The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-22
THE SOLDIERS THANKSGIVING.
The Sources From which Their Din
ner Is to Come.

The Sources From which Their Din
ner Is to Come.
AS the mouthpiece of the central COM
mittee of Savannah for the Thanksgiv-
ing preparations for the Seventh Army
Corps, offer few words of explanation
TO those not in harmony with us, feeling
that it is want of understanding more
than interest on the part of the minority,
as 1 am happy to say that Savannah has
almost unanimously supported the move
ment.
1t was not from any belief that the
Seventh Army Corps needed something to
eat, either substantials or delicacies. We
fully realize that matters are not now
as they were in the early SOS, when the
soldier was always hungry, even starving,
and food, not feasting, was the prime
thought in the minds of all. We know
the men have a plenty 20 eat, but hospi
tally is not alone the Offering of foods
With such a body of men together, sub
jected to the discomforts, the temptations.
the utter WEAKNESS, the Inconsistencies in
cidental to camp life, little kindly attep-
tions are ever welcome. The humanizing
influence to be exercised by personal con-
tact with the strangers is great. Twelve
or fourteen thousand men, away from
home on Thanksgiving day, with the I'M
known and perilous future before them,
are here among us. Many of US have
friends. acquaintance among them, both
men and officers, and with hearts alive
to their needs, their wishes, we were ready
to make the effort to show them our feel
ing; I repeat, not to feed the men, but to
cheer them.
We fully realized the difficulties in the
way the struggle to obtain supplies,
money help, sympathy and cooperation.
We knew that with the many calls upon
us at the season it was a difficult, but we
believed not an impossible work, and while
we would have been glad to have borne
all the expense, have accomplished all the
labor. yet business understanding made us
realize that we must put our municipal
and personal pride in our pockets and &C
cept any aid which was offered; though
we will confess that the struggle was
hard one. In the balance was our munich
pal and sectional pride, in the other SYM
pathy and the desire to show it, the broad
word, sympathy, covering our every de-
sire, sympathy for the needs of our neigh
Dor body, soul, heart. Need remind our
friends that pride became a feather weight
in the scale, and we decided to render
every aid to the army men which our
purses our work, our presence could in
spire, and at the same time accept the
material aid from the outside which was
only too gladly extended us. The home
states of the regiments were offering aid
esteeming it a privilege to give it, just
as we, during this year of anxiety, would
have gladly caught at the same opportun-
ity with our Savannah boys, would have
quickly Joined in any movement to allevi-
ate the long and weary hours in the
camps at Tampa, Huntsville, Chicka-
manga.
Now therefore, I say aid from the out
side has been proffered the central com
mittee and accepted. We are not profess
ing to do this work alone not claiming
any credit If credit there be, for ANYTHING
but an earnest desire to show to the men
In the camps that we appreciate their DO
sition, we respect their motives for vo.un-
teering, and We are remembering the home
folks of them all. Many of us have known
what 1t was to weep for the boys in camp
and field and prison walls, have turned
with sore hearts from the empty chair.
have hidden away somewhere an old rag
ged jacket, rusty sword, and of all peo-
pie in this world we Southern women
should be the last to forget the soldier or
the woman at home who is waiting and
watching for him. We are assured in our
own minds that the officers and men. as
well as the soldier relief associations at
nome understand us, and we have deter
mined to make the Thanksgiving of the
Seventh Army Corps in Savannah A
bright spot in the memory of all. We
cannot tell how far-reaching the 1vorl,
may be, the effort to comfort and cheer
sour ana body, an effect reaching far ont
into the unknown future.
l wish it also understood that there has
been most entire harmony in the central
committee; no jarring discords, no little
petty jealousies, but all are working in
unison, all striving to do what is the host
ior the cause at large and to learn the
pest way to do it. There is good business
capaclly in the central committee and sinh
committees most entire devotion To tha
END desired; the most untiring efforts are
Deing put forth. Acting upon the snirit
winch Thanksgiving time teaches us tha
men and women interested realize tha
they are making thank Offering that no
oIering can be made without sacrifice ana
WIN tne utmost cheerfulness they bring
ms thelr gift; putting aside. most Of
then' their own family thanksgivinp fas-
uVltles, they viii make the dav in Car,r,
onward cheerful one, wishing every M n
to know that to us he is nor 49,
cipher' part of great machine IN faad
9not ana sheil and fever, to hunger and
20 tlllrst ana to die uncared for bur thai
ne Is human being, man. a brother
10 snow the private soldier that we .bir,,.
MN as he Is, the strength ana g1or,- %
the army ana nation. S. l.. Beckuftb
chairman Central Committee
-S-a