Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1896-07-03
SOUTHERN WOMEN PART IN THE RE


Curious emotions will fill the breasts Of
these men when they reach Richmond
again. The last of 1t that some of them
saw was on the night of the historic
evacuation fire, when the best part 81
the city was reduced to ruins. This fire
swept away many of the places which
the old soldiers will hunt for in vain. II
was the order of the day, the fatal April
8. 1866, to burn everything connected with
the confederate government Scores Of
buildings which would now be of vast
historical interest to south and north
alike. went up in flame and smoke, and
with them the homes of hundreds of
families already brought to the verge of
restitution by the long war. Many of the
soldiers marched out of Richmond on that
night crying as If their hearts were
breaking. They saw the devoted city for
which they had fought for years crumb-
ling into ruins.
A Changed City.
When these old warriors, with the men,
ory of that dreadful night still fresh and
sharply defined, again see Richmond the
spectacle will be more than a surprise.
The giant hand of progress has been un-
relenting in its incessant work upon the
former capital of the confederacy. Every
thing that makes a city beautiful to the
eye and attractive to the active brain of
the present generation will be found
there in abundance. Those who cast SEN
timent and the memory of hallowed
things aside say the fire was a blessing.
But sentiment plays a leading part with
the soldiers of both sides of the civil
war. and many of the old fellows who
knew Richmond in the war days would
like to see it again as 1t was before the
great fire did its work.
Aside from visiting Richmond again the
coming reunion is fraught with another
matter of Importance to the old soldiers
This is the laying of the corner stone of
the great monument to be erected to the
memory of Jefferson Davis, president of
the confederacy. These ceremonies will
take place on July 2. The monument will
be erected almost in the center of Monroe
park, on a site now occupied by a large
fountain. 1t is the intention to spend a
quarter of million dollars on the monu-
ment and to make 1t the finest memorial
of its kind in the country. Twenty-seven
designs have been submitted to the COM
mittee by the leading architects of the
country and one of these will be chosen
during the encampment.
The idea of building this monument
originated at mass meeting in Rich
mond on December q, 1889, and a monu-
ment association was formed, with j.
Taylor Ellyson president. The work has
been pushed without cessation since then,
and when the design has been settled up
on the active work on the monument will
be begun.
Simple Ceremsnies.
The ceremony of laying the corner stone
will be simple. General John B. Gordon,
of Georgia, commander of the confed-
crate veterans. will martial the parade to
the site of the memorial, and there J.
Taylor Ellyson and the other officers OF
the monument association will lake
charge. The grand lodge of Masons, Col
onel ]. p Fitzgerald commander. will lay
the corner stone. and General Stephen d.
Lee of Mississippi, will deliver the grafton
of the day. Mrs. Jefferson Davis and
Miss Winnie Davis will be present.
In addition to the 1900 southern vet.
Grams who will march in the parade, va.
rious militia organizations from all ovei
the south to the number OF 400 men will