South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1874-11-20
South a,raneh antsllisemetr.
ROMNET, FRIDAY, NOV. 20, 1874.
The Southern Historical Society

ION. u. NJ. l. HUNTER in his address before the
Southern Historical Society, in Richmond, few
days ago, short extract from which We gave in
our last number, began by alluding in ELOQUENT
terms to the cause which had gather ed sueh An
sssemblage together aud the importance OF pre-
serving the history os the struggle for Southern
independence, and OF its being written by South
ern men. Already our cooquerors were writing
the history OF the conquered, and clsiming VIC
tories that they dared not claim when the strug-
gle was going on. The victories of Grant were
boosted Of now, but they were not worth lauda-
ton. He ran over the events Of the surrender OF
ma email and feeble army at Appamattox court
house to the hundreds Of thousands Of Grant
and placed himself on the platform that history
must consist OF truth He reviewed the foul at
tempts to deprive the South Of her rights the
pollution OF the constitution and the causes that
led to secession, aud then taking up the history OF
the Confederate army, followed il until Lee be-
came its commander, when il drove Mcclellan
from James river and awsy from Richmond,
hurled Burnside into the Rappahaunock, and
nnaHy car ried it TO Gettysburg. This WAS a vic
tory gained by the enemy, but he claimed that
we mead not be ashamed Of il. The charge Of
Pickeirs men was a grnnder event in military
history, TO his mind, than that Of Balsklava, and
he described it IN glowing terms
lie next paid a glowing tribute
TO THE SOUTHERN WOMEN.
When did they ever fail to respond promptly to
any demand which was made upon them for
food, or raiment, or anything they could furnish
! to our men in the field Ia how macy instan-
ees did they rebuke deser,iou2 Or when were
they heard to complain Of any sacrifices necessn-
riy imposed upon them by the war 1t was one
oil the last acts OF the war when the Con federate
government appealed 10 the women Of Virginia
Tor food for the soldier. How cheerfully was il
given In how many instances Gid the women
say, upon examining her stores al and nv "a.
mily will live upon the bread, let the soldier
have the meat" and at the time OF Lees sur
render depots were being formed in the State
which were wasted or destroyed without even
helping those for whom they designed.
well remember myself the instance Of lady who
dwelt not far from here. Several officers were
quartered in her house. One of them eaid to her
one day, Madam, you astonish me- Your
slaves are deserving you, or being spirited away
daily your barns are sacked, your farm is was
ted, your teams taken away, your stock is de-
stroJ ed-nud you make complaint. How is
this y Sir, said the young lady, in the spir-
1t OF the Roman matron, you do not under
stand the feelings OF our Southern women in
their estimation of the cause for which YOU are
making them sulftr. lost my husband not We
~ long ago. He owed his country his life and
notly he paid the debt dying Sighting, as he did,
in the field. ] shed no tear over him, and do
you suppose would mourn over property when
had no moan over him =? When lost him,
! lost my all. Ny sex forbids me 10 take his nlace
in the ranks. | cannot fight, but can endure -
And nobly abe did endure oil the trials of the
war remember, too, that one day a woman
came in from Hanover to see the President Oh.
said that the Federal raiders bad visited her the
day before and swept off the little provisions OF
corn she had made for the support OF herself an
| her daughter tkcn whatever they wanted from
her house md dug up the grave OF her mother
In the garden under the hope that it might con-
tain money or valusbles. She had heard there
was some provision made in the city to relieve
such cases as hers and she came for some corn
for ler subsistence. Some provision had been
made for such cases by the Governor of Virginia
/ but Of course there nothing which the Con
/ federste government could do to relieve her
She sent TO state her case to the Confederate Pre-
sident, who being very busy, could not see her,
but sent her The eX preston Of bispympatby and
a small sum Of money, with bis regrets that he
could not make /, more She
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