The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1897-05-14


das 10 New York al ths unwilling 81
the Grant monument. We saw there
Generals Gordon and Longstreet ana
Wher confederate gensrals, laying
brave tributes at the bier Of this ve
torious eaptsin;. we saw united ranf,si
crate veterans ma,ehing wIih Her
hrathefS in blue in the gfe9s- process
sion, and the widow OF the confaier-
ate chieftain adding her eulogY 70
Grant for his brave ard ma guanimsus
Treatment so The armies Of the south
at the surrender At Appomatax
''The great demonstration - BE
memory of General Grant and u Do
monstratIou here today reminds us
that the soldiers of both armies are
fast dropping by the wav side and
every year their ranks are growing
smaller and If these memorials are to
be perpetuated so that our children
and the world may know for what we
fought and lost, 1t is fitting ard appro
pirate that they he kept up by the
sons and daughters OF those who par
ticipated in that great struggle. So in
line with this idea and in harmony
with this suggestion, am glad that
the Daughters of the Confederacy of
Dickson Chapter have selected as
the orator of this occasion one OF these
younger men-rhe son Of a confeder-
ate veteran-and one well fitted TO pay
eloquent tribute TO our noble dead.
1T affords me great pleasure, my
fellow citizens, to introduce to you the
Hon R. A. BurfOrd.
Hon. r. A. Burford then stepped
forward and addressed the audience
as follows:
"Mr. Chairman, Members of Dickson
Chapter u. ID. c., Con 'e crate Veter-
ans and Assembled Friends:
"When first received the invitation
from the Dickson Chapter of the
United Daughters of the Confederacv,
under whose auspices these exercises
are held, hesitated as to its accept
ance; First, because | painfully feel
my inability to give expression to
those thoughts and sentiments which
such an occasion should always inspire
and TO do full and ample justice to the
memory of our fallen heroes; Second,
because belong to generation which
has no personal knowledge of the
clash of arms between the contending
forces which turned our fields into
bloody battle grounds, wasted our
cities, destroyed our commerce, para
lyzed our industries, and crushed for
the time the hopes of our people.
"But in the midst of my reflection
was admouished that, alas! too soon
those gray-haired veterans, whose
bravery and chivalry during that
eventful carnival of death has bound
them to US with undying affection and
love, will have passed across the silent
river of death to meet their comrades
on the further shore: and the exercises
such as we have met here to perform
will, by the memorable law of necessity,
be handed down to generation sue
ceeding that whose immortality we
hon or; hence, as imperfectly SIS this
labor of love may be performed, a. a
son of Confederate veteran, re-
solved to accept the kind and oourte-
Gus invitation, aud now on this radiant
beautiful day, with the appr wing
smiles of Providence, in the presence
of and assisted by those who have sur
wired the shock of battle, we will do
honor to those who have risked all for
the honor and glory OF their country.
1.-The beloved secretary of Decisions
Chapter in the letter of notification TO
me says: The purpose of this organ
ization aud of this memorial exercise
is not to cultivate or give expression TO
any antagonism or disloyalLy 10 our
government, but simply to keep in per-
petual remembrance the brave men
who had the courage to be true to their
convictions This beautiful senti-
ment shall guide me in all that NAY
say on this occasion, and l am sure
that there is no one in this day OF
peace, civilization and enlightenment.
who will deny It's the poor privilege OF
paying honor, respect aud devotion TO
the memory OF those whose blood ran
as water at duty's cali, All honor tel
these noble women, the United Dangh-
tiers of the Confederacy, who have taken
upon themselves this patriotic work OF
love, and may later generations make
perpetual the sacred memory OF the
historic past. THE speaker here re-
ferred to the Confederate Museum at
Richmond, Va, and urged all to lend
helping hand in making the room
allotted to Florida attractive.l
In the brief remarks which | shall
make / do not propose to discuss the
causes which produced the war be-
tween the States, the greatest conflict
and clash of arms known TO modern
history, but suffice it TO say that II
grew out of conditions which existed