Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-01-20
Address OF GenernI JabnI A EARLY

At the meeting Of the Executive Com.
mittee of the Army of Northern Virginia.
held in Richmond, the following address
from Lieutenant General Early, President
of the Association of the Army of North
ern Virginia, was read:
To the Surriring Officers and Soldiers of tbe
Arn1y Of Northern Virginia:
Comrades-At large meeting of officers
and soldiers of the Army of Northern Vir-
ginia, held at Richmond, Va, on the 4th
| instant, and composed of members of that
army from several of the States which fur.
| nlshed soldiers for it, it was determined
| TO 1orm an association for the purposes
speclned In the resolutions which are here
TO appended. and preliminary organiza
| ton was adopted, A more perfect and
thorough organization is contemplated, in
which all portions of the said army shall
| be represented; and in order to bring
| about that organization, the undersigned,
who was appointed President at the above
named meeting, was vested with the power
of appointing Central Executive Com
mlttee for the Association, and q Vice
President and two assistants for each State
which furnished soldiers for the army of
| Northern Virginia. In accordance with
that power the Central Executive Commit
tee and Vice Presidents and assistants,
whose names are subioined, have been ap-
| pointed.
! The persons designated as Vice Presi-
dents and assistants, if they shall accept
| the positions rendered them, are respect
fully urged to take steps at once for enroll
ing all the survivors of the Army of North
ern Virginia in their respective States who
approve OF the objects of the Association,
and are desiroEs of becoming members of
It: It. Officers and soldiers residing in the
District of Columbia or in States which
did not furnish any regularly organized
force for the army aforesaid can be enroll
ed with those of the commands to which
they respectively belonged, and We will re-
cognize as entitled to membership in our
Association all who at any time served
{ honorably with the army, whether when it
was known by the designation of 'Tbe
Army of the Hotomac," or after it became
better known as 'FThe Army of Northern
Virginia" provided they did not desert
during the war, and have not deserted
since its close.
f Our lamented and our glorious leader
contemplated writing n history of the
= memorable campaigns of his army, but,
, unfortunately, death has prevented the
r execution of his design. One Of the i'm
portant objects of the proposed Associa-
8 ton IS to collect the materials for an accu-
d rate history Of those campaigns. SO as to
d transmit the truth to posterity. OF course
j. those who believe that the principles of
= right can be settled by the arbitrament of
f arms, or, in other words, that ''might is
0 right, are not expected to sympathize in
!, the objects of our Association; but we de-
sire the cooperation of all comrades who
s have faith In the eternal duration of the
: principles of Justice, of truth, and of right.
If success is the true criterion of all merit.
- then indeed is the aspiration for virtue
), and truth IN vain. Let us, my comrades.
G repudiate so Infamous O sentiment and
present fnknrl af H.
zen soldiers, who were willing to incur
every possible privation and danger In an
almost superhuman struggle for right and
- Justice, and when forced to yield to over
pOwering numbers and resources. were yet
q not ashamed Of their principles or OF the
efforts they had made to uphold them.
In this material and progressive age,
, ours may appear to some an idle and IN
profitable undertaking, but let us be as
! sured that our work will not be without
its uses and its reward. When the revolu-
ton of ages shall have buried in the dust
the powers and principalities now control
| ling the destinies of mankind, the memory
of the deeds and sacrifices of the soldiers
, of the armies of the Confederate States
will live as an encouragement to the good
, and true, and brave, in all times, to strug
gle for the right, though in the conflict
, the right may, for time, be overwhelmed
in the triumph Of wrong.
We hope to see associations similar to
ours organized by the officers and soldiers
of all the Confederate armies and also Of
the Confederate navy, and that bond OF
union and fraternity may be established
among all who struggled for the same
cause, the influence of which for good may
be long felt.
Our plan contemplates a reunion of the
members of the association at stated peri
3 ods, and as soon as the necessary arrange
4 1ko nIaka ii |,
f for general meeting of all the members
} at some suitable point.
J. A. EARLY,
President Association of the Army Of
Northern Virginia. Richmond Wig.
LIN ft "a SwHndIes