South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1880-06-11
Memorial Day in Winchester

land Mcnumcut-virginia's Welcome the
Programme for to-day. etc.
One year ago, when lofty column
was reared Ia Stonewall Cemetery, Win
chester, TO the "URknown Dead OF tho
South" the occasion was distiR guished
as q memorial day for the Confederate
States. The soldiers who fell In the
Valley Of Virginia In the .wdr o: tho
States are q countless host. We End
at Winchester, which has been called
the gate OF The Confcderacy, and was
the dark and bloody battle-ground OF tho
Valley, 5000 of the dead who wore the
blue and $500 who wore the gray. gath>
cred in adjoining Enclosures, and near
to the scene OF conflict where they bled
and died. They lie in ranks, covering
The hill-sides-two sleeping armies
cncircled by the far-on blue and silent
ranges which no longer echo the rover
berating thunder ofiicst In conflict,
UNKNowN AND uEREcoRDED DEAD.
Eight hundred and twenty mine un--
known and unrecorded dead have been
gathered in q single spot In Stonewall
Cemetery. They fought under Lee,
jackson, Beaurogard, Johnson, Hill,
Steuart and Longstreet. From what
different States they came is unknown,
and even their names. All that is
known is that they wore the cray. and
fell on the field. What flresijes miss
them; what prayers have gone from
breaking hearts for their safe return;
what eyes burned with watching even
after peace had returned and prison
doors were opened those only know
who watched and prayed. Here, sur
rounded by comrades, representing near
y every State Of the South, they forn
central phalanx Of "the unknown
dead" Dying unknown in the midstE
of an army of brave hearts, beating with
sentiments responsive To their own,
their fato enkindles the livelie6t graft
tude in those for whom they fought, and
so the South united to give 10 their
memory the loftiest memorial which pa
triotism has reared in the Valley OF Vir-
GINA. This is white marble monu-
ment 80 feet high, beautifully design
cd pedestal and fiuted monolithic col
umn, srrmounted by the figure Of
Confederate soldier, at rest on arms ov-
or fallen comrades. The pedestal bears
the seal Of the Confederacy In bas-re-
lief. and its motto, "Deo Vindice; :" 1t
is also inscribed with the legend, "To
the Unknown and Unrecordcd Dead"
and words TO indicate that the monu--
ment is tribute by the people OF tile
South TO those heroic virtues and that
unstinted devotion to duty and country
which should never he forgotten. The
most appropriate Of all the inscription,
however, is the legend, "Who they were
none know what they wore all know"
ROLL OF TIE STATES.
Right and left OF this central group
are the dead Of fourteen Southern States.
Hero, rs. in the Wilderness, and on 9TH
or bloody fields OF Virginia. and in ma
ny cemetery gathering places, the sold
iers Of old North Carolina lie thickest.
What blood bought record North Car
DINA secured in this contest, which be-
gan with no prestige for her which 9TH
ers cared TO recognized Next in num-
bers arc The Georgians, and then tho
Virginians. and then the South Caroli-
mans, and so on through tile roll OF the
States.
vIHGiNIA's oBELisE.
Over her dead Virginia has erected a
marble obelislS 25 feet high, surmounted
by an urn draped with pail. On the
pedestal is n bas-relief Of tho coat-of-
arms of the State and the motto "Sic
Semper Tyrannis." On the shaft above
is a sabre in relief The pedestal Ii in
scribed "In memory Of the 39S Virginia
Soldiers lying in this Cemetery, who fell
i'm Defense OF Constitutional Liberty and
the Sovereignty OF their State" Onc of
the illustrious dead nearest the moBu-
ment is Gen. Ashby, who rests in tho
,y,f l.
MEMoRTALIzING MARBLES.
1t is hoped that in time North Carroll
ma, Georgia, South Carolina, Kentucky,
Tennessee, and other States largely re-
presented in Stonewall Cemetery, will
contribute enduring monuments 10 tho
memory Of their heroes who lie buried
here. Mary hand Is tho first State TO Sc
cond Virginia in memorializing in mar
bic the deeds OF her dead, and Memorial
Day in Winchester this year is, there's
fore, Maryland day also. BY tho con
tributions OF Baltimoreans and other
citizens Of Mary land very handsome
marble testimonial to the few soldiers
Of our State who lie beside their Virginia
comrades has been made ready for IN
yelling. With the history Of the monu-
ment Baltimoreans are familiar Hun.
dreds OF families contributed something
to place II here.
MARYLAND MONUMENT.
The Maryland monument stands lif-
teen feet high. II is pedestal, on which
Confederate soldier, armed aud equip
ped for service, stands facing the West.
In bas-relief at tho foot Of the statue IS
the seal Of tho State and the motto.
"Fatli Maschii, Parole Femme" manly
deeds aud womanly words. The face Of
tho pedestal bears the Inscriptions
"Maryland--To tho Memory Of her Sons
Who Fell on Virginia's Soil Manassas,
1S61--Appomattox. 1867" aud tho le-
geuds, "Unheralded, Unorganized, I'm
armed-They came for Conscience Sake
and Died FOR Plight :" alike In Blood.