1898- Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence Festival Preparations

The following articles depict preparations of the 1898 Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence celebrations.

 

Charlotte Daily Observer: 5/17/1898 p. 5; 5/18/1898 p.6; 5/19/1898 p.5

 

 5/17/1898 p. 5

THE 20th OF MAY CELEBRATION.     A Grand Parade of Continental Guards and Others –The City Enthused—Preparations.   Charlotte has a regular 20th of May move on.     Visitors are already coming in, and by Friday morning, there will be so many people here that no one will know that the war has distracted the public attention or taken away any of the people who would have been here but for the bugle call of the country.   The central committee is gathering up the threads of preparation, and will have everything ready by dawn of the “day we celebrate.”   The Continental Guards will make the parade one of interest and beauty.  One county alone—Gaston—will send 100 mounted, uniformed men.  Messrs. Henry McAden, R. G. Love and A. G. Mangum were here yesterday and engaged at Black’s stable 100 head of horses.   Were there no other feature in the parade the sight of 100 mounted men in the striking garb of the men of 100 years ago, would be worth turning out “for to see,” but the half has not been told!  Charlotte, Mecklenburg and other sections will add their quota, making the parade of the Continental Guards, the handsomest thing of the kind ever seen here.  Besides the mounted guards there will be the floats—the Daughters of the Regiment; the thirteen original States; Queens of May—descendants of signers; States of the Union; sponsors, and young ladies who will unveil the monument.  Add to these the carriages with speakers, prominent visitors, members of the Cincinnati, descendants and the line presents a picture well worth seeing.

 

5/18/1898 p.6

—Miss Annie Rankin has some pretty china 20th of May souvenirs at Woodall & Sheppard’s; and Miss Bloss Lucas “Hornet” cups at Jordan’s.

 

5/19/1898 p.5

 

ALL THINGS IN READINESS.   THE 20TH OF MAY BUT ONE DAY OFF.   Order of March for the Continental Guards  Notes—Veterans Announce Meetings and Orders.  

One more sunset and sunrise and the day we celebrate will be here in all of its 20th of May glory.   

There is but one local subject before the public now, and that is the 20th.  county and town are fully alive to the historical importance of the event to be commemorated to-morrow, and are uniting in their efforts for a proper observance of the day.  

The celebration, although on account of the war, limited to one day, will be one to be remembered.  It will be unique in its hisoric interest, and great in its manner of demonstration.

 

The committees have everything in readiness, and the programme as arranged will be carried through smoothly.  

Many visitors are already here, and to-day’s trains will add several hundred to the list.  The order of march for the veterans was given in yesterday’s paper.  The following is the order for the  

CONTINENTAL GUARDS:  

Form at graded school.  

Queen City Guards drum corps.  

Carriage with sponsors, descendants of signers, members of the Society of the Cincinnati, Sons of Revolution, Daughters of Revolution.  

McAdenville band and Gaston county Continentals.  

“Ship of State” with young ladies representing the thirteen original States and “Union,” “Mecklenburg,” “Liberty” and “Independence,” escorted by representatives of revolutionary heroes on each side.    

Mecklenburg Continental Guards, uniformed.  

Daughters of Regiments on a float, accompanied by colonial fife and drum corps.  

Mecklenburg Continental Guards, not uniformed.  

Float representing the States of the Union.  

NOTES.  

The ladies of the Ship of State will meet at the Y. M. C. A. at 9:30 o’clock on the morning of the 20th, as embarkation will take place from there.  

Twenty-five of the Guards called for uniforms from the uniform committee yesterday.  All are urged to get their uniforms at once.  They are very handsome.  

The Daughters of the Regiment will meet to-morrow morning at Miss Adele Hutchison’s at 9:15, and there arrange themselves on the float.  The latter was covered yesterday by Mr. Harry Sanders and Misses Adele Hutchison and Bessie Robertson.  It is prettily dressed in the old red, white and blue.  

Governor Joseph F. Johnson, of Alabama, will be one of the distinguished visitors who will be in the city to-morrow.  He will be the guest of his kinswoman, Mrs. T. R. Robertson.  

The badge for the descendants of signers (young ladies) can be obtained today at The Observer office.  Mr. McDowell has left a badge at the office for each young lady who is to sit on the platform at the unveiling.  These can obtain same by calling at this office today.  

VETERANS.  

Place of Assembly To-Morrow—Officers to Meet This Morning.  

The 20th committee of Mecklenburg Camp met yesterday at Capt. W. B. Taylor’s office, and took an inventory of its stock of one kind and another.  Provisions are being sent in, but as it will take much to feed so many of the old soldiers who will be present, too much cannot be sent.  Commander Leon asks for help in the following card:  

To the Ladies of Charlotte:  

The camp needs your assistance in helping Capt. W. B. Taylor to wait on the tables.  Please report to him at city hall on the morning of the 19th.  

L. LEON, Chair. Com.  

The following order was also issued:  

Attention Comrades:  

You will please report at 10 a. m., at headquarters, city hall, on the morning of the 20th.  This camp is in the Second Brigade.  From headquarters we will march to our station in the line, corner Second and Tryon streets.  

L. LEON, Commander. R. B. HUNTER, Adjutant.  

NOTES.  

Capt. J. G. Morrison, Shakespeare Harris, Tom Neeley, J. W. Moore and W. E. Ardrey, will report mounted, and ready for duty at 9:30 a. m., corner Tryon and Third streets, to Harrison Watts, chief marshal.  

A meeting of the brigade and camp commanders and other officers of the United Confederate Veterans is called at 9:30 sharp this morning at headquarters of division, Superior Court room.  

J. G. Hall, Commanding N. C. Division, U. C. V.  

All veterans from western North Carolina are commanded to meet this morning at 10 o’clock in the old court house.  By order of  

JAMES M. RAY, Brigadier General, Fourth Brigade, U. C. V.  

Twenty-four member of the Zeb Vance Camp, Asheville, and twenty of the Pink Welsh Camp, Haywood, arrived last night, and were comfortably quartered.  

Among the prominent visitors who reported last night are:  Capt. J. P. Sawyer and Gen. J. M. Ray, of Asheville; Maj. W. S. Stringfield of Waynesville, and Gen. J. G. Hall, of Hickory.  

A NAVAL VETERAN.  

An Old Confederate Writes From Nova Scotia About the 20th.  

Commander Leon is in receipt of the following, which will be read with interest at this season, when patriotic sentiment is running high:  

Halifax, N. S., May 14, 1898.  Secretary Confederate Veterans’ Re-Union, Charlotte, N. C.:  

Dear Sir:  I notice in the April Confederate Veteran that the veterans are to have a re-union in Charlotte, on May 20th, in celebration of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence.  I am truly glad that at last our people are to take official action in impressing upon our youth the supreme importance of this grand initiative of American Independence.  I would rejoice to be with my old brothers-in-arms on the occasion, but since that is impossible, I write to request you to send me programmes and papers, and if procurable, a copy of the celebrated Declaration.  I presume a facsimile of the Declaration will be gotten out.  I am a Confederate naval veteran with a service record (February1st, 1861, to May 10th, 1865,) mostly afloat on the Sumter and Alabama.  I, however, served on land during the last year of the war, and during the fight at Fort Fisher, December 24th-25th, 1864, commanded a division of two guns in the fort.  

Although a Georgian, my father was from North Carolina (Orange county) and my ancestors came from Londonderry, through Charleston, and settled in Mecklenburg county, in the neighborhood of Charlotte.  If there are any Armstrongs in Charlotte, or near there, and you will place me in correspondence with them, I will be very much obliged, as there are several points in our family history I wish to establish.  

Hoping that the celebration will be a grand success, I beg to subscribe myself a patriotic American, although “an unpardoned and unreconstructed rebel.”  

Yours very truly, R. F. ARMSTRONG.  

“20TH OF MAY MARCH”  

Composed by Mr. Wilson, of the McAdenville Band.  

The McAdenville band—one of the best in the State—is to head the Gaston county Continental Guards in the procession to-morrow.  This band will not only honor Charlotte by its presence and music, but in another and more lasting way, which is told by the following letter:  

McAdenville, N. C., May 17, 1898.  Mr. Heriot Clarkson, Charlotte, N. C.:  

Dear Sir:  You have doubtless learned that our band is to head the Gaston county Continental Guards coming to Charlotte May 20th.  I beg to inform you that I have composed a new march especially for the occasion of the unveiling of the monument and the celebration of the 20th.  I have named the march “The Twentieth of May,” and it is respectfully dedicated to the signers of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, who, though long since passed away, would, I am sure, if living, delight to hear its melodious strains.  The last part of the composition is a march arrangement of the “Old North State,” especialy appropriate for this occasion, as you will agree.  

We will give the first public performance of the march in Charlotte, May 20th.  It is a stirring composition.  Should there be any one time during the day more appropriate than another, for the march to be played, you will kindly acquaint me with the fact and make the necessary arrangements.  

With best wishes, I am Yours truly, JAS. M. WILSON.  

GOV. POWERS TO MISS WATKINS.          

The Governor of Maine Sends Miss Laura Watkins an Impression of the Seal of Maine.  

Governor Llewellyn Powers, of Maine, cannot come to the 20th celebration on account of pressing business forced upon him by the Spanish-American war, but he sends Miss Laura Watkins, who is to represent his State, as credentials, impression of the seal of Maine and his signature.  His private secretary writes as follows:  

State of Maine, Executive Department, Augusta, May 10, 1898.  

Miss Laura Watkins, Charlotte, N. C.:  

My Dear Miss Watkins:  Your communication, no date, in which you inform His Excellency, the Governor of Maine, that you have been selected to represent this State upon the occasion of the unveiling of a monument erected to the memory of the twelve signers of the Mecklenburg Declaration of American Independence, on the 20th instant, has just reached this department, and the Governor desires me to express to you his appreciation of the interest your people take in this historic occasion, but owing to the great pressure of business just now, which is forced upon him by the Spanish-American war, he will be obliged to remain for some length of time at the capital of our State.  

But I enclose to you the impression of the great seal of our State, with the signature of the Governor, which you will please consider your credentials upon the occasion referred to, when you will no doubt worthily represent this far Northern State.  

Very respectfully, ORAMANDAL SMITH, Private Secretary.  

DECORATIONS.  

A Flag Over the Catholic Church—Mr. Baruch’s Designs.  

The court house is to be decorated.  The order was given to Mittledorfer yesterday.  Mecklenburg is never deficient in patriotic demonstrations.  

The city hall is handsomely decorated.  

Mr. H. Baruch excels in 20th decorations.  He has on the outside of his store an immense piece of canvass, on which is painted a fac-simile of the monument, the names of the signers, and the third resolve in the Declaration.  This work was done my Mr. A. L. Butt.  

Dr. Brenard, Mr. G. E. Wilson, Mr. J. H. Burroughs and Rev. J. T. Chalmers have their residences decorated.  

Mittledorfer will to-day decorate the Catholic rectory and will cover the church with a forty-foot flag, the largest in the State.  

To-Night’s German.  

Mittledorfer went to work on the city hall ball room last night and is to furnish the same decorations as were used in the opening of the Chamberlain Hotel at Old Point.  

Dancing will commence at 10:30, immediately after the concert.  

Mr. Chase Brenizer will be leader and the following ladies chaperones:  Mesdames H. C. Jones, T. S. Clarkson, J. R. Wilkes, A. Burwell, J. H. McAden, H. Watts, C. L. Hunter, A. R. Gautier, F. B. McDowell, A. L. Smith.  Admission will be strictly by cards, which can be gotten from Mr. Ralph Van Landingham.  

The ball room will be the handsomest in point of decoration ever seen in the city.