Evening star., 1899-02-09
DECLINE NATIONAL AID
Ex-C Confederates Prefer to Care for Their
Own Dead.
Proceedings of Meeting Held in
Winchester, Va.-Names of the
Organizations Represented.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.


WINCHESTER. Va. February 7. 1890.
The various organizations which have
grown out Of the cd StonewalI Brigade
and which are located in this city have
placed themselves on record as wishing to
care for the confederate dead In the fu-
ture as they have done for many years
past. A meeting wass held a few evenings
since, at which theres was present almost
the entire membership of Turner Ashby
Camp. Ashby Camp Guard Ladies' Memoir
ial Association. the daughters of the Con-
federacy and the Junior, Memorial Associa-
ton, respectively, forlthe' purpose of ascer-
tanning the sentiment-ef all the associations
regarding bill which Senator Pritchard of
North Carolina, 1t iss said. will introduce
into Congress shortly and which proposes
to have the United States government take
charge of all confederate cemeteries.
Resolutions Adopted.
After the matter was fully discussed by
many Of those present. resolutions were
adopted to the effect, ''that we desire to
put upon record our grateful appreciation
of the kindly feeling and patriotic senti-
ments manifested in the recent address OF
President Mckinley, and in the ike utter
ances of numerous organizations and IN
dividuals In the north in the matter of car
8
but having seen in the public prints a state
ment that Senator Pritchard proposes to
have legislation enacted by the Congress
of the United States providing that the
government of the United States shall take
charge OF the confederate cemeteries and
being of the opinion that this would not
be advisable as to Stonewall cemetery at
Winchester Va, in view of the facts ana
circumstances relating to 1t, 1t is the sense
of the associations represented at the meet
ing that the trustees of Stonewal cemetery
be and they are hereby requested to take
such steps as in their judgment may be
necessary and advisable through our rep
resentatives in Congress- or otherwise, to
prevent Stonewall cemetery from being
taken charge of by the United States gov
ernment, and to secure the continuance Of
It's charge and control in the trustees IN
whom 1t is now vested.
Address to the People.
An address to the people of the country
generally was adopted, a part of which was
as follows:
Our thanks are rendered to all in the
north who wish to aid us in our work
though we wish no change made in the Old
path we have allowed since 1856, when our
association was formed
But here we pause, and tender our heart
felt gratitude to the noble-rninded men and
women of the north who, from year to year.
have put flowers on the graves of our
southern dead who died far from home and
loved ones and lie in northern cemeteries
where our love and care can not reach
them.
But our dead who fell here, ever at our
hearthstones, we claim now and shall ever
claim the right to care for. Our backs are
not yet weary, but feel fitted to still bear
this burden of love and reverence, and none
can love their graves and memories so well
we for whom they shed their hearts
blood on many hard-fought field in this
our loved valley of the Shenandoah.
When we have fal en- at our posts there
are brave young hearts Caught by us no
bitterness, for the grave does not teach
that, but love and reverence for all that is
holy, just and righD, who are willing to
join in and ever help to care for and keep
green the graves and memories of those
who wore the gray.
Ever since the dedication of Stonewall
cemetery the women of Winchester have
done what they could TO raise funds for
with headstones the graves of those who
gave their lives for the cause so dear to
them, and have jealously guarded this hal
lowed spot from the ravages of time, and
each recurring 9th of June have assembled
with our citizens to place on the graves Of
ferings of flowers, proving to the world
that the sacrifices and the deeds of those
who s,eep in this silent city are still fresh
in their memories and still dear to them.
1T shall be our pleasure well our
duty to faithfully carry on this work as
long we live and to teach those who
come after that the sacred guardian
ship of our confederate dead is a part of
their Inheritance. and we solemnly protest
against this loving duty being relegated to
the government or to amy people what