Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-11-15
SUFFOLK'S DAY.
CONFEDERATE SOIL lERS' MONUMENT
AND UNWILLING EXERCISES.
Tho Governor and n Portion OF His
STAFF Attend-The Speeches OF
the Occasion,
Especial telegram to tho Dispa,ch.l


day 10 witness the ceremonies attending
the unwilling of the monument to the
memory of the Confederate dead erected
by Colonel Thomas w. Smith, OF the
Fonrth Virginia regiment. and who resides
in Suffolk. The weather was IN Keeping
with the occasion, grand and exnillratihg.
During the morning crowds commenced 20
pour in from the surrounding country by
priyate conveyances and on the railroads.
About II o'clock an immense special train
arrived from Portsmouth bringing tho
military companies and veterans OF Nor
folk, Portsmouth, and Hampton. and hum
dreds of visitors IL is said that 2,OOJ
tickets were sold in Portsmouth and
number of people were left for lack OF ac-
commodation on the train. Upon the arrI-
val Of this train the troops and veterans
were marched TO the Town Hall, where
dinner was served by the ladies OF Suffolk.
THE GOVERNOR.
Governor Lee was an honored guest OF
the occasion and arrived on the koriolk
and Western railroad at half-past 2 O'Clock.
the train being two hours behind time.
sThe Governor was accompanied by Gene
raj Anderson, Major Cary. and Colonel Co;
wardin. They were driven to Colonel
Smiths residence and lunched, after
which they reviewed the procession OF
troops and veterans. The following com:
mands were in line, headed by the Naval
Post Band: Norfolk Light Artillery Blues,
Norfolk City Guards. Old Dominion
Guards, of Portsmouth; Portsmouth hihe
Company. Peninsula Guards, OF Hampton;
Suffolk Grays Suffolk Military Academy
Cadets. ckett-Buchanan Camp. of Nor,
folk; Stonewall Camp, of Portsmouth, ana
q large number of Confederate veterans
from Suffolk and the surrounding country.
THE VETERANS.
As the veterans passed they loudly
cheered the noble and beloved tltz Lee.
After the review the line OF march was
taken up TO Cedar-Hill cemetery, where
the monument is located.
Thomas II. Borland. of Norfolk, presided
over tho exercises, which were Openet with
PRAYER by Rev. II. l.. Derby. of the kpsco-
pal Church, who was introduced as an ex-
Confederate and priest" ~
Judge Theodore s. Garnet. of Norfolk,
was the orator Of the occasion, and &C
quilted himself handsomely.
T1Tz's REMARKS.
Governor Lee was next introduced and
was heartily received. His remarks were
extempOraneOus, but were fraught with IN,
formation and inspiration. lie showed
conclusively that the glory of the Confede-
rate soldier could not be smlrched by the
charge of treason, az the Constitution
guaranteed the States the right TO decide
for themselves whether they would remain
in the Union. His peroratlon was grand
apostrophe to the memory OF the fallen
brave.
Colonel Thomas w. Smith then gave an
account of the inception or TINS n0Itu-
ment and the feeling that inspired 1t. III ls
erected not to the memory of his company
or his regiment but to the memory OF all
who battled for the Confed eracy, whether
on land or water-those who died on the
field of battle or who pinned away IN the
hospital and those who are yet living,
for he has for the Confederate soldier a
heart as tender and loving as woman.
The gallant Colonel could hardly restrain
his emotion as he talked to the boys"
and many a veteran had a sOftenJng OF the
eye and a lump III the throat.
The exercises were closed with neat
speech by General Dabney III. Many.
After inspecting the monument General
Lee and staff took the o'clock tram Tor
Richmond, and the troops and veterans
left on their special train over the Seaboard
road.
THE MONUMENT.
The monument is in the centre OF lot
forty feot square in the northern part OF
the cemetery and has an avenue on each OF
its four sides. The lot was donated by the
town council as the site for the monument,
which is erected on the apex of mound
which slopes up gradually for some Two
feet from the level of the ground. The
stone is Virginia granite. The base IS
plainly dressed with bevelled corners and
is surmOunted by q beautifully-polshed
die bearing the following inscription
On the west side 'front.': Erected by Thomas
W. Smith Ia memory OF his comrades, the Con-
federate dead.
On the south side: To the memory Of the Con-
federate dead;
This shaft on which we carve no name,
Shall guide VirgiDla's youth
A sign post on the road 70 lame,
To honor. and 10 truth.
A silent sentry II shall stand
To guard through coming time
Their graves who died for native land,
And duty most sublime.
On the north side:
With shouts above the cannon's roar
They Joined the legion gone before;
They bravoIy fought, they bravely fell:
They wore the gray aud wore II well.
About the die is a neat captOne upon
which stands the life-siZe statue of Con-
federate soldier, cast of what is technically
known as white metal" species of
bronze, and admirable suited for the pur-
pose, as it is of grayish color not unlike
the uniforms worn by the brave boys TO
whose memory it has been erected. The
monument is sixteen feet high from its
foundation or eighteen feet above the mean
level of the cemetery and presentsa hand