the veterans meetings.
The letter was signed by Mrs. Nor
man V. Randolph, Mrs. Archer An
derson, Miss Sallie Archer Anderson,
Mrs. Charles E. Boiling, Mrs. Chas.
o. B .Cowardin, Mrs. Abbey NJ.
Gwathmey, Mrs. Edwin A. Ezekiel
Miss Annie Christian and Mrs. }.
Taylor Ellyson.
In a voice strained with the emo
tion of remembered things, AdJu-
tant-General Mickle read thesimple
message. The letter said that the
people of the Confederacy could un-
derstand better, perhaps, than could
other people the stress which the
people of Europe are now undergo
ing.
In his address of welcome on behalf
of the veterans of Virginia, Judge D.:
Gardiner Tyler, son of President John
Tyler, struck the note of the spirit
which made possible the generation
of the Confederacy and its regenera-
ton today. He compared the trials
and sufferings of the people of the
South with those which Belgium. the
buffer land of Europe, has so recent
/ ly undergone. 1t is in such spirit
of immolation, he said, that the re-
public will ever find its surest de-
fense, and if ever the dream of uni
versal peace shall be realized, it vii!
| be due to the acceptance of the ma
tions of the principles for which the
! Confederate soldiers fought and
i died.
The grand parade which will be
held tomorrow will be, the closing
| scene of the reunion.