The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-05-14

u
Fourth. James W. Read, Roswell Char
ter, and George Bcrryman.
These officers are to commence opera
tions on the 18th instant.
The Court, after considering the qucs-
tion of rebuilding the county court-housc,
decided that at present such was imprac
ticablc Oh account uf the great scarcity OF
money.
The Court unanimously adopted the law
preventing unlawful fishing or hunting.
passed 10y the Legislature at its last session.
About fifty applications were granted
for license to sell liquor.
THE GRAVES OF oCR FALLEN SOLDIERS.
\ correspondent has forwarded lis the fol-
lowing communication, which We take
pleasure in publishing:
i" She hath done what she could. Mark xiv, Sv.
LEIGH AND TuIErIETH STREETS,
CuR,m HILL, May II, 1866.
McsSrS. Editor>,-Thc article in your
valuable journal entitled "The Graves OF
Our Fallen Soldiers suits me exactly. |
wish every one in this community could
read that article twice. The individuality
of the graves is ill-important. Allow me Il
suggestion in addition to Your own. The
work Of arranging the graves is not too
great work, if every one will put his own
shoulder 10 the wheel. But hundreds OF
Us have now nOtr no money al dH. We were
once rich and while we had money, gave
it away like water. But We still can work
with strong hands and willing hearts, and
thus maintain the dignity Of labor. hereby
agree To be one of ten, or one hundred, or
one thousand others, who are willing 10 "lay
dow the fiddle and the bow, and take up
the shovel and the hoe" furnish our
own tools, and work with our own hands,
turing the graves OF the Confederate dead
at Oakwood for the space OF two hours
every Friday or Saturday evening, for some
time to come or, like "Old Mortality" |
am willing to do my part single handed.
There are hundreds of young men ont
of employment, and hundreds Of others in
employment, who could spare an hour or
two very well for this work, and thus
some cast on us, that Southern people are
not practicd. Who will respond!
a holy and a wholesome thought it is "
to decorate the graves of the dead.
Much more might be said, but "a word
to the wise is sufficient
Very respectfully, yours, &C.,
G.. \. W.
Our correspondent suggests plan
which has already been advocated in this
paper, and which will remove the great
difficulty in the way of those who wish to
retain even in death the individuality OF
each of our fallen soldiers. There are two
principal plans: One is To mound and turf
the graves, mark them with head-boardS,
and keep them permanently i'll repair.
This is objected to on the score Of expense.
The other plan is to level the graves, turf
over the entire area which they occupy,
enclose it with railing, and erect in the
centre Il handsome monument, which Shall
bear the name of every soldier who Is
buried beneath its shade. This plan is OBJ
icctcd to because We have pledged our
selves to the people of the South 10 pre-
serve the graves of their fallen children
because such Il plan would deprive the
Southern mother Of the sad pleasure OF
weeping over the grave OF her child; ana
because such a plan would prevent those
who might wish to do 50 from removing the
remains OF their soldier brothers to their
own southern homes, No. rather than
the graves of our soldiers should be de-
privcd of every distinguishing mark, it
were better that their graves should re-
main in their present desolate condition.
Whatever plan may be adopted must pro-
vide that the spot where each soldier sleeps
shall be distinctly marked, so that its identity
man be kn0rn-cverything else is COM
paratively immateral! Is not each sol
dier-cach private soldier-who fell in the
war, battling for the South, as richly en-
titled TO his humble head-Stone or plainly
painted board as are Jackson and Stuart
TO the richly-carved sarcophagusf Is
not the private soldier who fought the
battle worthy of the commemoration ofthe
spot where his ashes lie, If the chieftain
who led him in arms and gained renownb by
his valor is honored with professions and
monuments-with funeral dirgc and BOOM
ing gum God help this Southern people
when they forget or slight the fallen pri-
vate soldier.
To the mere fact of levelling the graves
there is no objection, IL it Is understood
that each grave is to be marked. a small