Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-06-13
Memorial Dav.

| The procession consisted OF the West Au
gusta Guard, 1t. John McQuaide; th
Stanton Artillery, 1t. Long, the cempa
ny wearing for the first time on pasad
| in the city their handsome helmets; thu
| Augusta Fire Co., Capt. Michael Cox ant
the D.. d. & B. Fire company, Capt. E. r
MoOn-the last named company preser i'll;
| its custom of carrying wreath OF ever
greens over the shoulder of each, member
| The number Of citizens present Of boil
town and county was unusually large
The address of the occasion was delivered
by Capt. James Bumgardnei, Jr., and wa,
replete with eloquence. The speaker gave
in it description of a memorable oc
currence, of which he was an eye witness
as follows:
In the earliest dawn of misty morning
the morning of the memorable 18th d
May, 1864-one Of those tremendous maSseo
columns, which, from time to time during
that frighUfnl campaign, were hurled
against the army of Northern Virginia,
dashed against our line with the fury and
force of a tornado, and burst it asunde.
and, through the breach, poured line after
line and column after column, as wave
follows wave in ocean storm.
In that moment hung suspended the fate
of the army of Northern Virginia. In the
instant, just on the spot, that rushing
solid, ever-increaslng mass, must be met,
stopped, hurled back, or all is lest. Nearly
in rear of the breach were two brigades,
lying along the line of their stacked arms
In "a few seconds after the order to ';fall
in" they were ready for action. and Gen.
Lee rode to their front. And the picture
he made, rs the grand old nun sat there
on his horse, with his noble head bare and
looked FROM right to left, as if to meet
each eye that flashed aloDgI'ie line, can
never be forgotten by d man that stood
there.
And every soldier along that line knew
what that look meant; that it meant
-"Soldiers. follow your General;'
knew that work so desperate was
to be done, and that interests SO
tremendous hung upon its success
full dong, that everything. even the life
of our great CHIEF himself. must be put to
the dreadful hazard, if necessary to secure
the result. But those men needed nnSslch'
order and 10 such example! Tiev wanted
no General or Field Marshal ,iismouuted
in their front to stimulate them to do and
dare all in mortal power.
From three thousand lips at once burst
the cry Gen. Lee to the rear''--and not
d foot would stir until he was led back
through a gap in the line; ard then the
word was given. and the line moved for
ward, without pause, Or WAIVER, Or break,
right on up to the very face of the solid
opposing mass; on till sabreS clashed and
bayonets crossed; on, till the first lite was
driven back in confusion upoa the second,
and first and second upon the third; on.
into the angle of the salient, where bate
ries, massed Oh right and massed on left,
poured in storm of shot and shell upon
either flank. and still on, pressing back the
stubborn heavy mass, covering the earth
organization lost i'll confusion, retired from
the dreadful calnage, yielded back the
captured works, aud the crisis passed, and
the field was saved.
Of the French engaged in what Nap2le-
on calls the terrible passage vi the Bridge
OF Lodi, the loss WAS Gna in four THO
proportion Of loss in the force engaged in
that charge Oil the 18th OF May | do not
know; but i'll one reglment-the centre
regiment of one of the brigades, and if
more exposed than 9th rs | know it not
and know not why-the loss was one ID
two.
The Stonewall Brigade Band led by
Prof. A. J. Turner, followed its touching
custom of paying separate tributes to its
own dead and played at the graves of II.
M. Stoddard and VIM. E. Woodward, two
of its former members, and also at the
graves of Capt. S. Travers Phillips, Order
ly Sergeant Peyton Summerson and pri-
vate Thomas Barkman. formerly of the
West Augusta Guard. The West Angus
ia Guard and stanton Artillery fired the
salutes of the day. The arrangements Of
the day were under the supervision Of
Capt. John N Opie. Chief Marshal, and
Assistant Marslals, Capt. G. B. Conner,
DR.. Carter Berkeley, Capt, Chas. s. Ar
nall. Capt. E. A. Fulcher, S. H. McCue
and 1t. J. N. Mcfarland, and were per-
feet.
THE AUGUSTA MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION
held its meeting in the afternoon and re-
ceived the report of Col. Jas. H. Skinner,
It's earnest and efficient president. The
remains of sixteen members of the 18th
Georgia regiment, who fell at Mcdowell,
High land. have been removed to the
Staunton cemetery. The funds of the As
ISOLATION consist of a $500 city of Staun
ton bond, and two shares of Staunton Gas
Company stock-all together yielding ain
annual income of $50, which is not suffi-
Gent for the needs Of the organization.
The Board Of Supervisors Of Augusta have
bsen empowered by law to provide for the
removal of the remains of Confederate sol
dlers in the county to the Association s
cemetery, and to appropriate Annually a
sum not exceeding $500. for the care and
Improvement of the grounds. The Su-
pervisors have not yet taken action under
this authority. but the President hopes
that their action will be favorable on the
first application of the Association for 500,
which is now before them. President
Skinner calls attention to the fact that of
the thousands of dollars heretofore con-
tlibuted to and expended on the soldiers
cemetery, at least three fourths or four
fifths have been given by the people of
Staunton. After the reading of the re-
port the President was, on motion Of Capt.
Jas. Bumgardner, authorized to call a
meeting of the Association on the first
day Of the August County Court to CON
slider means for fui theriug its Objects A
resolution offered by MIR. S. II. McCue,
asking the ladies of the county to hold
fairs, &c, in aid of the Association, and
appointing a committee to appeal to the
ladies of the several church congregations
to interest themselves in the matter. was
adopted, Cart. w. l.. Balthis, Capt. c. S,
Arnall, S. H. McCue, Capt. W. Z. Bum
gardner. and Capt. 9. Is. Coiner, being APP
pointed the committee under the reso-
luton.
The following gentlemen were elected
members of the Associations: ~
S. III. McC&e, G. Ed. Crawford, Thomas
Cross, John McQuaide, j.. n. Hanna, P.