San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-05-30

OHlCAGO, May oU. - ludlCidiiS
and socially the historic "Mason
and Dixon's line has been obllter-
ated from the map Of the United
States, and in the leading feature
of the Memorial day ceremonies
here today, it would seem that po-
litically as we'll, the dead line"
laid down three quarters Of a CEN
fury ago, to mark the territorial
division between our slave and
our free territory las been thrown
down.
With the dedication today, in
this, one of the staunchest OF the
Union cities, in the heart Of the
country whence came the blue
coated warriors who marched
'"from Atlanta to the sea-" Of a
handsome monument to the last
ing memory of men who wore the
gray and fought for the "Lost
Cause" under the stars and bars, a
Confederate "high water mark"
was established far north Of that
set at Gettysburg by force Of arms !;
this, too, with the ungrudging con-
sent of the staunch Unionists
among whom it is placed, and with
the countenance and assistance of
veterans in blue; foes in arms, but
friends in peace, doing honor to an
acknowledged valor which is now
the common heritage Of our com.
mon country.
The dedication was accompani ed
by perhaps the most impressive
and imposing ceremonies among
the exercises set down for Decora.
ton day in any part Of the Union.
At Cottage Grove avenue and
35th street, then in the outskirts
but now in the heart Of the city, a
stockade was built during the civil
war and named Camp Douglass
and there many thousands oil Con-
federate prisoners were confined be-
tween the years 1862 and 1865. The
men held there under the restraints
which befall captives Of war, had
spent their lives in the balmy
climate Of the sunny south and the
rigors of an northern winter told
upon them severely. AS a conse-
quence 5000 of them were liberated
by death and were buried in Oak
wood cemetery, at Cottage Grove
avenue and 9th street. 1t was to
the memory of these 5000 who died
in a military prison in an enemies
country that the monument was
dedicated by their comrades and
opponents in arms, on the spot
where they were buried.
tits the first monument to confed-
crate dead erected in the north and
the event was perhaps without a
parallel in history. 1t does not appear
that anywhere else on the face Of
our round globe, within period Of
30years after the close Of bitterly
fought war, the vanquished have
ever before erected monument to
the memory of their comrades in
arms in the heart Of the victor's
territory. Especially has the sight
never been witnessed OF the victors
heartily joining the vanquished in
doing honor to the valor Of the
vanquished dead.
10 OutSOhlO
of a movement inaugurated by the
Confederate Association Of Chica-
go. 1t undertook to raise the nec-
essary funds for the erection of the
monument and General John G.
Underwood, southern officer, in
command of the Northern divisions
OF the United Confederate Vet
erans, was chosen to carry the
work forward. The fund started
with $1,000 from lecture given in
Chicago by Gen, Gordon OF Georgia.
Citizens Of Chicago also subscribed
SIC, 900 and subscriptions by con-
federate veterans and others in the
Bouth brought the fund up to the
necessary amount.
The monument was three years
hnder construction.
The largest assemblage OF dis
inguished confederate veterans
yer seen in the north was one Of
he notable features Of the &C.
aston. Those present included
Generals John B. Gordon, Wade
Hampton, James Longstreet, S. ID.
zee, Fltzhugh Lee, Harry Heth,
q. French, E. G. Wslthsll, NJ. G.