CIVIL WAR REUNION OF 1892, Crawford Co, AR

***********************************************************
Submitted by: David Pinson
        Date: 30 Jun 2004
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
***********************************************************

----------------------------------------------------------------
The following article was transcribed and donated by Fran Warren
----------------------------------------------------------------

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
Fredricksburg, 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 and activity in
the interest of the U C V.
Tot Englan was there with the old bugle which called together the first
cavalry company (Carroll’s) to leave Van Buren in 1861. Tot blew the
last call of Monroe’s Regiment in 1865.
Rem Smith, an old Van Buren boy, who went out with the boys in 1861 as
drummer, and who carried a drum all through the war, came from
Fayetteville to beat the drum for the John Wallace Camp.
On Friday the camp broke up, with cheers for Fort Smith, and separated,
all never to meet again until the last roll is called on the other side
of the river.
We’ll be there; we’ll be there; When the general roll is called, we’ll
be there. Duroc.

See the accompanying photo at
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ar/images/whpconfreun.jpg
We believe the photo to be of this event.