Part 25 (1/2)

The hospitality of the people of Fredericksburg is as well known probably as any other characteristic of her citizens. It has been thoroughly tested on many occasions, and has never failed to measure up to the demands and even exceeded the expectations of the recipients. It is gratifying, too, to be able to say that even our former enemies have been partakers of the hospitalities of the town, at our private residences and in our public halls, and have found language too poor to properly express their gratification of the warm welcome and the generous hospitality they received while in our midst. This was the case with the Society of the Army of the Potomac in May, 1900.

It had been suggested by some of the prominent citizens of the town that it would be a gracious thing, and would testify our kind feeling towards the members of that organization, for the City Council to invite the Society of the Army of the Potomac to hold its thirty-first annual reunion, in 1900, in the city of Fredericksburg, as guests of the town.

The society had never held a reunion on southern soil, and it was deemed appropriate that its first meeting should be here, where they could meet and mingle with Confederate veterans, where so many b.l.o.o.d.y battles were fought between the two great armies of the Civil war.

It had been intimated that members of the society, and even officials of the organization, had expressed a desire to hold a session in Fredericksburg, which would give many old soldiers an opportunity to visit again the historic grounds, over which they had fought, and view the country in times of peace. The City Council caught the spirit and approved the suggestion, and on the 27th of July, 1899, unanimously pa.s.sed the following resolution:

”Resolved by the Common Council of the city of Fredericksburg, Virginia, That his honor, the Mayor, be and he is hereby, authorized and instructed to extend a cordial invitation to the Society of the Army of the Potomac to hold its annual meeting for the year 1900 in this city, and to urge the acceptance of this invitation by said society, a.s.suring its members that they will meet with a cordial and fraternal welcome by our citizens generally, and that every effort will be made on our part to make their sojourn here pleasant and agreeable to them.”

While the resolution did not authorize it, it was understood that the Mayor would attend the reunion in September of that year, either in person or by a representative, and urge the society to accept the invitation of the city authorities. Mayor Rowe, being unable to attend the meeting of the body, requested Judge James B. Sener to represent him, which he did, and presented the resolution of the Council in an eloquent and patriotic address, which was well received by the society. The result was Judge Sener was elected an honorary member of the society and the invitation was unanimously accepted.

Upon the information that its invitation had been accepted, and that May 25th and 26th, 1900, were the days fixed for holding the reunion, the Council appointed a reception committee of fifteen--five of its own body and ten from the citizens, which was increased by the committee itself to twenty--to make all the necessary arrangements and see that the members of the society, and the visitors on that occasion, were properly received and entertained. Those appointed of the Council were Col. E. D. Cole, John T.

Knight, Wm. E. Bradley, H. B. Lane, George W. Wroten. Those from the citizens were Capt. S. J. Quinn, Major T. E. Morris. St. Geo. R. Fitzhugh, H. F. Crismond, John M. Griffin, Isaac Hirsh, James A. Turner, H. H.

Wallace, Thos. N. Brent and James P. Corbin.

The committee met and organized, with Col. E. D. Cole, chairman, and Capt.

S. J. Quinn, secretary, and the following gentlemen were a.s.sociated with the committee: Capt. M. B. Rowe, A. T. Embrey, Judge John T. Goolrick, Capt. T. McCracken and George W. Shepherd. The committee was then divided up into sub-committees and a.s.signed to necessary and appropriate duties, which were well and faithfully discharged.

To a.s.sist at the banquet and lunch on the occasion, the committee requested the services of the following ladies, who responded cheerfully and did so n.o.bly the parts a.s.signed them that they merited, and received, the hearty thanks of the committee and visitors: Mrs. James P. Corbin, Miss Mary Harrison Fitzhugh, Mrs. Wm. L. Brannan, Miss Mary Shepherd, Mrs.

Vivian M. Fleming, Mrs. H. Hoomes Johnston, Miss Lula Braxton, Mrs. L. L.

Coghill, Mrs. E. Dorsey Cole, Miss Corson, Mrs. H. F. Crismond, Miss E.

May d.i.c.kinson, Mrs. Wm. F. Ficklen, Miss Goodwin, Mrs. John T. Goolrick, Miss Alice Gordon, Miss Sallie Gravatt, Mrs. John M. Griffin, Miss Louise Hamilton, Miss Roberta Hart, Mrs. David Hirsh, Mrs. Henry Kaufman, Mrs.

Harry B. Lane, Mrs. H. McD. Martin, Miss Annie Myer, Miss Eleanor McCracken, Miss Carrie Belle Quinn, Mrs. Wm. H. Richards, Miss Lena Rowe, Mrs. Edward J. Smith, Mrs. R. Lee Stoffregen, Miss Bertha Strasburger, Miss Sallie Lyle Tapscott, Mrs. W. Seymour White, Miss Nannie Gordon Willis and Mrs. Mary Quinn Hicks.

The presidential party was met at Quantico by a sub-committee consisting of Hon. H. F. Crismond, Hon. A. T. Embrey, Postmaster John M. Griffin, Major T. E. Morris, James A. Turner and S. I. Baggett, Jr., and escorted to Fredericksburg.

At half past ten o'clock on the morning of the 25th of May, most of the members of the Society of the Army of the Potomac having arrived, the procession was formed at the courthouse, the society, under command of Gen. Horatio C. King, secretary, with the reception committee, Confederate veterans and citizens generally, headed by Bowering's band, proceeded to the depot to meet the presidential train. Col. E. D. Cole, chief marshal, with his aides, Capt. Dan. M. Lee, John T. Leavell, A. P. Rowe, Jr., and W. J. Jacobs, with a cordon of mounted police, had charge of the line.

At the depot an immense crowd of people had collected, and when the train arrived there was a vociferous greeting to the President and cabinet and Fighting (General) Joe Wheeler. The presidential party consisted of President McKinley, his private secretary, Cortelyou, Secretary Hay, Secretary Root, Attorney-General Griggs, Postmaster-General Smith, Secretary Long, Secretary Hitchc.o.c.k--every member of the cabinet except Secretary Wilson--Gen. Nelson A. Miles, Commander-in-Chief of the Army, his aide, Col. Michler, Lieut. Robert S. Griffin, secretary to Secretary Long, Gen. Henry E. Tremain, Gen. W. J. Sewell, Gen. J. W. Hawley and Gen.

Joseph Wheeler.

Headed by the celebrated Marine band, of Was.h.i.+ngton, sixty strong, the line of march from the depot was up Main street, to George, thence to Princess Ann and thence to the courthouse. All along the march the streets were thronged with citizens and visitors, and the waving of handkerchiefs and cheering kept the President constantly bowing to the right and left.

When the courthouse was reached the presidential party filed in, followed by the Society of the Army of the Potomac, visitors and citizens. The courthouse was densely packed and hundreds were turned away, being unable to get even standing room.

CHAPTER XVIII

_Society of the Army of the Potomac Enters Town, continued._

When this great crowd entered the courthouse, after making such a long march in hot weather, most of them were willing to rest awhile before the exercises commenced. Yet Gen. King is not one to rest long when business had to be attended to, so he called the large a.s.sembly to order, and announced that illness had prevented the attendance of Gen. D. McM. Gregg, president of the society, and in his absence Gen. Martin T. McMahon would preside in his stead. Dr. J. S. Dill, pastor of the Baptist church, was presented and offered a most earnest prayer. Mr. St. Geo. R. Fitzhugh, who had been selected by the committee of entertainment to extend the welcome, was then introduced and made the following address:

MR. FITZHUGH'S ADDRESS.

MR. CHAIRMAN: It is with feelings of profound pride and unfeigned pleasure that our entire community extends a cordial and hearty welcome to the ill.u.s.trious Chief Magistrate of our country, who honors us with his presence to-day. We recognize in our President the pure patriot and the stainless statesman, whose wise and courageous administration, in both war and peace, has endeared him to the hearts of his countrymen and has shed new l.u.s.tre upon the exalted office which he fills.