The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1917-06-08
Washington Letter
Washington, D. c.,
June 5, 1917.

The District OF Columbia on Mon
day opened wide its arms for the
thinning ranks of the intrepid men
who wore the grey. Through its
gates from early dawn until midnight
poured the veterans of the Confed-
eracy and their families. They al
most swamped the colossal Union
Station, they overlooked the Plazas
of the city, and they bedded down in
it's parks. On Monday the 4th, the
9th annual reunion of the bravest
and immortal remnant of humanity
became fact. The atmosphere a.
bout Washington is full of welcome
for the boys in grey, and for their
sons and daughters. The formal OPP
ening of the reunion of the Sons of
confederate veterans was marked by
an enthusiastic outburst of patriot
ism at the Arcade on 14th Street and
Park Road last night. The princi-
pal speakers on the opening of the
historic occasion were Gov Manning,
Of S. c., Gov. Stuart, of Va. On the
stage was grouped distinguished
gathering of southern men and wo-
men, among them being Miss Mil
dred Lee, daughter of Robert f. Lee,
Mrs. Josephine Daniels, and others.
More than four thousand veter-
ans are camping in the shadow of
the nations capitol. At night, in
place of Pickering campfire, the
steady glow of numerous arch lights
makes the tented city almost bright
as day And instead of the single
blankets being thrown upon the
ground, the veterans rest on comfort
able army cots, an immense cauld-
rons supply stcaming coffee in place
of the battered tins used over a half
century ago. But the comradeship
of the camp is unchanged, and many
yarn of long forgotten days was
re-spun eve got mighty near here
fifty years ago" a confederate vet
of Sc told me. eve are here now
chirped in another Watch the
charge up Pennsylvania, chirped
another old vet, good naturedly.
1--WE failed before, but we are go
ing to take the city this time, piped
another grand old citizen in grey.
"And we are still able to fight" said
another. at is our country now,
the grey and the blue are one and
the same. They form a solid pha
lanx, impregnable to German inva-
sion. The best of feeling permeated
the situation. Good nature is in
evidence everywhere. 1t is a fra
ternal rumination, generous and
reunited retrospection of our fra
tricidial folly. This reunion of the
con-feds Will do more to unity and
soldify the country generally, than
perhaps all the other seperate re-
unions of both the blue and the grew.
From many homes here in the ma
tons capitol can be seen gloriously
flying in the sunlight and salubrious
breezes, the stars and bars along
with the stars and stripes. Washing
ton is taxing her every resource. the
hospitality of the city, and its splen-
did chiValry is all at the command of
the venerables and pleasant venerat-
ed gentry of the Dixie-Landers wear
ing the grey. Along with these i'm
mortal old vets are thousands of
their sons and daughters. The mn
sic of national airs, and the fervid-
ness of brilliant oratory has every
body under patriotic influence. I
have never seen just such delight
ful occasion. Harmony, brotherhood
with sectionalism conspicuously alb
sent seems to be the order of the dav
1t was wise thing, bringing the
confederate reunion to the nations
capitol, and it will be a green spot
IN the garden of the memory of
those who witnessed it. And an e.
pooh In the history of our country.
W. nj. H.