Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-10-10
By ALFRED TOOMBS.

Out of dim and bloody past, more
than half a hundred gray old war
riors, who fought and bled for the
Lost Cause, have appeared at the
roll call of the army for which there
are no recruits.
They came to Washington-the
city which had once been an enemy
capital-this year, as they had done
once before in time of trouble for
their country. They were making
brave gesture to remind the world
that old wounds were healed, that
this is one Nation, indivisible.
These men, practically all that Is
left of the proud force of fighters
who followed Lee into the fury OF
the War Between the States, hob
nobbed in the lobby of the Willard
Hotel, talking of events which to
them are personal experiences-but
to the world are history.
They recalled the dark night that
Stonewall Jackson was shot; the
bloody days at Manassas and
Gettysburg; the wild charges of
Morgan's and Forests raiders, and
sadly the hour when Gen. Robert
E. Lee proffered his sword to the
Yankee Gen. Grant-who would not
take it from his noble foe.
One Veteran Buried Alive"
There were men at the Willard
who had seen all these things, and
more. One veteran set his age at
124 and said he had been buried
alive after being wounded in one
of the Virginia battles.
There were two old colored men
who, as slaves, had gone of to battle
for the Southland who were led
into the swank dining room OF the
residence of Presidents" seated at
places of honor and stuffed until
their eyes bulged.
1t has been more than rs years
since the Confederate Army stacked
it's guns and plodded home. This
is the Golden Reunion OF the United
Confederate Veterans. The years
have been many and memories OF
nonagenarians have never been
noted for infallibility.
So the yarns that the old soldiers
spin may not all be gospel. Martha
Norris Mcleod of Washington has
followed their reunions for many
years and talked to them all-has
written a book Brother Warriors"
about them. She vouches for the
consistency, at least, from year to
year of these tales.
James Edward Monroe OF jack
sonville, Fla, sets July 4, 1915, as
the date of his birth. He fought in
the Mexican War and was shading
so when he joined the Confederate
Army during the war.
Loses Fingers, Saves Lives.
He lost the fingers on one hand
while rolling kissing Yankee bomb
over a bank into a river-saving his
and 500 other lives. He was cam
paigning in Virginia with a cavalry
outfit when he was knocked from
his horse.
II was lying with a pile of dead"
he says, when a Yankee came by.
He saw me and said This bloody
rebel amt dead yet No, I amt
I said, and I'll get you yet He
drew his saber and started to run
me through, and he said, I'll put
you out of your misery
II fired my pistol at him and ne
dropped dead beside me. Then
things went black. When I came to,
I had been buried. I was under two
other bodies in a shallow grave, and
I could see light coming through
a little hole in the ground.
Il scratched my way out and they
took me to the hospital. That was
the end of the war for me-"
But that was not the last war.
Mr.. Monroe went to Africa to work
in the mines and fought for the
Beers in their battle with the Eng
lish. He had more narrow escapes
and got back to the United States
in time to fight against Spain.
When this country went into the
World War, Mr.. Monroe tried to en-