Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-13
THE HISTORY FIGHT.
c,mnItttes Appear Before the School
Fosrt and Submit Their Complaints.
.,~r HARNESS. BOOK OusTED'
81 thc objections 10 the Pub
,,.,,ton-Nr. DiciScrson Defch"s
The work, and Says the r"""'e
80, lie in Getting Anything Detter

.
.bc sons OF Veterans upon the mat
.. eliminating Barnes History from
..tu- schools OF Richmond. The OBJ
.,.lie features Of the book in CUES
,c,re pointed out by the gentlemen
..,.snt.ne the camps. Those present
49,, tne board were Chairman j. Taylor
Gem and Messrs. J. II. Capsis, X. Ed
seine George y. Davis, a. ID. Ian
'.,..8. Joseph c. Dickerson, and A. L.
philips
,..t,uce Captains NJ. ". lakewood
lam Boiling. Thomas p. Pollard. w. r..
~..v. Edwin Courtney. and Messrs'
a. Manhood. Edwin r. Cox, and Peter
McClrly.
r.a.rman Ellyson stated that he had
..r.3 the meeting TO hear the complaint
,f.le Confederate camps against Barnes
,...t.ry of the United states, and their
,.,s,st 10 stop its use in the public
'o,is OF the city. Mr.. Ellyson called
.....- the committees from the camps 10
s.a... The board with some Of their
objections TO the book ia question.
OBJECTIONS TO THE BOOK.
,,~ J,hu Boiling was first TO have any
,..- to say upon the matter. He sad
.r.5 read the history carefully, ana
,...a some notes OF the many mistakes
..s false statements The first he men
.r.d Was the statement that some OF
fI.. victories In the early part OF the war
,o the part OF the Confederates were
s.r.ressed and all credit given to the
northern army.
Odd. sa.d his main objection was that IL
,.. a.r.tten by northern man, from
f.ftb.rn standpoint and gave the ldedS
.i the northern men In the northern
army. .so,,o,o,,.e
Impressions made on the undeVelopeu
minds Of tue children OF the SOuth "ele
false and poisonous. Barhes his'o.S
failed 70 give the general results ana 'hv
Character of the men on both Sues
a SACRED CAUSE.
Nr Boiling said the southern cause
VIA. lust as sacred and just, as the
Evolutionary cause was. 1t should De
understood clearly by the children OF the
South that although their talheis sur
rendered this was surrender 10
5yeruowering numbers. but not one
nsicn re.nquished in the slightest
ssy of the principles for which they
Fought. He wanted the School Board 70
,.,l., some steps which would result IN
fhr disCOntinuance Of the use OF the
history IN the public schools OF Rich
uuu4. 50 that the minds OF the youth Oh
this city would be no longer poisoned Dy
ihe book. Mr. Boiling said that rather
Than have Barness History taught IN the
schools. he would prefer no history al
all. so FAR as the period between 1917 ana
1870 was concerned. lie referred 10
number Of paragraphs in the history III
which he said there were errors OF I'M
portant omissions, and added that even
The general language used in the history
was poison 20 the young minds OF the
rhildren Of the Confederacy.
Mr. T.. w. MahoOd. as author or the
resolution creating the committees, arose
here and presented Rev. DR.. j. Wliiiam
Jores's review Of the history. which was
r.aI before Lee Camp at recent meet
u. and this yolumlnous paper was read.
THE ALLEGED FAULTS.
Mr. D!ckefson asked Captain Boiling
n r..rt out some of the paragraphs In
harness History TO which objection was
rs.eei The Captain said that there was
n. mention OF Jackson's battle at Cedar
Run. except In the foot notes; there was
90 report Of the fight at Bun Kun but
that the book called the battle or Ma
I.ssss the Bull Run fight. No mention
was made Of the dlsplacing Of the Fed
eral general I'm the Bragg fight by bad
r.r.ralsbip. The book failed to make any
mention II Jackson's splendid campaign
ir tle Valley. and made many false state
I.,nts about the battle of Seven Pines.
The history also did not mention the hrst
Gid Harbor fight. in which the Con-
f..erates were victorious. In the seven
,4v, fight around Richmond the book
only saws that Mcclellan simply with
drew when he was completely whipped
Tgere were false statements in regard TO
.ha battle between the Merrimac ana the
Monitor.
SIR. Mahood objected 10 the language
Used in the preface of the book.
CAPTAINS Lakewood, McCurdy, Court
neg Pollard. and Talley made. additional
remarks along the same line, urging mat
tie board should use every ehort 10
have the use Of the history in the schools
here discontinued.
MR. DICKERSONS DEFENCE.
Mr. Dickerson made a strong defence
o. harness History, saying that ne had
carefully compared IL with other publ
cations. notably Holiness, and had found
g. o. o. more comprehensive and teach
lie referred 10 the account of the battle
az Gettysburg In Barnes's History. ana
pointed out what he regarded TO be an
Improvement upon the accounts con-
U.uel .n the other publications.
Nr Iickerson also said that Barness
book contained illustrations and maps
which the other histories did not contain.
lie spoke Of the adoption of harness
work in 1880. and the displacing OF
Holiness. when these were the only TWO
histories o. the list. a simple compari-
Fon, be said. OF the two books would be
ilifclcnt for any one TO determine that
larnes's History was the best for use
10 our schools. IL was subsequent 10
this adoption that the other two histories
Sh.nn's and HousClls) were placed on
TIC list by the State Board of Education.
Earnes's book was then the best that the
CITY board could get
BY VOTES OF CONFEDERATES.
Alr. Dick rson remarked that there were
several ex-Confederates upon the city
school Board who loved as dearly as any
one else the principles for which the
South fought. and would be as prompt
o. any one 10 want the school system
III o. q book that would poison the
falnls Of the youth OF this city. He
said that II the board put out Barnes's
History the first stvmbling-block would
b. to ind better one.
This brought up the question OF the
power vested In the city board to make
charge and, after reading the laws
touching this matter. II was clear 10 the
minds of all that the body has the right
- change from Barres's TO any other
history on the list. as Barnes's had been
used Tor the prescribed four years. II
was also agreed that nothing could be
done IN the matter OF change OF the
history for the approaching session OF
TIE schools which open on Monday.