Halifax Welcomes Negro Soldiers Home, October 1919

From the Roanoke News, Weldon, N.C., Oct. 23, 1919

The Colored Soldiers

By R.J. Perry

The Red Cross Association of which Mrs. J.A. Alston is chairman gave an extended welcome to the soldier boys on Thursday, October 16^th.

The exercises began promptly at 1 o’clock, with speaking on the campus of the colored Graded school. The speakers were seated on an improvised platform, and Dr. J.A. Tinsley was master of ceremonies. In a few well chosen remarks he introduced Dr. D.B. Zollicoffer, who had been delegated by Mayor Wiggins to deliver the welcome address. The Doctor was at his best. He paid an eloquent tribute to the courage and bravery of the colored soldier in the world war, and complimented them for their conduct since their return. He also spoke of the good feeling that always existed between the races in Weldon. He closed his admirable address by admonishing them to become good citizens and quit themselves like men.

Mr. W. Gomez responded to the address in a logical and forceful manner, and dwelt particularly upon the fact that as the negro soldier had fought to “make the world safe for democracy, and fit to live in, he ought to have a square deal.”

After Mr. Gomez had concluded his address, Prof. Smith Jones was called upon to introduce Dr. J.A. Cotton, president of Henderson Normal and Industrial Institute, who had been invited to address the soldier boys. Dr. Cotton is a very graceful and effective speaker, and his eloquence at times brought forth round after round of applause. He said that history would always accord to the negro his bravery on the field of battle. It was at Boston that “the first drop of negro blood was shed in the Revolutionary war by Crispus Attucks, while in the Haitian Revolution Touissant L-Overture, a negro, had astonished the world by his generalship; and coming down later to our civil war and the war with Spain, he had shown the highest form of bravery, while in Mexico the honors of the stars and stripes had been upheld on more than one occasion. With this glorious record behind him on the battlefield, the soldier was reminded that “peace had her victories no less than war,” and he begged them to bend all their efforts in acquiring the citizenship of which the world will be proud. To live high and reach the summit. “Beyond the Alps lies Italy.”

With the response of Mr. James Hargrove thanking the ladies of the Red Cross for their work at home during the great war and declaring that it would have been impossible to have won without them, the large crowd, headed by the Weldon brass band, marched to Odd Fellows Hall where the ladies had prepared a splendid dinner of barbecue, Brunswick stew, chicken, ice cream, etc., for the soldiers and visitors.