The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-10-11

OAKwooD MEMORIAL AssocIArroS-AS-
NUAL MEETISG.-The second annual meet
ing Of the Oakwood Memorial Association
was held yesterday afternoon in the lee
tureroom Of the Third Presbyte rian
church, on Broad street. The meeting
was opened with prayer by Rev. A. f.
Dickinson, who was appointed secretary
pro tenn.
The following report was then presented
from the President Of the Association for
the year ending during the present month :
REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT.
RICHMOND, October 10, 1867.
To the Members Of the 0aknood Memorial
association
Ladies,-The year, though burdened
with care and labor to your Board of
Managers, has yielded practical results
which must be pleasing to all who are in
terested in our work, and which demand
devout gratitude to Him by whose kind
providence our Association has been sus-
tained under circumstances Of very great
difficulty.
The number of intcrments at Oakwood
during the war has never been clearly as
certained, and it is probable that when our
hallowed task is done, and all the graves
which we can clearly designate are accu-
rately marked, our monument to the
" Unknown and unrecorded dead of the
Confederate army" that are there will
indicate number ranging between five
and six thousand. This result, painful
-, =. rf In
quences Of cruel war, during the rage of
which the most solemn and impor-
tant duties are often committed to
careless and inexperienced hands, and
are sometimes necessarily performed,
even by the faithful, in an imper-
feet manner. But although the number
Of unknown graves is large, the number
happily rescued from threatened oblivion
is greater: and it is pleasing fact now
presented to your annual meeting, and TO
be published for the comfort of bercaved
survivors all over the South, that the AL
phabetical Register, prepared at the ex-
pense Of this Association, and now in the
hands of its recording secretary, and open
to public inspection, contains about ten
thousand names, with States and regl-
mcnts attached, for each of which there IS
corresponding head-board in the ceme-
terry, which an inquirer may find by we'll
arranged system of divisions, rows, ana
numbers, leading directly to any grave
that may be sought.
If we have seemed too urgently to press
the claims Of the dead upon an impovcr-
ished country at time when 50 many
among the living cried for help, our Justl-
fcation is found in the fact that every day
of postponcment in this matter added to
the difficulty of its execution, and that
any considerable delay would have
made it impossible to do what has
now been accomplished. Upon the
same plea your cooperation and that
of all our friends is earnestly solicited to
enable us to 90 forward; for much yet re-
mains to be finished before our work is
done. Besides providing for debts already
incurred, a number OF boards is to be pre-
pared for graves of soldiers who are buried
in private sections, another and more cX-
pensivc style Of boards is to be procured
for divisions and rows, and vast amount
of labor to hc bestowed upon the grounds
to give them an appropriate appearance
'~NN''
and bushes which now presents an aspect
most unsecmiy, and threatens soon TO con-
vert the cemetery into Il wilderness in
which the memorials already erected will
be lost to view. 1t was hoped that in this
last part of our undertaking the Common
Council, through its regular force at the
cemetery or by some special arrange
ment, would interpoSe to some extent
but so far very little help has been re-
ceived from that quarter.
The sources of our income during the
past wear and the disbursement OF it may
be learned from the accompanying report OF
the treasurer, from which it will be seen
that the sum of 81 900 given to our ASsocla-
ton by the State Of North Carolina has been
received but that donations to the same
amount voted by the Legislatures OF South
Carolina and Georgia have not yet come
to hand.
The Board has derived much aid in the
preparation of head-boards and in the exc.
cution of other business from committee
of gentlemen, consisting Of Major \. X
Courtney, chairman Captain W. II. Cor.
don, and Messrs. w. Hall Crew, William
Coulling, and l.. II. Grant, whose services
arc gratefully acknowledged.
The officers and members Of the Board
with whom ! have had the pleasure TO bo
associated have exhibited truly com
mcndablc zeal and perseverance.
For the information of persons wishing
to find particular graves at the Cemetery
tho register is regularly kept at the hous.
the secretary, Mrs. C. Poythrcss, corner
of Franklin and Twenty seventh streets.
With a view to raise money, the BoarC
has decided 10 hold festival, commencln!
on the 18th instant, adjacent to the room
Of the Virginia Horticultural and Pomo
logical Exhibition. They earnestly ask il
this arduous undertaking, in which they
are already engaged, the assistance of al
the members and friends oflhe Association
Respectfully submitted, with the appro
val of the Board of Managers.
Mrs. NJ. IL. SMITH, President.
The following abstract Of the Trea
surer's report was then read:
| To the Officers and Members Of the OAK
rood Memorial association
Your treasurer respectfully submits The
following as i report of the pccunlar,
transactions of the Association during tht
past financial year:
Amount on hand October u, lS66. 81 ,Gj2 !
Amount received 10 date.............. 900 i
1895, )
Paid out as per checks s................s5,o 500 :
Paid out as per vouchers o. >