Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1864-01-26
Address of Colonel James H. Skinner to the
Soldiers of the SOD Va REGIMENT.

Address OF Colonel James III. Skinner to the
Soldiers of.he SID Va. Regiment.
It is my proud privilege, under the Providence
of God, to present to you, for the second time,
as your standard, the flag of our mother State.
Under it you were born, and under it, l fray
God, You may live to enjoy many days of happy,
prosperous independence.
The flag of our Confederacy may, and does
claim, and is entitled to, your cordial attach.
ment, but your hearts best devotion is due to
this the symbol of your States Sovereignty
Under the folds of this flag your fathers lived,
and you lived, while yet in cherished Union
with those who have become our cruel and vim
dictIve enemies; under the same flag, as citizens
of Virginia, you have sought protection from
the hostile designs of those Toes, and, confeder-
ated with your brethren of the South, are bat
thing for that lnestimable right of self-govern-
ment, which, as true born Virginians, you can
never rclinquish but with your lives.
Your OLD flag, or SO much of it as has escaped
the battle and the breeze, is now treasured, in
the capital of State, in memorial Of your pat
riotic services. How many tales, were it vocal,
and eloquent, could it tell Of your heroic con-
duct on the battle-felds of Liberty? How ma ny
stories Of your hardships, and your sufferings,
and your noble endurance in behalf of your
country's independence Believe me, that that
tattered banner, though tongueless, Will speak
in after days with touching pathos of all these
| things; and glorious heritage will it be fol
your children, and your children's children,
to remoteSt generations, to be able to go up, on
pious pilgrimage, to the capital of their State,
and say, when that war-worn flag is unrclled
s'under that flag our father, grandsire, fought
and suffered, and, may be, bled, following EVER
where 1t led, through heat, and through cold, in
sunshine and in storm, and amid the carnage OF
battle, at times ahungercd and athirst, and well
nigh naked, and yet, never once deserted his
post beneath it, until his country's independence
was achieved
pray you, whatever may have been your in
divdual history under the old flag, let that be
the heroic conduct of each one of you under
this, which, in VirginIa's halioWed name, now
present to you'll
Be not discouraged whatever may betide y
Your enemies vaunted themselves that in three
short months they would effect your subjugation,
but twelve times three are about expiring, and
yet, under the favor of heaven, your cause is
still erect, and needs but stout HEARTS on your
part to be brought to q successful and glorious
issue.
Be not despondent! Yon evening star is sink.
ing to his rest in the West, and you know that
chilling night Of darkness will follow, but you
look confidently for coming day, when the
darkness will be swallowed up in the effulgence
OF his returning beams; and so, though darkness
may rest awhile on us, and our star appear at
times to be setting in night, the earnest, deter
mined efforts OF freemen battling for their inal
lenable rights must be successful, and terminate
~ nay VI independence, all the brighter in its
sseniHss afo4s sssle shadows and darkness through
which 1t struggles into existence.
never give up The blighted face of your
once beautiful country, torn and furrowed by
Inc ravages of cruel foe, its desolated fields
and desecrated hearth-stones, admonish you to
snever give up
Never give up! The blood of your slaughter.
% brethen crieth unto you from the ground to |
never give up ~
Never give up! Your wives, and your little
mes, yoar country bleeding at every pore, all
nas you yourselves have done, and all that you
have suffered, your own birthripbt
3 1reemen, your ve.y manhood, all, ALL, call
ut 10 you to ssnever give up,
81 am confident that you will heed these vol.
es, and, with cheering assurance, I commit to
~, as sacred trust, this honored flag. 1t is
ne representative of all which Won. as freemon
nerish upon earth. Invoke for 1t, as l do now
10 blessing OF God; end be snre, be SURE, to
ever give it up!