The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1867-08-17
CIRCULAR
People of the South.

| As Corresponding Secretary Of the Petersburg
| Memorial Association, it becomes my duty to seek
your aid in which is so sacred, so precious
that We would do and suffer NIL things for its success
| full prosecution; but circumstances deny us what
would be equally the pride and JOY of hearts to
perform. We, therefore, come TO you, oppressed
with the magnitude Of the work, asking your sym
pathy and cooperation. And what Is the cause for
which we plead! sis II that we should say come
with us to crown with laurel and celebrate in song,
the victors Of righteous noble struggle to rejoice
with them that the conflict ended, the warfare ac-
complishcd, they return with shouts of victory and
glad hosannas to their happy nomcs their long for
sakcn altars, their cxpectant and exulting loved
oncs! not this, not this, oh God nur hearts are in
the dust, our laurels withcred our homes dcsoated
ana our warriors return no more "Thcy have
fought their last battle they scop their last Sleep
anu 1t IS on their graves we place the roses of our
grateful affection, and the immorcl Of our indy
ing remembrance. All along the lines of this long
belcagurcd city bo found the little hillock which
marks hero's grave; while in distant home teads
In every Southern State, weeping mothers mourn
these loved ones absent from their frcsides absent
from the consccrated cemeteries Of their fathers
Shall these 1000 graves be neglected and uncarcd
for shall they be rnmpcd into nothinpness bv the
very beasts Of the field, and be ploughcd into the
soil which they died to defend? Forbid it, We
mothers, yc sircs, ye maidens, of the South; for
bid it, yc comrades, who batlcd mt their sides: for
bid 1t, yc Legislators, who are Jealous for tho honor
anu integrity of your Commonwealth forbid it.
oh! God, Thou God Of the fathcrless, the widow
and the fricndlcss!
We as an Association, offer you the piitance which
the ravagcs and desolnons of war have left us: VIC
oner yon the willing labor Of our hands, and that
oI our nobe young men who have tolcd with us :
we oher You q spot made ours by tho patriotic
generosity of our City Fathers and we saw to you
hcip us TO take these bodies of your noble sons rcve
rentiy to lay them in honorcd graves, and to rear
over them proud monument worthy of orr couec
an" 1' 'he'r deeds Is it not fitting that here wh G
the last blow was struck. where halfclo,l story;no
men stood up hcroically amid such scenes of 70,
ripic earn age, pressed and finally overwhelmed
lcglons of the foe, the admiration and wander NJ no
World IS II not fitting that VIC should thus honor
'hcir memory, and cxultingly exclnim, "thcse are
our sons, proudly committing their names 10 nos
ter'ty. Our receipts outside do not exceed 500
up to this date oil the dead have received eouol
now we nrc making efforts to rescue from ,,;stoni
oatte-ields the "slain Of our city," which drows
largely on our impoverished treasury. md nnlcss
TINS appeal shall he literally responded 10 Tho
traces OF Father, Husband Son. must perisb from
inc car'h. Then. shall we lay them by the side of
our NOME sons whom we now gathering from
mountain hillside and valley send them to slum"
Der IN their natal SOIL or leave them where thcv
ieh! NO. no! let us deny ourselves .anvthing
everytnng' rather tnan deny to these Scared. and
""me"' ana 'o'.-worn martyrs, the sweet rorosc of
conscc'"tcd grave. until tho last trump shall snm