Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-06-19

'ontent-for them, for ourselves and
'ur children-to submit the full record
II its causes, conduct, character and con-
to the impartial pens of fu-
;ure historians, and to abide by the
calm and unbiased judgment of posteri-
y. Meanwhile, one thing is certain
beyond all controversy, in reference to
our southern soldiers, whatever may be
thought and said on any occasion or in
any quarter, as to their being right or
no one doubts the fact which is
by their most prejudiced and
unrelenting foes, that they most unques-
tiopably believed that they were right,
and cannot be classed with those "who
knew the right, and yet the wrong
pursued" Yes, they thought they
were right-thought so thoroughly,
honestly and conscientiously-and they
gave the best possible proofs of their
in risking their lives and sac
rificing their property in support of the
side they felt it to be their bounden du-
ty to sustain. Let then their sincerity,
at least, be respected by those disposed
to denounce them for the part they took
in the war, and to doubt them for the
position they occupy in peace. \
And in that belief of our, poor boys,
how gloriously they fought fought
through those four eventful years,
fought at every possible disadvantage,
under the most adverse circumstances
and alw avs at the greatest odds-fought
as men had never fought before, with a
gallantry, an endurance, unsurpassed
in modern times, in remote antiquity !!
No matter how poorly armed, no mat
ter how pinched by hunger, how worn
out with weary watches or broken down
by exhausting marches /; whenever 'the
long roll y the battle beat ITO arms ~
resounded.through their ranks, they new
er faltered, never failed to follow theil
leaders to the front, and with self-sacrl-
ficing alacrity to fling themselves, il
need be, into the very jaws of death
entirely forgetful of everything but
their duty to their country and devo
ton to its cause. Applause
And could the laurel-crowned heroes
of antiquity once more appear among
US, answering their summons from the
roll-call Of Fame, they would, as the
Old-WOrld warriors of our day hav,
done, recognize them as in every way
worthy of everlasting remembrance
For the immortal three hundred who
fell at Thermopylae, the Macedonian
phalanX of Alexander, the Tenth Legior
Of Caesar, the Old Guard of Napoleon
the death-scorning Light Brigade. wht
charged with Cardigan at Balaklava
who all, doubtless, deserve the reputa
ton for valor ascribed to them by his
tory, but were no better or Drawer sol
diers than were to be found in the ar
mics Of the South, especially in the Gar
my of Nothern Virginia." and NOR
particularly in that portion of it know
and hOnored throughout the world a
the Stonewall Brigade; our own incom
parable brigade, whose name and fam
will be cherished here at least as Ion;
as these blue mountains stand on thei
firm foundations looking down on thi
fair, fertile and famous valley will
which it is SO glOriously associated, AM
where its first and most iIlustrious lea
der rests--rests lover the river, unde
, the trees" And what memorie
come marching before the minds ey
from the buried past at the mere men
ton Of that leader who, together wit
d his loved brigade, were baptized in bloc
! on the field of battle with the signifcan
soubriquet which has made them forev
! er memorable. Is it any wonder. ther
j that we love the memory of that br
j gade of ours-Jackson' own brigade?
The old brigade he loved so well
OF valley men who bound him
With bays of their own winning, ere
| A tardier fame had found him.
THE MEMORY OF AsHBY.
Is it any wonder that we revere th
memory of its great leader, no les
, great than good ? All my friend
| xxy1, IL
, he devoted himself to the cause b
e espoused, how successfully he defer
ded it, how calmly he encountere
! difficulties, how consistently he main
f tanned his christian character and no,
singularly free he was from the ordins
o ry frailties of humanity, it would b
! strange indeed if the people of this va
ley, with whom he lived and for whor
he died, and passing strange if the pee
pie of this dear old battle-scarred cit
!, of Winchester, with whom he was s
intimately associated under circumstan
ces of such extraordinary interest, an
whom he loved SO well, had not en-
t shrined his memory in their heart {
D hearts as that of one who is
: immortal by a double prize:
By fame on earth, by glory in the Skies
And those two glorious brothers-po
mobile .trdtruna-lying yonder! The
} who, like Saul and Jonathan, wer
"swifter than eagles and stronger thaI
lions; ;" who were so ''loveIy and pleas
, ant in their lives, and in their death ar
not divided" who now sleep side b
side together under that simple, sodde
, mound, in this Silent City of the Dead
where every turf beneath our feet is
soldiers sepulchre. Can we ever forge
9 them? No, my friends! for the nan.
!. of Ashby is zone of the few immorts
names that were not born to die" An
: these fallen braves of humble fame, an
: those without a name-the 'Unknow
: Dead" beneath that mound-"whos
! swords were thousand and whose be
: SONS but one," are they ever to be fol
gotten Forgotten by those with whor
and for whom they fought? God forbi
! that we, especially those of US who TO
lowed Jackson from the first and Lee t
the last, who were associated with thos
poor boys and shared their suffering
; who participated in their perils an
sympathized in their cause No, we
g least can never be so forgetful of then
= so falthleSS to ourselves and to ever
manly sentiment as to refrain from tie.
tifying, on all proper occasions, and
all appropriate ways our undiminishe
, and undying regard for their memorie
Why, my friends, no truly brave soldie
in all the multitudinous hosts of thos
, who fought against us, but would tur
, his back in scorn upon us and cry OF
Shame! were we to withhold from OF
dead comrades these sad tokens of OIL
affectionate respect. All honor, ther
to the memory of our fallen heroes!
honoring them you do honor to you
/; selves! And now, with holy rites, til
minister of God has consecrated ane'
; their last resting-place. Tuneful voice
''in accord harmonious" have lynne
their requiem, whilst on each lowl
grave fair hands have gently laid th
freshest flowers of spring, believed wit
sympathetic tears of loving hearts. o.
melancholy duty to the dead is don
and we are about to leave them to
/, Sleep in peace, with kindred ashes
Of the noble and the true.
THE DUTY OF THE HOUR.
What more? One word only. L,
, us here resolve that on returning to OF
respective homes to resume the dali
duties of our life, whilst cherishing