The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-04-26
LETTER FROM RINGWOOD.
Beautiful Tribute to Senator Vance
Opinion of the Distinguished Ameri-
can Physician and Surgeon. DR..
Edward Warren.

/ Edward warren
RINGWOOD. \. G., April %, 1894.
! EDITOR GOLD LEAF The death
unlocked for. sent a thrill Of sorrow to
every heart, and North Carolina
mOurns the departure Of her noblest
| and most gifted son. | notice that DR..
/ T. J. Boykin. Of Baltimore. was among
! those who accompanied his remains to
| their last resting place. OF his relations
/ with our beloved Vance. my former
! preccptor, aud Gov. Nancc's Surgeon
t General and Intimate friend during the
/ of their former associations: "Of
| DR.. Boykin | will say enpassant that a
more loyal and pure hearted man never
| lived, and that he commanded in q
pre-emnent degree the respect and
! confidence Of all who knew him. His
/ love for Gov. Nauce-his former COM
mander. has ever been like that of
Damon for Pythias, a sentiment in
cooperating itself into his entire life
and Calculating in its unreserved
admiration and unseltish service much
of the true dignity and inherant ex-
cellence Of human nature. l am proud
to call such a man my friend, and feel
a fresh inspiration to virture III con-
temptation of his noble character and
| honorable life and it seems as if DR..
| Warren's testimony as regards the
close friendship IS true, as l notice DIR.
| Boykin is with those who are going
with the beloved Vance to his grave.
! DR.. Warren proceeds in following
to give a description Of the visit of this
Commoners to the army which may be
of interest and is undoubtedly a graphic
and true picture of the scene enacted
in the days which - tried mems souls"
and found them true. Said the dis
tinguished Christian and eminent
surgeon:
In my humble Judgment no nobler
man than ZebulOn Baird Vance was
ever created. With an inherent kindness
OF heart which tempers and sOftens his
| entire nature; Il respect for Justice and
right which asserts itself under all
| possible circumstances; q sense OF the
ridiculous from which wells out stream
of humOr at once cOplOus, sparkling and
exhaustless, and an intellect which, like
some great oak of the forest is at once
"a tower of strength" and a ching OF
beauty forever" now Drawing the hurri-
canes breath and the lightning's flash,
and then adjoining the landscape by its
grandeur, its symmetry and its vcrdure.
| have analyzed his heart from core to
covering, and | know that III its every
cell and fiber it is of the purest gold
without the trace of alloy or Il faint of
| counterfeit.
regard this period as the golden age
of my existence. 1t is true that the din
of Il fearful contest continually reverber-
ated i'll my ears and that dark clouds
developed the horizon; but happiness
reigned INN household my daily duties
brought me into intimate association
with one OF the truest of friends and the
most genial OF men; his friendship secured
for me the regard of the best men of the
State, and realized that was engaged
in IL noble work, a service which was at
once honorable in itself, invaluable to
my country and acceptable in the sight
of Heaven.
Among the most pleasant incidents OF
my service asa member OF the Governor $
Staff was a visit which made with him
to the Army of Northern Virginia in the
winter OF 1868,
He was then a candidate for reelection
to the GubernatOrial chair, having
filled it for one term with great eclat, but
being opposed by a certain faction at
home, which proclaimed itself for "peacc
and reconstruction on any terms. This
appeal, it was feared, had produced some
impression upon the minds of the soldiers
i'll the field, and though the OstenSible
object OF the visit was the advancement
of his political interests, it's real purpose
was to rekindle the fires of patriotism in
the hearts of the North Carolina troops
and to cheer and stimulate the entire
army. | had supposed that | knew him
thoroughly and appreciated him fully
but had no conception of his gifts as
an orator and of the potency of his
personal magnetism until this memoir
able occasion.
Inspired alike by the peculiar surround
ings and the Importance of his mission
he transcribed himself and produced al
impression upon the army, from it's great
. Captain to its humblest private, which
displayed itself in the widest enthusiasm
for the cause and the most intense
, idolatry for its eloquent advocate
That he should have been thus inspired
is not surprising, for the circumstances
which surrounded him would have stirred
the heart of any man.
, General Lee ordered general review
in his special honor-an incident,
believe, without parallel in the history
of the army.
Upon an immense plain in the immediat
neighbOrhoOd OF Orange Court HOus
there were assembled the troops which
composed the then unconquered Army o
Northern Virginia. These were clad il
rags but wreathed with victory; thei
flags were soiled and tattered but upon
them were inscribed the immortal name
9 of Cold HarbOr, Manassas and SoutI
! Mountain; their arms We're battered AM
blackened but their fire startled tn
nations and reverberated around tn
) world their bands We're decimated AM
out of tune, but they still discoursed tn
: inspiring strains of Dixie, The Bonn,
Y Blue Flag" and 9 The Girl | Left Benin,
! Me. And though many a gallant leade
, was absent because " Off duty" forever
Jackson, LOngstreet, Stuart, Early
= Ewell, Hill, Rhodes, Gordon, Hampton
i Pettigrew and Fitzhugh Lee were Their
e to do honor to Cardinals illuStriOu
s son.
e Arrayed in two confronting lines all
r with their bronzed faces beaming wit
D pleasure and expectancy, the nobl
= veterans awaited the coming of the oil
chleftains whom they had followed j
triumph so long, and of the youthful
Governor, whose devotion to the caus
t and tender care of his own troops ha
Il already made him the idol of them al
a Finally the cannon doomed. and Genera
e Lee and Governor Vance appeared, an(
!, amid a storm of enthusiastic cheers an
!, avalanche OF friendly greetings, rod
u slowly along the excited lines
1t was stirring scene and as | rod
{ with this distinguished company an
: gazed into the battered but radient face
II around me, and listened to the gran
= "tOnfederate Yell, which met thei
r great commander and his honored guest
7 | felt that it was indeed an occasion t
be remembered, and realized that | stoo
IN the presence OF heroes and cOnqueroi
{ oil the men who had made history, an
even from therenemes the reputation {
y being the bravest soldiers who eve
e marched to the music of battle
\, so soon as the reveW-if that militar