The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-06-28
Circular TO- the People Of the south,

y IA, -. Corresponding 'Secfetarv of the
"a AI5lPETERSBURG tMEM0RIAL ASSO-
UaAtiySG. 1t becomes my duty to- seek
precious, that We would do and suffer ali
things Tor its successful prosecution; but
clrcumstances deny us what would be
equally the pride and Joy of our hearts tS
periorm. .We. erefofey come,to ybn,I ,Iop-
pressea With the gnitpde OF fheiwork,
And what is the Cause for which We t,Iead3
rs 1t That we should say, como with ms to
crown with laurel, and celebrate in song.
tpe yictors OF nrighteons, noble struggle,
70 rejoice with them that the conflict end
Wiib sbomtr Warfafe ar aocomplshed they return
70. their happy homes, their long forsaken
affairs, their expectant and exuiting loved
onestP not this. not this, oh, Godl our
hearts are in the dust, our laurels wither-
ca, our homes desolated, and our warriors
last battle, they sleep their last sleep.n
ana 1t ls on their. graves we place the
roses or our grateful affection. and the
lmmorteiles OF our undying remembrance.
All along the lines of this long beleaguered
city can be found tho little hillook which
marks hero's grave; while in distant
homesteads, in every Southern State.
weeping mothers mourn these loved ones,
absent from their firesides, absent from
the econsecrated cemeteries Of their fathersl
shall these 1000 graves be neglected and
',nthi uncaLea torS shall they be .trampled into
field, and be ploughed into the soil which
they died to defend? Forbid it, ye mo-
.hers; ye slros, ye maidens of the South;
forbid 1t, ye comrades, who battled at their
sides; forbid it, ye legislators, who are
JGeaaous Gse Ior the honor and integrity of your
Commonwealth; forbid it, Oh. God! Thou
God OF the fatherless, the widow, and the
friendless!
We, as an Association, offer you the pit
tance which the ravages and desolations of
war nave left us; We offer you the willing
laDor OF our hands, and that of our noble
young men who have toiled with us; we
o1ier you spot made ours by the patriotic
generosity of our city fathers; and we say
to you, help us to take these bodies Of
your noDle sons. revorently to lay them in
honored graves, and to rear over them a
proud monument worthy Of our cause and
their deeds. Is it not fitting that here.
where the last blow was struck, where
haif-clad, starving men stood up so heroi-
caly amid such scenes Of terrible carnage,
pressed and finally overwhelmed by
leglons OF the foe, the admiration and
we should thus honor their memory and
exultingly exclaim "these are our sons"
proudly committing their names to pos
terlty! Our receipts outside do moi, ex-
ceed $500; up to this date all the dead
naro received equal care; now we are
making efforts to rescue from distant bat
le-fields tho "slain of our CITY," which
draws largely on our impoverished treasu-
ry, and unless this appeal shall be liberal
y responded, to the traces of father, hus-
band, son, must perish from the earth.
Then, shall we lay them by the side of our
noble sons whom we are now gathering
from mountain, hillside and valley, send
them to slumber in their natal soil or
leave them were they fell2 No, mol let us
deny ourselves anything, everything,
rather than deny to these Scared, and
manned, and toil-worn martyrs, the sweet
rIepose of consecrated grave, until the
last trump shall summon them to man
sions prepared above. Confident that we
shall not plead in vain, we leave the cause
with you, awaiting your action to carry
out the plans before us.
MRS. J. NJ. WYCHE.
Cor. Sec'y. L. NJ. A., Petersburg, Va.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Vim. It.
Joynes, President; Mrs. John Miller,
Treasurer; Mrs. G. Pannill, Recording
Secretary; Mrs. j. NJ. Wyche, Correspond
ing Secretary; Mrs. David Calender, Mrs.
Mm. simpson. June 81