Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-02-24
WAR MEMORIES.
A Short Address by Gel. I'll, ID. Capers.
Explaining the Mission Of the South
ern Historical Society.
The Coming Of Gen. Lee-Considerable
Interest Manifested in Bevivipg the
History Of the Struggle.

A meeting of e1. Coufedera.es was held at
the rooms of the Cotton Exchange last night,
of which Msj. Hampton was appointed
chairman.
Maj. Hampton introduced Col. 81. d. Ca
pers, of the Southern Historical Society, who
explained the objects for which the meeting
ad been called. He made touching refer
ence TO the severe ordeals the people OF Mem
phis had passed through, in which he had
felt the most heartfelt sympathy. He also
touched briefly upon army associations. He
had not come to discuss political issues, but
to give history and objects OF the associa-
ton he represented. Col. Cspers said the
society in New Orleans had existed about
Gen. Lee said to rs at Richmond: "My COM
rades, you have only to publish this 10 be
vindicaied. We began IN Richmond the
publication of the Southern Histori-
cal Papers, under the editorship of
DIR. Jones, who has given his labors
and time almost exclusively to this
undertaking. The commonwealth Of Vir-
ginia gave him all the help in itsspower.
The archives have been opened to him. The
exchange of courtesies between the society
and the foreign powers have been OF the
most gratifying character. The editor of
the London Standard began reading the South
SfD QIStOT1CQI 1QpJS. Ills uluu udu Dtcu
previously poisoned against the South. He
had read the poems Of Whittier, Longfellow
and others, and had come to the conclusion
that the Southern people were unworthy of
the regard of civilized countries. Many
severe. articles appeared in the Standard con-
corning the Southern people, but when he
had read the Southern Historical Papers he
came out manfully and bravely and &C.
knowledged his error We have had the
same pleasant experience in Paris. The
Southern distorted Papers are now received
in all the capitals of Europe. Some say,
why do you come TO US with these old rec
ords? Why not forget the war? The object
of this society is TO collect accurate data of
the war, free from all sentiment and poetry.
We are attempting TO secure the truth. We
| don't mean TO say that everything we pub
lish is the truth. Of course errors creep in,
but we give others the chance to correct the
errors. We lest our official records by cap
ture. They were carried TO Washington or
destroyed. The government OF the United
States very unwisely has concealed them
from the world, and il has been a matter of
| impossibility TO secure access to than. l
| once had occasion 10 desire to see some of my
own official documents of business nature,
and not even with the card of the President
| could get sight OF them. Now / thought
| Lille FLcCC VI AoOhoAhSocs AhS ASNoANo
| couldn't shoot anybody.
The work of the society has gone on surely
| and completely. The exchange of eour-
tesies between the members of the South.
ern Historical Society and the officers OF the
| Federal army has been more of peace
| Offering than anything else imaginable. Ii
| has produced feeling OF chlvalry otherwise
unattainable. The Philadelphia Press says
it cannot print enough of this kind of read
ing. The boys and the girls, and the men
| and women wanted it. He said that fifteen
| years 2go he could not have done it. In this
| way the Southern Historical Papers is doing 8
| good work. The society holds annual meet
ings. The last meeting was delightful
one. There were only three members, how
ever, from Memphis, namely: r. n. Brlnkley
| Goodlett & Co., and F. n. Kruger. Now
volunteered to 60 to Memphis and try and
right this matter. We are to hold
a meeting soon, at Nashville, q
which q number of interesting paper.
will be read, among others one BY Col. Gal
laway. OF your city. 10 May then we will
have general meeting west of the noun
| tains, in order to collect all possible infor.
nation concerning the operations of the
Army oilTennesses and Trans Mississippi.
The object OF the society is TO collect
money and put it into a sinking fund. We
pay DR.. Jones, of course. We desire 10 erect
ire-proof building 10 which to preserve
the records and to perpetuate- the Southern
| Historical Society. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee will
be in your city in . fe days. He does moi
come to you az politician. In our society
no inquiries are made as TO whether
man is Democrat or q Repub
lican. Gen. Lee will reach this city
about the 10 b of March. This is the mis-
sion OF Gen. Lee in Tennessee. Those of you
who desire to become members of the 90
cisty, or renew your relationships with thu
society, can secure the m Magazine for one year
Maj. Hampton concluded the meeting b,
saying: 81 desire to say that my sympathy
is enlisted in the mission of the Southern
Historical Society. In my opinion, thos
who took part in the war should write VIVA
they saw and did. / have seen many mis-
takes in the histories, and l am glad that tn
society has undertaken 10 rescue hi-tor,
from untrHth and willful Misrepresentation
Judge Heiekell said he thought that i
was entirely in order for the meeting to tax
some action locking toward securing goot
house for Gen. Lee when he should come /,
Memphis. He moved that committee b
appointed to tender Gen. Lee those courte
sies due so eminent a man. The people a
this time of the.yesr had cotton on the brain
bacon on the brain, and cotton-seed oil oil
the brain. 1t was necessary that some sc
tion should be taken TO bring together goo'
audience. He wanted the volumes of III,
Historical Society secured for the libraries
He never had any fear of tn
records of the war. He thought the memoir
of the Confederate soldier should be pre-
served as was that Of the Federal soldier
He moved that a committee be appointed 1,
solicit subscriptions for the bound volume
of the society.
| L -.
posed of Messrs. Hampton, Heiskell an,
Gen. Cotton Greene be appointed TO choos
subcommittee. Carried.
The meeting then adjourned.