Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-23
THE PRIVATE SOLDIER.

! Inc lOlONlbk - liNiii q
/ IN the Atlanta Journal:
The jefferson Davis monument at I'i ~
mond IS an assured fact, ana WIZ ~ ~
] OF the most splendid memorials 80
/ country. - ,,,,,,,e
II is also certain that in the near future
n,,,,,c,t viii he erected 10 the Wo-
men Of the Confederacy. III. =.
Another monument must be punt py
the people OF the South. and 1t cailho' De
! made grand enough. We must haVe
| monument 10 the private CoiIeueI az
soldier Nearly all the great generals %
the Confederacy who are dead nave .NeIi
monuments. but what could these o",I 80
have done against the terrific odus my
faced but for the intelligence anu 90
age OF the finest soldiers Nho 0'''
followed leaders to batteY
In his speech TO the assembled veterans
NJ Nashville. General Gordon, their com
mander-in-chief, said: .,
"Sr. If / had the power l would erec'
70 private soldiers the most spiendld me
mortal that gratitude could suggest
genius could plan. or money Dulid'
Nothing that General Gordon said !"
that splendid speech deserves hlsheI CUM
mendation. ,...eoiorocy
The private soldier OF the ConleueidSS
&c now recognized throughout the "oi "
oe The embodiment Of a heroism as hlgh
nc has ever been developed by war MS
doeds his endurance and his suuerheS
,,tI MI many Of history's brightest pages
,rls fame and his Immortality are secuIe'
but there is a debt which the peopie loI
whom ne fought and suffered ana uleu'
and their children. owe to his memory
and which must be paid.
Somewhere i'm the South monument
we would have 1t the greatest ana mus
Che a.
IA commemorate the heroism OF lhe
mon who wore the gray. without the IN
sigma OF office. the nope OF IeWaru' VI
the desire for fame.
When the United Confederate veterans
meet i'm Atlanta next year. the movement
for this monument should be put INTO
practical shape.
There is such a movement alreduy ]"
existence. 1t stands upon the brow OF
l. ibbv Hill OIarshall Park), in this city
and is in full view from south OF the
lanes river for miles around, and is
also in sight of the crowds that daily
throng some of our principal streets.
This monument consists Of granite
column surmounted by the bronze hg-
IRE of n Confederate infantryman, mus
kct in hand The column is an exact
reproduction. except as to size, OF
Pompey's pillar, while the bronze repre-
sents handsome young man, clothed
and armed with historic fidelity. OF all
the monuments in Richmond, this Ito
the Soldiers and Sailors Of the Confede-
rate Army and Navy" is the most con-
spicuous. 1t is a very handsome monu-
ment indeed though we cannot say
that il is "the most splendid memorial
that gratitude could suggest, genius
could plan. or money could build"
If ever the time comes when the peo-
ple of the South feel able to erect a
costlier or handsomer monument to the
private soldier, the movement shall have
our most enthusiastic and energetic
support. but just now the duty of erect
ing a monument to President Davis is
pressing upon us. From one cause or
another-chieny because of the time lost
i'm deciding where Mr.. Davis should
be buried, and the business panics
| and financial depressions following
| little progress has been made in
/ raising the funds necessary. The day
is now nearly at hand when we must
resolve to proceed with the work of
collections vigorously and systematical-
| ". We must have a plan of operations
| spread like network over the South
so as to reach every person who is
willing to contribute, no matter whether
it be / cent or 800
Nothing could give our enemies great
er qualification than the failure or in
definite postponement of this movement
Though business is by no means so
! favorable as we should like to see it,
we can afford to wait no longer. Du-
ring this fan and winter the whole
South should be reused to its duty in
this matter, and the money ought to
be gotten TO ensure the building Of the
Davis monument at an early day. with
this sacred duty performed, our people
would be freehanded to proceed with
other worthy schemes for monument
building in honor Of the heroes of the