The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-05-25
.NO5,

I! at last bring blessed peace to the land,
In the camps Of tho division, when
/ evening came, the usual song aud jes.
were heard as before, exhibiting that
| careless gaiety 80 gratifying to behold.
as indicating q. cheerful readiness for oil
emergencies. Thus it was up to tha.
Sunday, the 10th of May seven years
! ago :
The sun rose cloudless on that Sab
bath morning--obscured only by the
smoke Of the still smouldering woods.
In most of our camps services were held
by the chaplaius, aud attended by the
troops in moro than usual numbers:-
None but the omuisoient can tell what
prayers arose that day--many from
hearts and lips unused to pray for
themselves-on behalf of the beloved
chieftain who, at that very moment,
was descending into the shadow of the
dark valley. But death, which he had
go often looked in the facc, had no ter.
rors for him. Both for this vorld and
the next he had fought tho good fight,
he had won the victory; and when iu
the supreme hour his soul behcld the
weird river of death, his list words
we're: "Let us cross over the river aud
rest under the trees" Ono minute
more and the cold stream was passed,
and he rests forever under those heayen.
ly trees whose loaves are for thS kal-
ing of the nations
All, my countrymen. could you have
seen aud felt as l did, The sudden
change in those camps of tho Wilder
ness, when the dread announcement
came that evening, Jackson is dead p
it would be memory never to DO et-
faced from your hearts. The sounds OF
merriment died away as ifthe Angel OF
death himself had tapped his mufflcd
wings over the troops. A silence pro.
found, mournful, sitting and Cypress
i've as funeral pail, succeeded to the
voices Of cheerlulness and many were
the veterans who had followed him from
Rarpcrs' Ferry to Manassas, from Win
chester to Port Republic, from Cold
lIarbor to Fedricksburg, whose bronzcd
cheeks were now wet with burning
tears, and whose dauntless breasts were
heaving with uncomfortable sobs. Alas,
tho star of our fortunes set when he fell,
aud thenceforth "unmerciful disaster
followed fast and followed faster," until
our meteor fag, conquered, but still
spotless and glorious went down forever!
On this sad anniversary day let US,
therefore. remember him, and with him
all our slain brothers in arms, of whom
he is the noblest representative.
But how shall we, how can we do sufi
cient. honor to their memories. We look
in vain around us this day for stately
structure to commemorate their names.
Nothing meets our eyes, nothing but
"a simple soddsd mound of earth,
Without line aboveit
With only fragrant native flowers
To show that ary love It'll"
Imperial Rome, rich in the spoils Of a
world, could eternize in marble ond in
bronze the triumphs of her lcgions and
the columns of Trajanus and Antonine,
tho arches Of Titus and Severus, are
still standing to>day to rescue from
oblivion the proud names of her Caesars.
Greece, radiant with the prodigality of
genius, crystalizes the glories Of her past
ages in the unrivalled outlines of the
Parthenon, while nature itself endows
her with the imperishable monuments
Of ofThermopylm and Salamis.
But alas, not for us, the despoiled
sons of tho war-wasted South to build
such memorials to our lamentcd dead.
Not for US to dedicate "the storied urn
or animated bust" Yet let us not des
pond if adversely still forbids US to erect
proud mausolcums to our fallen heroes.
The day will come, doubt it not, when
returning prosperity will enable US to
do this. But meanwhile there arc other
monuments, "not made with hands,"
yet more lasting than brass, whose
foundations it is our present duty to
sink so deep that they may endure for
ever. They are those traditions and
sentiments which live eternal in the
hearts Of u nation, and become inter-
wovcn with its very existence.
The Israolitc, descended from Gods
chosen people, needs no lofty pile to re-
mind him Of his delivcrance from Egyp
tian bondage, SO long as tho Passover
remains 10 him as perennial mcmenio
Of Exodus. His simple observance Of
his anniversary day has outlived Solo
mons magnificent temple, merely be-
cause, though conquered, disporscd,
prosecuted, banished, nothing has ever
made him forget or neglect the tradition
OF his race.
We'll, my fcllow-citizens, oppressed
and impoverished us we are, it is in our
power to establish for ourselves and our
posterity forever as unfading and signifi.
cant q memorial. Let this day become
the national Holiday Of the South. Let
it be celebrated each returning year by
the prayers Of the Church for the pros.
pcrity of the land for which these
martyrs gave thcis lives, and by the
tribute OF praise paid by eloquent lips.
Let young and old repair to these con
secra,cd graves. to decorate them with
the graceful floral offerings Of spring -
Let these pious and touching ceremonies
BIZ so cngrarted upon our national Gus
toms that when our descendants shall
ask, like tho Hebrew children of old,
"What mean yc by this service z" they
u f,T. Il