A Gathering of Three Wars
Veterans of the Mexican, Civil, and Spanish-American wars gather in Waitsburg for a historic reunion.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The veterans of three wars met in Waitsburg Monday evening at a big campfire and reunion. There were present about 80 veterans of the Mexican, rebellion and Spanish-American wars, and it proved to be one of the largest reunions ever held in Walla Walla County. The young and old soldiers, with their wives, families and sweethearts met at the Armory where the campfire was held. A banquet was served at which E. M. Denton, commander of Burnside Post No. 111, G.A.R., acted as toastmaster. Many splendid addresses were delivered and numerous incidents of personal experiences were related by the veterans.
“The young and old soldiers, with their wives, families and sweethearts met at the Armory where the campfire was held.”
These veterans’ reunions were the social bedrock of late 19th-century communities, acting as both a memorial for the carnage of war and a networking event for the political class. Today, such commemorations have shifted from intimate 'campfires' to formal public-sector-led observances, yet the desire to connect generations of soldiers remains a constant in American civic life.
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