The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1897-10-07
AVlrett'S Great Grafton.
DELIVERED AT WINCHESTER, VA. SEP.
TENDER nth.

AAEiDLN II IN,
At the Laying of the Cornerstone O,
the nonument to be Erected in
Memory of the North Carolina Con.
federate Dead-Tribute to the Wo.
men of the South-EuIogy of Charles
Broadway Rouss and Touching Ref.
erence to His Double AffIiction-
North Carolina's Part in the Late
War.
The following extract is made from
the Grafton of Rev. James Battle
Avlrett, at Winchester, Va, Sept. 18th
at the laying of the cornerstone of the
monument to be erected in honor of
the North Carolina Confederate dead
there buried il Stonewall Cemetery.
The speaker was introduced in an apt
and felcitous manner by our dis: n
guished townsman Col. w. H. Cheek.
late Colonel of the First North Caro-
Ina Cavalry, as brave and gallant a
soldier as he is an honored and useful
citizen, in these words:
Kind Jtienas Of the City Of Winches-
There are with you today a few cit
liens of North Carolina who Rave
made pilgrimage to this sacred spot,
to unite with you in the performance
of very pleasant duty.
We have come to jo!n with you in
adding one more tribute to he mem
ory Of our Comrades who lad down
their lives upon the altar cf their coun
try, and died in defence OF our homes
We have come with an orator Capa.
bic and we'll prepared 10 perform this
task. Before introduce him, | be-
that too as a representative of oul
people may be permitted TO avail my.
self of this opportunity 10 express tc
the noble, patriotic, generous and low,
ing women of this historic old town
our sincerest thanks for the untring
zeal that they have manifested in the
! collection of the remains Of our dead
comrades, and in giving them decent
burial in this beautiful cemetery, and
for their constant care in the Ereser.
walton and decoration of their graves
| now present to you the Reverend
| JamSs Battle Avi1ett, who needs nc
introduction to this people, and whc
has been selected by the Ladies Me
moral Association of our State to ad.
dress you in this occasion.
Mr.. Av''ett began his address, which
was pitched on high key, admirably
wrought and eloquently expressed, with
tribute to the women of North Car,
olina for their hero:sm and devotion
from the early settlement Of Roanoke
Island down to the present., including
| the darkest hours Of the late civil war
"Some North Carolinians were willing
to sell lhe!r birnright for miserable
mess of pot,age, but from Cherokee to
Curriiuck, from the Virginia line &c
the waters of the Peedee, no woman
| was ever found within the borders OF
| that old Commonwealth to desert the
right
| THE WOMEN OF THE VALLEY.
"Rlght here" said Mr.. Avirett, 81
pause sufficiently long 10 barely init.
mae to the women of the Southland
the debt of gratitude which they owe
| to the fair women of the Shenandoah
Valley, and notably SO to the dwellers
in this old war-worn town of Win
chester, Va, changing hands 81 times
during the war, as, from the spring
days Of 1861 throughout the entire
struggle, they did their full duty in
nerving the arm and strengthening
tue hearts of that noble band of men
arrayed in gray who followed the lead
of Joseph E. Johnston, Ashby, Stone.
| wall Jackson and Robert E. Lee. 1t
may not be known to the world, nor
can it be known, the one tithe of all
these blessed women did in the hos
pital, in the closet on bended knee, on
the battle field, outwatching the silent
stars in ministering to the Confeder-
ate wounded; but this consolation re-
mains, as long as the Blue Ridge,
whose peaks are now enveloped with
the morning mists, as many time
they have been wrapped up in smoke
of battle, occupies the place assigned
it by Almighty God, the names o.
Mrs. Philip Williams, Mrs. Andrew
Boyd, Mrs. Robert Y. Conrad, Mis-:
kurtz, the Richardson's, the Russells
the Jenkins, the Glaizes, the Mesmers
and many others who were associated
with1those already mentioned will not
be forgotten by the citizen soldery o
the South. They nobly planned ans
faithfully executed the high commis
sion from God which led them il
their labor OF love to develop thi
beautiful bivouac of the dead, thi
blessed mother of all the Southern
cemeteries-htly named, and worthl.
wearing the name, Stonewall Gene
terry.
"The noble women of my NATIVE
State wish to say to you, fair women O
the Shenandoah Valley, that you have
been true to the high commission O
the three Marys at the sepulchereo
garden, when (though it be rever
emily said on lower plane) you hav
strengthened the living by fidelity t
the dead-you have discharged one Q
the noblest duties Of life in giving ten
der assurance to the dwellers in all tn
fair valleys of North Carolina that tn
women of Virginia were keeping thel
holy vigil over the ashes of our dead
NNa EnNW {aIr fhq