Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1869-06-22
THE CONFEDERATE DEAD!
AN ELOQUENT ADDRESS !

to the memory of the Confederate Dead, in
Brittle Grove Cemetery, near Cynthiana:-
The orator On the occasion, was Col. w. P
c. BRECKlNRICGE, and his address one of
the most cloquentd delivered during the present
season, SO fruitful in the expression of high
and noble sentiments The speaker paid the
following glowing tribute to grand and glorl>
Gus Old Virginin, during the progress of his
remarks:
Not only is this monument in memory of
the gallant dead, but it also commentaries the
virtues OF the States, who gave their lives to
the cause; States now dead, bat for whom
there is Il resurrection morn. ireland, Pc.
land, Crete and Hungary, cannot fuu perma-
neut countcrparts in this land consecrated to
liberty.
You have done we'll, people of Harrison, in
erecting this monument-Kentucky,t to-day,
through you, dedicatcs it in part to the past
of her mother Virginia. Virginia her name
is the synonym of every lofty quality. No
oppression can degrade no tyranny disgrace
her Around no State do SO many and so
touching memories gather.
Her history IS the most romantic, chivalrc
and glorious CT all her sisters. From her
womb have sprung the peers of earth's great
est sons; soldiers, statesmen, orators, patriots,
unsurpassed in the chronicles of man. In
four years Of tremendous aud indescriba-
BILE suffering, she asserted her ancient supre-
Hary While she stood, the Conedcracy
stood-when she fell, all was lost. Her sons
gave their lives by thousands-the hecatOmbs
of her ene,;!ics are numerous in her borders.
No murmur was ever heard from her lips
Reluctant she drew her sword. With avertcd
l. I 4 cI,o into ha
arena. but her proud, sad heart, knew no fear
Her drawn sword was never sheathed, it FELL
by her side, when overwhelmed aud exhaust
ed by the increasing odds Of her terocious
enemies, size lay prostrata before her unsul
lied and beloved capitol What memories
cluster about her, what jewels blaze in her
crown! Disarned and enchained though she
lc, amid the thrJng which crowds the pa h
way Of Tine there walks no statelIer figure
arraycd in more glorious garments; ; upon her
banner is engraved every battle from Bunker
Hill to Yorktown. every battle OF the second
war of Independence, the foreign fields of
Mexico; and under them the innumerable
fields upo.i which she punished her invaders;
in her hands are the scrolls upon which are
written the Declaration, the Constitution, the
Bills for Religious Freedom and hcr'contri-
buttons to republican institutions; upon her
phi ylacIcres blaze the names Of Washington.
Henry, jefferson, the Lees, Madison, Mar.
shall, Wythc, Clay, Scott, Harrison, Lee,
jackson, A>hby, Stuart, Hill and the death
less host size has given TO liberty; and upon
her brow is now placed the crown OF thorns
II an uu-rateiul North west to whom she
gave an empire permits foreign soIdicry to
lord it over her people and negro mob to
pol!uc her capitol Kentucky her turest and
lr,l on th,IV
Grated by battle aud shed blood, rcvcrently
crccts this monument iu testimony Of love for
l:!i Of faith in Virginia and her teachings.
The war lett the South bankrupt, devas>
tatcd and cunuuered \ dsbandcd and de-
feaet army returned to destroyed homes and
starving families. Without credit or money.
the ragged and perhaps disabled soldier found
his fences gone, his fields grown up in brlars
and wecds, implements Of industry destroyed,
beasts Of burden butchered, and his house
RACED to the ground. Bitter memories, in
suIting espionage, deprivation of political
rights, daily abuse of his cause and COM
ra;ies, his heart rlanacled with his chetta1n
in Fortress Monroe, liability to arrest, I'M
| priSoumcnt and death, were the protection
guaranteed by the parole i'll his pocket Inc
| bravery upon the battle field was not equal II
sublime hcrOism to the manly labor, the un.
complaining patience, the unbrokcn taith OF
those immortal paroled prisoners \" threats
| escaped their lips, no useless replnIngs over
failure, wasted their time. With proud. bro
ken hearts the Grape clad women covered the
graves Of their martyrs with flowers, and as
money could be spared from the very neccs-
stics OF life, the scattered bones have been
carefully collected and inferred in appropriate
/ cemeteries Monuments have not yet been
/ crectcd-upon the tablets of the heart have
the names been preserved The day Tor ln-
/ scriptiOns has not arrived, the future holds IL
! i'll her womb. But houses have been rebuilt,
! fences replaced, railroads restored. Fields
/ blossom with rich harvcsts the hum OF IN
dustry, the buzz of labor meets the car every
where, and signs of returning prosperity
greet the eye. Colleges have been endowed
with the scant savings Of an honorable poV
erty hospitals erected from the deprivatlons
of comfort. 1t is not unworthy Of this sacred
occasion to exhort you to remember that VIC
/ have duties Of Il like nature. We must adopt
the orphans of our comrades-erect homes
for their widpws-hospitnls for the aged poor.
| We must gather the materials for true his
tory of their deeds-so that hereafter one
greater than GibbOn and more eloquent than
Macauly may construct the true monument to
their memory.
This monument is in honor of every Ken
! lucky soldier whose life was given to the cause,
| Your son, yOur husband, your father, yo"r
! brOthcr-to him we have reared this memorial.
To him who fell as he fought with Desha at
| Drainsville ; to those who remained at Donel-
son, prisoners to death to the sleepers around
the little church of Shiloh, where johnson
and Monroe led across the dark river; to those
who accompanied Hanson ut Murfreesboro, or
rode into the spirit-land with Morgan the
devoted who followed Breckinridge at Chick
amauga, or fell by the wayside on the long
retreat from Dalton the buried victims OF
hospitals and prisons; the martyrs that died