The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-05-09
NJ EMORIAI. DAY.

| together Tomorrow about the graves OF
the soldiers iii order to put flowers upon
| them. perhaps the central figure of the
| Memorial occasion will be the orator of
the day. Col. r. r. Bemett. of Wades-
boro.
Colonel Bennett's theme will be, the
| priv te soldier. Carlton Mccarthy. Il
| virginia private soldier. has written the
story of this hero in his Soldier Life of
| the Army Of Northern Virginia" with
more skill and sympathy than it has
| received from anyone else that we know
of. Then. Willie" Sheppard or Elder
1--WE thought Sheppard. but Col. Bennett,
in Il casual talk one morning, said he
knew the picture md i, was Elder's).
has left vid,Htc standing on t}ie scout
line along Il rocky mountain way in the
cold early morning. His bayonetcd gun,
with stock on the ground, falls. near the
end of the muzzlc. against the inner
crook of the elbow, while the 1.-THE figure
standing alone, somewhat bent forward,
with knees together, holds his hands UP
close trying to blow some warmth into
them. One can almost see the breath
coming from the shivering boy. as it is
chilled into whitiShness with clear ice
CLINT in all the air. We saw the picture
feel about it,
What the Virginia soldier-author and
soldier paintcr have done, the Tarhcel
soldier-orator. also. will do tomorrow.
We cannot anticipate what this man
will say. nor how he will say il; this
mucn: ne will tell his story with truth
and with love. the two media through
which must be breathed always, all art
and all eloquence. The figure will grow
under the orators touch; he will not
put any tailor-made clothes on the youth,
and the figure may be lacking in the
roundness and corsctted shape of a Prus-
sian Guard. but heart force and face
force and homc-force-these will be
there-but why try to say word more
We will look upon that figure standing
singly. Look well, young people, and
study that figure. You will be repaid
for all the study you give it. The history
Of the Confederate battles cannot be
known Of until this private soldier is reck-
oned with. lie is the A 3 G of all the
deathless epic that will yet be the re-
sultant Of the grand complex action.
We do not care to dwell here upon the
triumphs Of our private soldier; for like
a man, the army may best be judged by
the behavior Of its men in the time of
trial. Were all the splendor Of Bull Run
and Charlottesville and Second Manas-
sas and Fredericksburg and Fair Oaks
and First Cold Harbor and the group
Of glories that rush about the brow of
Shenandoah's Massanutten swept aside
as with the hand of darkness, the phi
vate soldier OF Lee could we'll afford to
stand upon the pathetic grandeur Of his
retreat from the Wilderness The deep
est poetry of the war blossoms there
crimsOn-fragrant
Would the Greek private be judged
by his flight from Larissa? But the Con
federate soldier can az proudly point to
from Spottsylvania as TO his
exultant pursuit OF the enemy
at Port Republic. That is a
phenomenon in history. And why
the phenomenon exists is because the
Confederate private is a phenomenon
among men that have borne arms. The
private soldier of Lee in the closing days
ebbed back like a slow tide, and the cir
Gle about the noble capital grew smaller
and smaller. Among the handful at
Appomattox, more than half were North
Caroinians.
Grant looked upon what was left of
them; then back upon those scattered
on the battlefelds, and his concept of the
private soldier Of the Confederate army
must have been picture such as a sol
dier's mind loved to dwell upon.
Scant wonder then that Grant was
moved to treat them humanely, for he
felt that he was treating with heroes.
We will never see this hero just as he
was then, but there are few men who can
help to recall him as well as the orator
of this Memorial Day who, indeed, found
his most precious treasure in, the men
he SO leoninely led, because, forsooth, his
heart was with them.
GOV. PINGREE TALKS SENSE. 7