Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1916-10-10
LETTER OF GENERAL
HARRISON TO VETS

: signed to correct some misapprehen-
= sion as to the meeting of Confederate
eterans in 1917, in which he says:
Regarding the approaching reun-
ion of Confederate Veterans at Wash
ington, D. c., as an occasion of great
importance not only to the South, but
ia our common country, and desiring
that this the first meeting of our or
ganization ourside any of the Con-
federate States may be properly I'M
derstood and appreciated, l would
thank you to publish the following let
ter from Col Hilary A. Herbert, which
gives the facts. I heartily indorse the
sentiments therein expressed and ap-
peal to my comrades to continue to
march in the lines marked out for
us by the immortal Lee"
Col Herbert wrote as follows:
Ever since Appomattox it has been
apparent that in an irrevocable union
the welfare of the South and the hap
piness of the whole country could be
obtained only by the restoration OF
good feeling between the sections. To
this end l have tried to do my part,
both in and out of Office, and l was de-
lighted beyond measure when | saw
the enthusiasm with which, after hay
ing accepted the invitation to Wash
ington, our convention selected you as
its president Under your control, l
feel assured that the visit of the Con-
federates in 1917 to their national cap
ital will be the climax OF that good
feeling between the North and South
that has been brought about largely byI
such COnfederates a Generals Gordon
and Stephen D. Lee, and the various
reunions between the blue and grey
that eliminated in the great meeting !
at Gettysburg in 1918.
"At Birmingham one of our leaders, |
who has himself done his full share in
this great work. and who made a great |
speech in that Gettysburg reunion, ex-
pressed to me the fear that the out !
come of the proposed visit might turn
out to be an attempted reunion of all /
the blue and all the grey, in which !
case he feared some unhappy friction
might result, as there are still irrecon-
cilables both North and South. But as
you and l have always known. this |
movement has never had in view any
such purpose. Col Andrew Cowan.
the originator of the movement, and
ell the Union soldiers who voted for
his resolution, understood it just as
do you and l. and the civic authorities
Of Washington, who are to be our
hosts.
Colonel Cowan was a gallant COM
mander of artillery in Hancock's corps
Of the Union army, and particularly
distinguished himself in the battle of
Gettysburg. Since the war he has be-
come commander of the Loyal Legion |
of the Union Army and has been made |
an honorary member of the Orphan
Brigade Of Kentucky, Confederate Vet
Grams at Louisville, where he lives.
During the grand parade of the G. A. |
+. in Washington last October, Col. |
Cowan moved at camp fire of the |,
Hancock Corps association that the
Confederate Veterans be invited by
Washington to hold their 1917 reunion
in that city, the invitation to be carl
ried by me. The resolution, put byl
Col. Myron H. Parker, of Washington
City, president of the association, was
unanimously carried, and the invita-
ton was subsequently extended, as you
know, by the civic authorities of Wash,
ington, and was accepted at Birming,
ham.
Col. Robert N. Harper, of Washing
ton, now acting for the city authorities,
recently wrote me an enthusiastic let
ter on the subject. which 1 sent to Col
oDel Cowan, and in reply I have from
Colonel Cowan letter from which !
take the liberty of quoting the follow
ing: OF course, there are perfectly
sincere persons, both at the South and
the North, who are not and never will
be reconciled. Yet we know that their
number grows smaller steadily, while
soldiers like ourselves are using all the
means in our power to perfect rec
onciliation between the blue and the
gray BY the way, it is curious how
persistently the story is being told at
the South that the Washington reunion
of the U. c. V. is blue-and-grey affair.
I have done my hest IN cOrraot +ha+