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Memorable in the history of social reunions in Marion county, will ever remain the annual meet ing of the United Confederate Veterans at Miller’s campground on last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Indeed, from every point of view, the scene presented was one to indelibly impress itself on the remembrances of the least impressible—the picturesqueness of the tented grove, its military regulation and general suggest iveness of the pomp and circum stance of war, its “fearful masters and prepared defence”; the im mense attendance, whose human tide inundated the spacious grounds on the second day of the occasion to the estimated number of between 4,500 and 5,000 souls, and the wonderful harmony, good order and spirit of fraternal kind liness that universally prevailed; but above all, and far more in teresting still, was the battle scarred old veteran himself, on whose ageing face or bowed form encisiasa the tide of battle and astonished the world in the car nage at Bull Run, that at disas trous Gettysburg had ‘Planged in the battery smoke, Right thro’ the lines they broke” in a splendid charge that rivaled that of the famous Light Brigade at Balacklava, who at the “crater” in front of Petersburg “Came through the jaws of death, Back from the mouth of hell, All that was left of them,’ that sustained the seige of Charles ton as long as the Confederacy held together, and who achieved for themselves a fadeless glory on an hundred other bloody fields from the Mississippi to the Poto mac! Gazing into their bland eyes as comrade clasped the hand of comrade in affectionate greeting, or listening to their recitals of war experiences around the camp fires at night, how little self-con scious did they appear or how deeply they had inscribed their names on Fame’s eternal scroll, or had made themselves immortal as long as patriotism is perpetua ted in plans of praise, as long as dauntless valor is sung, or deeds of daring devotion claim the admiration of woman or thrills the bosom of manhood . Comparatively few having arrived on the day preceding, the first day was entirely con sumed in laying off and allotting the ground and in distributing the tents, of which a goodly sup ply had been furnished, and in arranging the numerous details consequent upon such an event and essential to the proper order and necessary to the successful management of the occasion. Early on the morning of the second day, which in point of numbers was the big day of the encampment, a continuous stream of humanity on foot, on horse back and in almost every species of vehicle, began to pour in from every point of the compass, so that by ten o’clock the grounds were thronged with quite an im mense concourse. Shortly after, the veterans were collected at the big camp meeting shelter by the notes of the brass band and the meeting called to order by Com mander Durham. After prayer by Chaplain Campbell, Sergeant-Major D. E. Gilchrist, in eloquent and appro priate language, delivered the Address of Welcome. From the matter of the address, the tone of the orator and the sincere cor diality of the welcome extended, it was quite evident that the speaker meant what he said, and was complying with no empty formality. He assured the au dience that the hearts of the Pee Dee people, and especially those of the Miller’s community, were of that expansive material that can always be depended upon to meet any demanca upon their hos pitality. Continuing, he saw no more reason why the Confederate sur vivors should welcome visitors than that visitors should extend the welcome to them. Pleasant as they were, these gatherings were not merely social reunions where the old soldier could fight over his battles again, join hands with comrades in a friendship that can never die, and spend a few hours in pleasant social in tercourse. No, far from it! There was something far greater and more practical to be gained there by of equal and mutual inter est to both survivor and the younger generation alike—THE PERPETUATION OF CONFEDERATE MEMORIES! “If the Confederate survivor alone is to take interest in these reunions, they will soon be things of the past. Our ranks are rap idly thinning. Thirty years is a big segment in human life, and the Confederate soldier is rapidly passing over to the majority, while we have no place on this side of eternity from whence to recruit his ranks. Before many years the last one will have answered the final roll call, and the Confederate soldier will be but a memory. “God grant that when the dread summons comes each may be enabled to meet death as firmly and fearlessly as he has faced the grim monster on an hundred battle fields! Now, the question is, are you going to let Confederate memories perish with the last Confederate soldier?Do this, and you trample under foot the proudest heritage ever be queathed from sire to soa.” He strongly deprecated the dis position of some few Southern men to apologize for our share in that struggle in saying “we thought we were right.” In this connection he said: “We thought no such thing There was no shadow of doubt , and’ t against such earful odds, we could never have made the fght we did. The cause was as just and right at the beginning as when Just at Appo mattox,and should now be en shrined, as sacred in the heart of every true Southron.” “Furl that Banner softly, slowly. Treat it gently, it is holy, For it droops above the dead. Touch it not, unfold it never. Let it droop there, furled forever, For the people’s hopes have fled.” Here Capt. Gilchrist made an earnest plea for the erection of a monument commemorative of the Confederate dead of Marion, that it is time that the people of Marion county had “built upon the event in marble,” that pos terity may see the enduring evi dence of our appreciation wrought in epitaph and cenotaph.” The matter next in order was the report of the Commander for the Camp, Maj. S. A. Durham, which was embodied in a neat address, congratulating the camp that another year had cycled round and they had once more met together in social intercourse and friendly greeting; that they had been permitted to assemble yet again to renew the comrade ship of over 30 years ago. They had come together to relate and extol the deathless deeds of daring of the “bravest of the brave.” . Alas! their paths of glory led but to the grave, but if love of valor stirs the heart at all, these heroic dead should be held in everlasting remembrance! “Tis not the deed a men does, but the way that he does it. Should plead for the man’s compensa tion in doing it. All the more our heroic dead should be enshrined in our hearts, and their battle flags held for ever sacred in our sight. The Commander suggested that proper means be employed for the relief of disabled and destitute Confederate soldiers; the forma tion of societies of the sons and daughters of the Confederacy; the election of a camp historian in order that matters pertaining to the late civil strife might be authentically recorded; and he also announced that since the reunion of a year ago four of the veterans are absent from the roll call, J. T. Dozier, John Blackman, E. T. McLellan and Collins, who have passed over the river and gone to join their comrades, the immortal Confederate Dead. Next on the program was the election of officers, at which Maj. S. A. Durham was unanimously reelected commander, and with the exception of the office of adjutant, in which F. D. Bryant was suc ceeded by E. H. Gasque, all of the old officers were re-elected for the ensuing year, with the ad dition of Maj. J. D. McLucas, elected historian of the camp. After the election a resolution was introduced and passed unan imously authorizing Commander (Continued on third page.)
Newspaper Details
Marion Star
Marion, South Carolina, US
Wed, Sep 11, 1895
Page 2
Full Page
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SC, USA 31 Aug 2026
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