The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-12-04
TO CONFEDERATE VETERANS.
An important Circular In Regard to q
Confederate History.


endorsement the convention of United
Confederate Veterans in Columbis
gave the plan suggested and publish
cd in various papers, for collecting
the facts and data pertaining to tho
history of the South Carolina troops
during the war, prompts me to explain
my reason for not wishing to wait fol
the Legislature to make an appropria'
tion to carry on that work.
To ask the State to appropriate
money to be expended to an enterprise
in which, perhaps, many of its citizens
feel no interest, and less pride, is only
giving ground for obstructionists and
croakcrs to oppose it and pour cold
water upon it, have no doubt (and
shuddcr at the thought) that there
are men in this State to-day who might
be of some service in this work. who
would rather see the records that
brave men and women have made fo1
themselves and their State during that
cvcntful struggle destroyed or hid for
ever from mortal sight, rather than to
have them preserved as history to be
read and rcycrcd by loyal and patriotic
generations yet unborn.
The men Of our State who in 1861
to 1865 immortalized the name of Lee,
Jackson, Bcaurcgard, Hill. Longstrcct,
Stuart, Hampton, Butler, Evans,
Gary, jenkins and many others, are
not "dcadbeats knocking at the door
of the State treasury, claiming some
thing that is not due them. The work
before US is larbor Of love. Let the
survivors of the different regiments,
batallions and batteries, select their
ablcst and most energetic comrade who
will 20 to work at once and gather up
every obtainablc incident worthy of
note, pertaining to his command, or
any individual soldier dead or alive
connected with it, and let it be writ
ten down for the use of the State his,
torian, whose duty it will be to put it
in book form. If this work is done
thoroughly and promptly, the State
authorities will see at once bonanza
in procuring the publication of these
records and will willingly pay those
who have laborcd so faithfully in get
ting them up.
verify believe it will realize a
sufficicncy from the sale of the book
(aftcr paying all expenses incurred in
it's publication) sum sufficient to be-
stow bounty upon every disabled
Confederate soldier in the State with
out one cent of expense to the tax
payers.
When the Legislature is asked to
raise money to procure the publication
Of this history, some people will be-
gin to cry: cts a money machine,
gotten up BY the old soldiers and their
allies to deplete the State treasury or
live at the expense of the taxpayers. .
Gentlemen, the men who saved the
State in its darkest days, arc not 60
ing to do any such thing; neither do
they intend that their enemies shall
write their history for them-mark
Uhat.
We have perfect right to meet in
convention, with open doors, as we
have done, and recount the deeds and
recall the memories of the past, with
out being guilty of any disloyalty to
the general government. The war is
over. The flag of the nation is our
flag. The soldiers of both armies,
North and South, can now meet and
exchange courtesics, and in the most
pleasant and dispassionatc manner,
recount the incidents of the past, the
needs of the present and the hopes of
the future, without discord or cmbar-
rassmcnt whatever.
Let every old soldier who fought on
the side of the South remember that
his name will soon be forgotten and
his deeds perish with the cause he
held so dear unless he bcstrs himself
to the duty before him.
If he is an uncducatcd man who
cln' t write, let him call to his assist
ance some one who will write for him.
In this he will find some men willing
and ready to give him assistance
then the noble women of our State.
So there is no reason Willy a single in
cidcnt remembered by an old soldier
should not be incorporated in the his
tory if it is worth preserving at all.
There are plenty of publishing
houses in our State, and many men
throughout our country that would be
glad to get the publication of these
records, and will pay a handsome roy
atty for that privilege. So let us be
up and doing: there is not 4 moment
to lose. No loyal son of South Caro-.
lima can distrust his mother State, and
he may rest assured that if he doe:
his duty faithfully he will rccompcnsC
himself for it. y history gotten up tc
maintain the truth is Of incalcubly
more value than one made mainly fol
the money, the State might agree tc
pay for it. Let us work to the heart:
of the people rather than their pocket:
for true history. Hoping all paper;
friendly to our course will copy thi:
letter, am yours fratcrnally,
I,uru l. STH,Iv