The Forrest City times., 1893-09-22
JAMES F. PAGAN.
Col. John c. BeIton's Address at Eureka Springs on the Dead General-A Glowing
 

ton at Eureka Springs, during the re-
 union of ex-confederates, on the late
 Gen. James F. Pagan.
 COL. BELToN's ADDRESS.
 | COMRADES AND Low-CITIzENs-ln dwell | ing upon this theme, confederate soldiers, we
 realize once more that life is but budding | promise and wited hope; cosy sunlight anu | dark shadow: a babbling brook and ueep- | blue ocean a newborn babe and a sllVery | head a gentle cradle and lasting tomb. Ana | we meet here once more, not for the purpose or | taking some action upon polltlcal question oi | the day or something of interest in everyday | life but it is with sadness of heart and sorrow, | indeed. that the few of us who are left meet to | speak some words upon the character anu Ale
 of our beloved leader and comrade in arms When we were battling for what we believed
 was right, but now socalled Lost Cause, suince | 1t to say he was of us, one Of our pest ana
 bravest heroes and most gallant leaders. Dur | ing the war he was an officer, respected and be- l loved by his soldiers; he kind and gener-
 ous to a fault, yet he loved discipline and de-
 manded obedience to him as military com | mander. He was honest and upright, and even | the citizens admired his courage and his devo-
 ton to the principle and the love he bore to ms
 country and to his people, and while near them | the people knew that so long as he was able Dy | the strong arm of military law, they were safe 1 in all their rights and property. He was oDe- l dient to his superiors. not questioning thelr l wisdom or reason, it was simply his delight to | receive the order, "Forward March, ana
 without question he obeyed and moved on,
 no matter how great the danger or how nuiner- | ous the foe. This was Gen. James F. Pagan In
 war. In peace he was at home, for the warrlor | had retired; he wanted to rest from the duties
 of the field, for he loved not the scenes or blood
 and carnage. he loved the comforts of home, | and there he was loving companion, an in | dulppnf citizqp rpSnecIeQ. and his | fl tends were those that knew him. He loved 1 Dixie. he was proud of his adopted state; and.
 as citizen, his counsel was often sought by
 neighbors and friends. He was leader
 amongst his people; the friend of the poor. The contest of his life was for the equal rights
 of his fellows, based on broad and generous
 sentiments of humanity and Christianity. The people of Arkan sas are his debtors, and 1 ought at once honor themselves by erecting | monument to him who so richly deserved the l title he bore. as we'll as being one Of our fore
 most citizens. During the few years since
 that terrible strife, he did all that he could to | bring and hold together the progress of the
 north and south in friendly confidence and | good will He was liked by the people regard l less of party, He is now gone. ,but he longed | to live when there would be no petty wrangles 1 and jealousy of factions or neighborhood stife. He had the confidence of the masses.
 
 and generous, though positive man.
 While speaking of him to-day, we meet not | in the chamber of the dead. for it is far away,
 but we call sadly. and with sorrowful hearts, to | our mind the memory and the acts of the de-
 parted hero, and while doing this, soldiers of | the once great and gallant confederate army
 of the Transmississippi department, as if
 standing upon the brink of our graves waiting | for the last bugle call, let us speak
 in tender tones, yes, let us whis-
 per lowly ard let him that is ashamed of the 1 cause and what we did depart, while we pause
 with uncovered heads, as if lending over
 the tomb. Then, if in the presence of this | departed hero let our minds wander for
 moment and think of his manly form as he
 stood at the head of his column with beaming 1 eyes Gin that suit of gray), full of hope and ex | pectancy for the success of the cause he had
 espoused, for Dixie, the land of his birth. and | the Sunny South, for which he would lay down
 his life.
 But he is gone. We can not enter the home
 of the dead, for 1t is too distant But yet our | hearts are there, and we know that there is | grief beyond measure, that there is sorrow | there are broken hearts and tears that can not | be stayed And why should cross that
 threshold and view that once hallowed home now made desolate or that hearthstone | steeped in sorrow for the seat at the head of | the table is vacant. The lord and master of
 this pleasant abode has departed he has gone
 upon long journey to another home, from whence no one can ever return.
 l At eventide when the shadows at night drew
 near, the chair was ever filled, but the seat at the corner is now vacant. and the voice of the husband and father is heard no more in the
 chorus of songs, and when the pleasant good nights are waited one voice is missing, for he
 has said his last good night.
 But what can we say to help the loved ones,
 or what can we do 10 heal the broken heart, for
 she who was his companion through life is kneeling in sorrow and those who were wont to prattle at his knee are bathed in tears; for
 at midnight they will miss the loved one and
 when the day has been wrapped in the cham bers of nights darkness their protector and companion is gone.
 Soldiers and companions, the dark shad ows
 that have surrounded this once happy home, and the sorrow and gloom that have en- shrouded these loving hearts hang like pan over the land of Dixie, and darkness like
 stormy cloud has gathered over the homes of the south. for the leader of the Lost Cause has gone to a far away country. and the soldiers who followed him in times of war they too
 must ere long follow him. They bow down 10
 their eternal resting place, and close their eyes at the sound of the last tattoo
 Let us, therefore. in commemoration of his
 good deeds, and in honor of our departed and
 beloved leader and general ever keep his mem. ory green in our hearts, following in his foot
 steps ever by performing good deeds while we live. Let us cherish his memory let us weave
 around his home, his hearthstone and his loved
 ones garlands of love and affection and help
 the bereaved family and friends in such a way
 as to, if possible, make this burden of sorrow
 and grief rest upon these as lightly as possible