The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-04-24

urges that ex-Confelerate soldiers and
send applications to headquarters ut New
Orleans for papers to organize camps i'm.
mediately, so rs to be in time to pnrtici-
pate in the Nashville reunion, as only vet
Grams who belong to the United Confed-
crate Veteran Camps will be allowed to
take part in the business proceedings.
Various and important matters will be
considered at the reunion, such rs the
best methods of securing impartial his
tory, the benevolent care of disabled, des.
titute or aged veterans, the care of the
graves of unknown Confederate dead Mt
Gettysburg, Fort Warren, Camp Chase
and other battlellelds and prison camps
throughout the country. Besides these
mentioned above, other matters of i'm
portance will come before the Veterans at
the reunion, not the least being the
selection of n site for the proposed battle
abbey and the consideration of plans for
promoting its erection. This memorial
ought by all means to be erected at Rich
mond, where so many sacred associations
of the lost cause exist; but other cities
of the South are making energetic efforts
to secure the buildin0, and unless the
friends of the eX Confederate capital are
fully organized and work persistently il
will be built elsewhere
Mr.. Rouss, the generous promoter of
this movement. with his characteristic
liharu1itx, L,e
the erection of the building ON the con-
dition that Confederate veterans and their
friends raise like amount. He declines
to express IA preference for any Southern
city, and has LETT the competition open
to all. There are now 900 veteran camps.
of which Virginia has only 81. 1t fol-
lows from these figures that y State
which contributed so many sc ldiers to
the Confederate cause should have much
larger number, ana as only veterans or
ganized in camps can participate in the
business meeting at Nashville, it is very
important that in this State these asso.
Citations should be formed in localities
where they do not exist now or that old
soldiers should unite with some compile
ted organization.
The Grand Army of Confederate Veter.
ans remaining at the close of the war is
rapidly diminishing in numbers. Many
have already 'ps ssed over the river" and
thousands are crowding the banks that
look toward the other shore. Men who
we're boys when the war began are gray
headed grandfathers now. Soon the
last muster roll will have been called;
soon the veterans and the cause they
fought SO bIavely to maintain will be
only sacred memory to the sons and
daughters of the South. 1t is supremely
essential, in view of these facts, that steps
be now taken to preserve the records of
that heroism which astonished the world
and proved that the Southern soldier was
the peer of any that ever bore arms in
defense of his country. The battle abbey
as means of furthering this end deserves
the hearty endorsement of the old soldiers
and their friends everywhere, and while
it may not be Virginia's good fortune
to have it erected upon her soil, it's pos
session is we'll worth the effort, at any
rate. The reunion at Nashville will
afford ample scope for the discussion of
this and many other questions and rs it
may be the last opportunity of many to
attend such /, gathering, all who can do
so should avail themselves of the facili.
ties afforded, and shake hands with COM
rades they may never see again in this
life.