. Minutes . fe and vigor in quite a host of these wonderful old fellows, andtheir parade is still imposing in numbers and abounding in en-thusiasm. What strikes the observer most forcibly is the upright car-riage of these men, all of whom have passed the meridian andare going down the further slope of life. Under the inspiringstrains of ■ Dixie they march like young boys, with a proudstep and a bold front such as distinguished them in the days ofwar forty-five years ago. Yet these men actually fought under Lee, Jackson, Johns-ton, Beauregard, Bragg, Semmes and Buchanan. They werestrong o
. Minutes . fe and vigor in quite a host of these wonderful old fellows, andtheir parade is still imposing in numbers and abounding in en-thusiasm. What strikes the observer most forcibly is the upright car-riage of these men, all of whom have passed the meridian andare going down the further slope of life. Under the inspiringstrains of ■ Dixie they march like young boys, with a proudstep and a bold front such as distinguished them in the days ofwar forty-five years ago. Yet these men actually fought under Lee, Jackson, Johns-ton, Beauregard, Bragg, Semmes and Buchanan. They werestrong of will and true to principle, and made their great dedi-cation of self to the cause of country near fifty years ago; andtheir eyes have seen, their minds realized, and their bodies feltthe weight of a struggle that to a younger generation appearsto have taken place in ancient times. Here they arc with us inthe flesh, and living monuments to their own valor. That they will not be with us much longer, and that the. 30 Twentieth Reunion, Mobile, Ala., April 26, 27 and 26\ 1910. world will have only the memory of them as the exemplar of allthat is true, noble, courageous; devoted and patriotic, is theonly saddening1 thought that comes to one in viewing such aparade as that of yesterday. The gray line becomes thinnereach year. We meet these heroes again, and they appear thesame as of yore, but many a familiar form is gone, many a lovedvoice is stilled forever. And, so, all must be marshalled by thedark river to cross over and rest with Stonewall Jacksonunder the trees-—and all will be gone, but their name andfame will abide ever in the hearts of the people of the South,whom they served so long and with such high purpose. As a spectacle nothing is like what was seen yesterday,except itself as it is has been seen elsewhere and as it will berepeated in years yet left to those brave soldiers; and it willnever be forgotten. Mobilians regard it as a high privilege ac-corded to them to
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