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"In Union There is Strength" Camp #1881, SUVCW
Why "In Union There is Strength?"
Having planned for a tour of the Luray Caverns in the summer of 1881, the Union veterans from the Captain Colwell Post No. 201 of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, also made arrangments, upon arrival at Luray, to meet with the Confederate veterans from Page County and "have a general hand-shaking and expression of good feeling" with former foe. Within 12 days of sending invitations for a reunion to "prominent men of Page County," a warm and friendly response was returned by local Confederate veterans.
When the G.A.R. Camp arrived in Luray at the Shenandoah Valley Railroad Depot on July 21 (the twentieth anniversary of the First Battle of Manassas/Bull Run), Confederate veterans were drawn up in military form in two files, with an evergreen arch on their right bearing the inscription: "In Union there is Strength."
After a series of speeches and the playing of the Star Spangled Banner, the two lines of men stepped forward and "clasped each other by the hands." The Carlisle Herald and Mirror reported: "During this part of the exercises many eyes were dim with tears of joy mingled with tears of sadness at the recollection of the dark days of war."
The procession of men and guests then moved onto the large dining hall of the Luray Cave and Hotel Company. When it came time to board the train again, "many were the regrets when the engineer whistled 'up brakes,' and all felt they must leave. Cheer after cheer went up as the train moved off from the station."
With such a warm reception received in Luray, the Union veterans agreed to invite the Page County Confederate veterans to Carlisle for a reunion on September 28 of that same year. "The citizens (of Carlisle) promptly furnished the money for the needed expenses." More than 200 veterans made the train ride with their families from Luray for a similar round of speeches and hospitality."
The 1881 reunion that took place in Luray and the one that later followed at Carlisle was symbolic of a feeling of reconciliation. A feeling of reunion and comradery between old foes. Likewise, today, we should emulate this feeling of reunion. Furthermore, as four generations have passed since those pleasant days of 1881, there is the realization that many of us today now have ancestry from both sides - North and South. In this respect, through Camp #1881, many of the members having ancestry from both sides have an opportunity to celebrate Today, there are a number of
"Bring the good old bugle boys, We'll sing another
song
Sing it as we used to sing it, fifty thousand strong." |
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