Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-03-03


that day when cur /people divided
their bread with the oppressed ci,;z.ns
/ Boston. until the asst scene in tbo
drama OF Yorktown, we pefformad
well our part In the common canse
Ne knew our duty and we perfo MOD
t. We bad at ali times, learn. h.
tween 4 900 aud 5000 men in tbo
ranks Of the continental line. Certa;n
it is, that though the bulk of orr
troops were employed at the South wa
vet had during that terrible winter of
1777, 2. 900 men the North. Caswal1
writing after the 1ali OF that adm;rahla
soldier Gen. Nash, at Garmanto,rr
mants that here was no general Off
CIR from North Carolina in the VIZ
Northern army, although we had troons
enough there TO entitle us to two h.
adiers and one maj general q,
every battle field at the North as VOL
as to the Southwark, after the war had
well begun, are bieachei the bones Of
Carolinians. At the battle of Fort
Moultrie We had two regiments. and
our troops twice reruIsad Cornwa J;s
in his attempt to land on Sull;va.,,s
Island to storm the fortress, his Sims
If war Yer unable to silence! Fiom
the third day OF May, 1776, when wa
received him at Brunswick, till his
final surrender oa the 10th of October
1871, we met CORVALLIS on every hat
lle field, and proved ourselves the
equals of his famous veterans.
A battalion OF lighthouse from tho
Cape Fear passed two winters Oh duty
II the State Of New York The lannon's
party that stormed Stony Point under
the leadership of Mad Anthony Waypa
was, / am informed, composed in
great part { Maj. Waddell's command
OF North CaroiiIiaus. At German
town we lost heavily; and Eutaw, the
bIoodiest battle of the war;, covered
our troops with glory, but filled oar
Sta e with infinite mourning. CowpGns.
Kings Mountain, Guilford Court
House, tue daring encounters at
| Charlotte, Elizabethtown and 9th
err points, we'll attest the yaor
of our brave soldiers, whose every
action is alike honorable to the State
and illustrative of the genius of their
countrymen. But why should [ speak
of the hardships of war, its necessary
sacrifices, It's perils and dark moments
OF dependency to you, the veteran
| patriots of this later generation. You
know it's awful viciasitudes Ye are
the soHs of noble fathers who, with
their own good swords, rough-hewed
their way to freedom and independence
Ye are sprung from the IONS OF mon
| who first proclaimed the right of man
| to selfSgovernmeut and dared al to
maintain 1t. Nor have you in Your
day and generation been unworthy of
| your lineage. + obly have you kept the
faith Of your fathers. OH, We sons of
revolutionary sires ye have not to
turn to distant years to learn the lesson
| Of heroisra and patriot SIN. Look back
on your own lllustriOus DEF DIS; recall
the grand actions of yourselves and
comrades; remember those immortal
works which you yourselves have
wrought, and there will be found
| patriotism as enrolling, a courage as
wonderful, a heroism as God-like as
aught that is written in song or story
OF the highest deeds of mortal man
Oh, we Garolini&ns Of 1876 could I
WOO from the tomb your patriot fathers,
| L would recount to them the story of
your trials, the history of your forti-
tude. I wonld tell them of Wagner,
Of Fisher, of Rentonvi.le, of Sharps-
burg, OF Gettysburg, of Fredericks-
burg; of the WI!derness-of Il hundred
battiefie!ds where Caroiinians bore the
brunt and gained the glory.
would tell them of our discipline,
your cool, steady courage, of your
marvellous yalor, your chivairous car
riage your famous charges into the
very jaws of death. 1 would tell
them that if they gave to their conn
, try's cause a Moore, Howe, Nash,
a Caswell, Tones, Hogan, a Sum-
ner, ian IYedell, a Johnston, Graham,
| sclo how
given to Ca Is. as S cr3d, Petit
grew, ap Anderson, a Whiting, a
Campbell, a L .sher, and $4,000 la
menfed dead, worthy of their sires. 1
would tell them that with the name of
their hero, Ellington, we have inter-
woven tie name of our immortal Pen
der, and That together We will per-
petuate the fame of these iiiustriolts
CarolInians TIL time shall be no more.
would tell them that if with the
great Washington they achieved VIC
tory in the cause of independence,
and received the applause Of the
| world for their virtue and herolsm we,
profiting 10y the example of our
grander Lee, have learned to endure
the bitterness of defeat with sOberness
and fortltude, and have buried our
aspirations for separation and lnde~
pendence in the graves where our
heroes sleep.
1t may not prove uninteresting to
say word of the leaders in the events
which we are here especially to COM
memorate. James Moore, the COM
manding officer, was sprung from all
ancestry long renowned for gailantry,
boldness, courage and experience III
military affairs. His father while still
young had led a column from Charles
ton through the umbrokeu wilderness
to protect the people OF this pro@
vince from the murderous as
saults of the Indians. After an
e.duous contest he was entirely sue
cessful. He broke forever the power
of the savages. His son, Gen. Moore,
was by nature equally bold and ener-
getie. LII all the measures iii opposl-
sition to B:istish tyranny he was
among the foremost of the gallant
patriots OF his day. He warmly es-
poused the cause Of his country and
was a leader in all the hazardous un-
dertakings OF that rebelnous psriod.
His military talents were OF the high
est order, and lis associates consider
ing him unequalled III all Carolina, he
was selected to cammand the first
regiment Oh regulars iaiSeu III 'hS
State. His first duty was the suppress
sion of McDouald's instruction, and
in that short campaign he gave evil
dence of un1suaIskill and capacity. We
have seen how he directed the move
nrents that annih1lated the army Oft the
misguided insurgents. The Council
of State laid the palm at his feet and
Immediately tendered him aud his
officers and men the thanks of
all lis couutrymen for his vic
tory. The Continental Congress also
recognized his merit and promoted
| him to generalcy N the Continental
Line, and bestowed upon him the COM
mend of the Department of the South.
But, unfortunately, his body was too
frail a tenement to long contain his
heroic spirit 1t was delicate, aid in
.trIklng contrast with his bold and "
| hement nature. He fell vicsIm TO
disease shortly after that campaign,
| which tarInir ated 81 ha,5IJity for Us.