Anson County NcArchives Military Records.....The Old Veterans Happy 1895 Civilwar ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/nc/ncfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Carolyn Shank carolynshank@msn.com November 16, 2007, 8:56 pm The Old Veterans Happy Daily Charlotte Observer 23 Aug 1895 The Old Veterans Happy - The Big Barbeque at the Park Yesterday was the old soldiers' day. Regardless of the threatening weather the veteran clans commenced to gather about the square and tell of the days long gone by - when the blood of the Blue and the Gray were mingled together on the battlefields. On several occasions a Confederate and a Federal soldier were noted standing together and talking of "the times that tried men’s souls." At 10 o’clock the crowd moved parkward, most of the veterans riding on the electric cars, but a few old infantrymen preferred to make a forced march out there. They all assembled in the grove at Latta Park to hear the speeches. The camp was opened by prayer from Chaplain Osborne. He was followed by Dr. J.F. Alexander, who made the principal speech of the day. Dr. Alexander said that the songs of a people express their character and desire. Hence the song "Hang Jeff Davis on a Sour Apple Tree" expressed the desire of the Northern people. They sand it to their children so that they would imbibe the spirit of their fathers. Now if that was the feeling or desire of the Northern people, why did they not carry it out? Why was Jeff Davis not tried for treason? He was the leader of the South. He was the commander-in-chief of the land and naval forces of the Confederacy and the North recognized and denounced him as the arch-traitor of the rebellion. Now when the war was over, he, knowing the feeling against him, tried to escape to a foreign land, but was captured and put in the strongest prison in the United States and bound by irons. Children are taught by most histories that it was the generosity of the enemy that saved him from trial. Such statements are glaringly false and should be corrected. The war was not caused by slavery, but by the Union encroaching upon State’s rights. When a sectional President was elected the Southern States thought they had a right to withdraw from the Union. It was State sovereignty, not slavery, that the South was fighting for. The great legal minds of America have said that a State did not lose its sovereignty by becoming a partner in the Union. Hence no man who took up arms in the Confederate army, in defense of his country, could be guilty of treason. Davis plead for two years, while in prison, for trial for treason but the Attorney General told President Johnson that it was dangerous business, for the prisoner had the weight of evidence on his side. They could trump up charges against Harold, Payne, Atzerot and Mrs. Surratt for being accomplices in Lincoln’s assassination, have a mock trial and hang them like dogs; but they had an elephant on their hands when they thought to try Mr. Davis for treason. The only reason he was not tried was that they knew the verdict would be not guilty and would establish the right of secession. So to any fair mind our cause was just and lawful. In view of this fact every Confederate veteran should be proud of the part he acted. The speaker gave a description of the feelings of the North toward Mr. Davis, and said that our posterity should be taught that our leader was not a traitor, but a brave patriot, followed by patriotic men. He closed by eulogizing Mr. Davis, saying that when sectionalism had passed away, his name will shine in the galaxy of American statesmen as a star of the first magnitude. Colonel Pickett of Anson, an old soldier who has been in the city for some time, was present and told some interesting jokes. At times he had the whole camp in a roar. He is a fluent talker. After the speaking was over, the veterans, about 475 in number, assembled around the three tables that were placed in the valley of the grove. There they found that Mr. J.M. Kendrick and Mr. Berryhill had not been wasting their time but had been hard at work barbequing three large cows, twelve fine sheep and one fattened hog; in all, about 1,600 pounds of fresh meat was there for them to feast upon. The viands were delicious. The kind and generous people of the city and surrounding country had sent in 200 or more baskets, and 300 packages. The crowd ate till they no longer hungered. Mr. J.M. Kendrick deserves much credit for his good management of the picnic. He did everything that was possible to make the affair a success, and he ought to be proud of his success. Nor are the good women who aided him to get things in readiness to be forgotten. They will be remembered for their kindness and activity in helping along the picnic. The ladies of the committees were: Ward 1, Mrs. C.C. Horton, and Miss Jessie Asbury; Ward 2, Mrs. T.T. Smith and others; Ward 3, the Misses Clarkson, Mrs. Sifford, Miss Mamie Kendrick, and Mrs. W.S. Orr; Ward 4, Mrs. C.M. Davidson and Miss Maggie Taylor. These were not all the ladies who helped but many others on the committees rendered appreciated aid. All the male committees did their full duty in assisting Mr. Kendrick. Much of the barbequed flesh was left after all had feasted, and last night it was disposed of as follows: A half a beef to the orphanage, a quarter to the Old Ladies’ Home, and a quarter to the colored hospital. The Four C’s most assuredly did their part in furnishing refreshments in abundance. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/anson/military/civilwar/other/theoldve142mt.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/ncfiles/ File size: 5.9 Kb