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Impressive Proceedings at the Reunion of the South Caro lina Division in Columbia, Columbia, Nov. 12—When the bugle sounded the assembly at the Couch House this morning there was a throbbing response in the hearth of the several hundred Confederate veterans who had gathered together in conven tion to press once more the hand of a brother bound by the closest ties and feel the fraternal touch that only com mon service for years on the field of blood can give. The court room had been tastefully decorated by the ladies of the Memorial Association. Portraits of Lee and Jackson and other leaders of the Con federate arms hung on the walls That of Hampton held a prominent place, and many an old soldier gazed long at the chieftian whom all had hoped would be present, but who was prevented from coming by illness. Confederate battle flags, with their arges of service, hung from the niches and corners; a stack of arms was in front of the presi dent’s desk, and evergreens and red and white bunting twined over the railings. On the platform with the president of the convention, Gen. Walker, were Gen. Youmans, Major Brooks, Adjt. Holmes, Chaplain Elwell, Cpl. Shand and the commander of Camp Hampton, Capt. R. S. Des portes. Just in front of the president's desk, within the rails, sat Geo Mc Gowan, Gen. Butler and Gen. Capora The convention was called to order by Commander Desportes, who asked Chaplain Elwell to open the proceed ings with prayer. The Rev. Elwell made a fervent prayer, thanking God for the grace in allowing the veterans to meet together once more, and pray ing that they would all some day meet together in a final encampmment on the brighter shore. Capt. Desportes intro duced Gen Youmans, who had been selected to accord the welcome of Camp Hampton to the visitors. Gen. You mans was particularly happy in his re marks, and his hearers witnessed their appreciation by frequent applause. His remarks concerning Gen. Hampton, ‘for whom Camp Hampton is named, were particularly appropriate, and maby rebel yell went up at the men tion of the name of that great leader, Gen. Walker replied in behalf of the convention that he had already been overwhelmed with the courtesies show ered upon him, and that he felt sure every member of the convention would join him from their hearte in the sim ple sentence that he thanked Colam pia, Camp Hampton, and the ladies of the Memorial Association for their great kindness. Capt. Desportes then read the follow ing letter from Gen. Hampton, Washington, November 10, 1898. _ My Dear Captain : I regret that it is impossible for me to be with our friends on the 13th, as my illness still confines me to my room and the doctor says that to venture out might result in pneu monia. I was anxious to meet ary old comrades, for another opportunity to do so may not be granted me. I wanted to meet the men who 50 often followed the Palmetto flag on bloody fields ; many of them doubtless I had the honor to com mand, and wished to shake the hands of the brave men who never turned their backs on me when their faces were turned towards the enemy, and for this I desired to thank them from the bottom of my heart. This you must do for me and say to them that nothing but ill ness would have prevented my doing so to person. I beg you to thank your camp, which as honored my same by assuming it as its own, for the invitation given me to address the members. I hope that pleas ure is only deferred. With my best wishes for the success of your meeting and for the prosperity and happiness of every true Confederate soldier, I am your friend and comrade, Wade Hampton. To Capt. R. S. Desportes on behalf of Camp Hampton Carr. Desportes presented Gen. Walker a mallet made out of native woods, on which was the following inscription : sMallet used to call the Convention of South Carolina Division, United Col ~_werate Veterans, to order, under com mend of Gen. C. I. Walker, Columbia, S. C., November 12 and 13, 1895. Presented by Camp Hampton. Gen Walker accepted the wallet in an appropriate manner, and assumed control of the Convention He had the adjutant to call the roll of the Camps, 20d the following Camps, with the numbers accompanying represent ing the delegates present, responded Camp Barnerd E. Pee, Aiken, 1; Camp Sumter, Charleston, 2; Cataw ba Campcock Hill, 2; Camp Dick Anderson, Sumter, 3; James D. Nance, Newberry, 1; Abner Perrin, Edgefield, 3; Camp Hampton, Colum bia, 20; Harry Benbow, Manning, 2; Camp Rien, Ridgeway, 2; J. Foster Marshall, Ninety-Six, 1; Camp Jen kins, Bamberg, 1; Camp Marion, Marion, 4; Lexington, Jexington, 33 Camp Rains, Wioneboro, 3; Camp Guiles, Etta Jane, 1. The roll call ended Geo. Walker said that the first duty of the Conven tion was to pay a tribute to their dead comrades He took the liberty of sug gesting a ceremony similar to the used at the reunions of the graduates of the Citadel The roll of those killed in the war would be called, the members standing. After the name of the first and of the last dead comrade called the members would reply: ‘*D.:d iv de fence of the country.” It would be impracticable for the roll of the dead Confederates to be called, but he would suggest that the president of the Con vention would read the following lines, somewhat similar to the inscription on the Confederate monument, and at the end of certain clauses the Convention would respond: ‘*They died for their country ? He called upon the Conven tion to stand and, reading the following, the Convention responded as indicated: To the memory of those who, True to the instincts of their birth, Faithful to the teachings of their fathers, Constant to their love for the State, Died in the performance of their duty; Who have glorified a fallen cause By the simple manhood of their lives, The patient endurance of suffering, And the heroism of death ; And who, In the dark hours of imprisonment, In the hopelessness of the hospites, In the short, sharp agony of the field, Found support and consolation In the belief That they would not be forgotten. Response: They died for their country. These were men Whom power could not corrupt, Whom death could not terrify, Whom defeat could not dishonor, And let their virtues plead For just judgment of the cause in which they pessisied. Response: They died for their country. South Caroling taught them How to live and how to die. _ She has preserved for her children The priceless treasure of their memories, Teaching all who may claim The same birthright That truth, courage and patriotism Endure forever. Capt Desportes moved that the proceeding be adopted as a regular proceeding and be inserted in the rit ual of the Order. The motion was passed unanimously. Gen. Walker thanked his comrades for the honor conferred upon him by electing him to be commander of the South Carolina Division of the U. C. V. He took it to be the highest honor that could be conferred upon him. He felt that it was in the spirit of commendation for whatever he had done and he would himself to do all that he could for the Order in the future. He had called the meeting to get the aid and comfort of all Vet erans to assist him in accomplishing the purposes of the U. C. V. He then read from the constitution of the Order, showing its real purposes. He felt that there was a better chance to carry out the work of the organization than ever before and much good was to be accomplished by being in touch with all the Con federate veteran associations. He felt too the times were more pro pitious. feelings of animosity had died out. He had seen at Chick amauga monuments raised by the United States Government to Con federate brigadier generals. He nev er thought to have seen such a thing. Another thing. It was everywhere understood that the cause of the Con federacy was a thing of the past. Therefore there could not be the least suspicion of disloyalty in such organ izations. But while he believed the Confederacy did have a right to leave the Union the principle now was dead and no one had any desire to revive it. Ile believed that the veterans before him were as true citizens of the Union as could be found, and that they had great love for the common flag, though they had attempted to pull it down at one time. They would do so no more. He begged every veteran to help him to carry to Rich mond on May next representatives of one hundred camps. One of the highest privileges of the Veterans was to aid their needy comrades and the widows and orphans of those who had been killed, and he hoped some active steps would be taken in this matter. Another thing was to provide for the status of Sons of Veterans At the conclusion of Gen Walker's remarks Adst Ilolmnes read letters of regret for their enforced absence from Gen Hampton, Gen.Stephen D Lee, of Mississippi, and Gen. Moorman, who had been invited to address the meeting. Col. F . McMaster after an earn est speech showing the necessity for the work, moved that the Legislature be memorialized to employ a com petent person at a living salary, whose duty should be to collect Con federate rolls and records, and who should see that a full history of the work done by South Carolinians in the war be written. Gen. McCrady, of Charleston, said that South Carolina had always done something in this direction, especial ly during the term of office of Adjt. Gen. Manigaul, who had collected the rolls of £ 99 companies, which in cluded the names of about 62,000 men, who were actually in the field and 8,000 more reserves. He said that at the time of the breaking out of the war there were only 68,000 voters in the State and the State had furnished more soldiers than she had voters. He sincerely trusted that a memo rial be presented to the Legislature, and that the work be carried on. He had resolved during the war, when he had seen Confederate soldiers lying dead on the field, barefooted and with their feet all torn by the stones, and he had then determined that if he lived through the war he would do something to preserve the names of these men. Capt. Desportes accentuated the remarks of Gen. McCrady, and would like to impress upon all veterans the duty of teaching their children to what company, what regiment, what brigade and what division he be longed In closing he extended an invitation to all Veterans to attend a collation today and tomorrow at the headquarters of Camp Hampton. The Rev Elwell arose to the point of view that the organization had not yet been completed and he thought so important a discussion should not be carried on until the or ganization could be completed. Gen. Capers made the motion that when the Convention assemble this evening Gen Farley be requested to make a full statement of the work that had been done in the way of collecting Confederate records. The motion was carried unanimously. It was moved and carried that the president appoint a committee of three to draft a constitution. The convention then adjourned until 8 pm,the members going to the collation served by the ladies of the Memorial Association, at the headquarters of Camp Brampton. At the night session of the Vete rans Gen. Mr. Butler delivered a very able address on the life of Gen. John Dunovant. Gen. Farley made an address on preservation of Confederate records. A committe consisting of Col F. W. McMaster, Gen. Farley, Gen. Edward McCrady and Judge Hudson was appointed to ask the Legislature to appropriate funds for the publica tion of war records. Gen. McCrady read a letter from the Young Men’s Business League of Charleston inviting the Convention to meet next year at Charleston and the invitation was unanimously accepted. The meeting then adjourned to 10 o’clock tomorrow.—News and Cou rier
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Sumter Watchman and Southron
Sumter, South Carolina, US
Wed, Nov 20, 1895
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SC, USA 15 Feb 2026
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