Van Buren Argus
October 5, 1892
Crawford County, Arkansas
THE SUNNY SOUTHLAND
Grand Reunion of the Old Heroes of Dixie’s Land
By our Special Reporter
It was our good fortune to be present at the Reunion of the ex-Confederate
Veterans at Ft. Smith last week. Our sister city had everything in readiness for
the large crowd, and the Grey and Blue of the county seemed to vie with each
other in making everyone welcome. The city was decorated everywhere with bunting
and flags. Each command as it arrived was met and escorted to the camp ground
amid the cheers of the crowds on the streets.
Mayor Cooke delivered an eloquent address of welcome, which was responded
to, on behalf of the veterans by Hon. J E Cravens, in his happiest manner. After
supper, old comrades met, and many an eye grew dim at the mention of the name of
some comrade who had gone over the river to rest on the other side; while band
after band filled the air with the sweet strains of Dixie and other songs of the
days gone by.
There were in line in the grand parade on Thursday, over 1500 veterans while
more than 500 were among the spectators on the sidewalks, too old and infirm to
participate in the long march. Among the camps present and regularly enrolled
were;
Stonewall Jackson Camp of Huntington and Hackett City- 200 men.
Pat Cleburne Camp, of Charleston, Captain Cabell- 117 men.
Ben McCullough Camp, Greenwood, Captain Milam- 100 men
Jeff Lee Camp, McAllister, Indian Territory, Captain Coleman- 50 men.
B T Embry Camp, of Russellville, Captain J R Homer Scott- 60 men.
Hill Camp, of Clarksville, Captain J F Hill- 125 men.
Cabell Camp, Bentonville, Captain N S Henry- 112 men.
Jeff Lee Camp, of Muldrow, Indian Territory, Captain S Byrd- 40 men.
Pat Cleburne Camp, Conway, Captain W D Cole- 10 men.
B T DuVal Camp, Fort Smith, Captain P T Devaney- 65 men.
John Wallace Camp, of Van Buren, Captain John Allen- 58 men.
John B Gordon Camp, Sons of U C V, Huntington, Captain Eugene Bates- 85 men.
Several old Confederate flags were carried in the procession, torn and
tattered by bullet, shot and shell. G P Holcomb, Paris, Texas, had the flag of
the 2nd Mississippi. It was in the battles of Manassas, Gettysburg, and Seven
Pines. John Hill Camp had a flag which was all through the war. Stonewall
Jackson Camp had a Federal flag captured at Fredericksburg, Va., by Pickett’s
Division.
Camp John Wallace, of Van Buren, had the old flag of the 22nd Regiment
(Wallace’s); it was with the Van Buren and Ft. Smith boys at Oak Hills, Elk
Horn, Prairie Grove, Helena and Jenkins Ferry. It was carried in the parade by
Joe Clegg, who owns it. Camp Wallace had another flag in the parade, the
property of H A Meyer. It was the flag of the 1st Texas Artillery, of which he
was a member. There were many other historic flags of which we did not get the
records, and many an old Vet wept when he gazed upon the tattered banners he had
loved so well and followed so faithfully through the long and bloody war.
Colonel D W Moore, who was appointed by General John B Gordon to organize
camps, deserves great credit for his energy