The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-11-28
TO CoNFEDEHATE VETERANS.
An Important Circular in Regard to
IL COnfClcratA HiRt0rY. ~ -

| An Important Circular I'm Regard TO
II Confederate History. IA
TO thel United Confederate Veterans
| OF South Carolina:
Fellow Comrades The flattering
endorsement the convention of United
Confederate Veterans in Columbia
gave tho plan suggested and published
| IN various papers, for collecting the
tacts and data pertaining to the his
tory Of the South Carolina troops dur
ing the war, prompts me to explain
my reason for not wishing to wait for
tho Legislature to make an appropria-
zion to carry on that work.
To ask the State TO appropriate
money to bo expended to an enterprise
In which, perhaps, many Of it's citizens
feel no interest, an1 less pride, ia only
giving ground for obstructionists and
croakers to oppose it and pour cold
water upon 1t. | have no doubt land [
shuddor at tho thought) that there are
mon in this State to-day who might be
OF somo service in this work, who
would rather see the records that
bravo mcn and women have made for
themselves and their State during
that eventful struggle destroyed or
hid forever from mortal sight, rather
than to have them preserved as his
tory TO be read and revered by loyal
and patriotic generations yet unborn.
Tho men Of our State who in 1861 to
iS6a immortaliZcd the name of Lee,
Jackson. Bcaurcgard, Hill, Longstreet,
stuart, Hampton, Butler, Evans, Gary,
Jcnklns .si and many others, are not
'ucadbcats knocking at tho door of
the State treasury, claiming something
that Is not due them. The work be-
lore us is II larbor Of love. Let the
| survivors OF the different regiments.
| battailOns and batteries, select thoir
abrst and most energetic comrade
who will go to work ut once and gather
up cvcry obtainlblo incident worthy
OF note, pertaining to his command, or
any Individual soldior (dead or alive)
connected with it, and let it be written
down for the uso Of the State historian,
whose duty it will bo to put it in book
torn. Il this work is dOnc thoroughly
and promptly, tho State authorities
VIII sec ut once bonanza in procuring
tho publication Of tbcso records and
Will willingly pay. those who have Ia
bored SO faithfully IN gotting them up.
verify believe it will realize q
sullicicncy from tho salo of the book
CATER paying all expenses incurred in
It's publication II sum sufficient to be-
stow bounty upon every disabled
Confederate soldier in the State with
out ono cont of expense to tho taXpny-
CiS.
When the Legislature is asked to
raise money TO procure the publication
OF Tins history, some people will begin
TO cry: ITS II money machine, got
ton up by the Old soldiers and their allies
to dGp'ctc the State treasury or live at
the expense of tho Taxpayers"
Gentlemen, tho mon who saved the
State in its darkest days, arc not 60
ing to do any such thing neither do
they intcnd that their enemies shall
write their history for thom-mark
that.
Wc have II perfect right to meet in
convention, with opcn doors, as we
havo done, and recount the doeds ana ~
recall tho memories of the past, with
tho general government. Tho war Is
over. The tlag OF the nation is our
nag. The soldiers of both armies,
North and South, can now meet and
exchange cOurtcsics, and in the most
pleasant and dispassionate manner,
recount the Incidents of the past, the
nceds Of the present and tho hopes of
the future, without discord or embar-
lassment whatever.
Let every old soldior who fought ON
tho side Of the South remembcr that
his nnmc will soon be forgotten and
his deeds perish with tho cause he
held so dear unless he bestirs himself
to tho duty before him.
ii he Is an uncducatcd man who
can't writo, lot him call to his assis-
tancc some one who will writo for him.
In this he will find somo men willing
and ready to give him assistanco-then
the noble women OF our State. So
there is no reason why single Incl
dent remembered by an old soldicr I
should not bo Incorporated in the his
tory If it is worth preserving at all.
Iherc are plenty OF publishing
houses in our State, and many mon
throughout our country that would be
glad to get tho publication of these
records, and will pay % handome roy
alty for that privilege. So let us be up
and doing thore is not q moment to
lose. No loyal son OF South Carolina
can dlstrust his mother State, and he
may rost assured that if he docs his
duty faithfully he will recompense
himself for it. ~ history gotten up 10
maintain tho truth is OF incalcably
more value than ono made mainly for
the money, the State might agree to
| pay for it. Let us work to tho hearts
| of the people rather than their pock-
cts for II truo history. Hoping all
papers friendly to our course will
copy this letter,
| am your fraternally,
JAMES l.. STR. IN,
Adit. Camp Giles, u .. V.
Union, S. {.