Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1899-01-05
STONEWALL JACKSON CAMP

= IUNEWAll JAOkOUN Jam
Stonewall jackson Camp had goot
attendance at their hall last night
Commander Opie being absent, First
Lieut.. Commander Morton presided.
The proceedings were very interest
ing and action was taken which will be
much discussed, criticised and com.
mended when made public.
A communication was read from the
Daughters of the Confederacy suggest
ing plan for the proposed entertain
ment of January q, 1899, when DIR.
Mcclure will deliver his address here
1t was referred to the special commit
tee on arrangements, who will consider
it and confer with the ladies. The
preparations that are making already
ensure successful entertainment.
The camp then went into the cleo
| ton of officers with the following re-
suit:
Commander, 7. q. Morton; LIST lieut..
commander, H. M. McIlhany; I'd lieut..
commander, Rev. Geo. w. Finley; Sd
lieut.. commander, JAS. Bumgarder, Jr. !;
adjutant, John S. McCOrk]e; chaplain,
Rev. w. p. Hullihen; surgeon, DIR. Ben.
Blac kfOrd; assistant surgeon, Dr. New
ton Wayt; quartermaster, A. s. Bru
beck ; cOmmissary, Thomas Burke; vi
dette, John B. Coffelt; treasurer, j. N.
Mcfarland; John W. Whitesell, SER
geant major; officer of the day, John R.
Harris; color sergeant. John A. Huff
man; 1st color guard. VIM. NJ Burruss;
I'd color guard, Nathan FL. Anderson;
Executive cOmmittee-S. D. Tim
berlake, John N. Opie. T. D. Ransom.
Jed HotchkiSs, VIM. Wholey.
N bership committee. N Nc
Fa, Hand, Thomas d. Rarson, james
BumgaI diner, Jr.
Under the head of new business the
following admirable paper was pre-
sented by Comrade T. d. Ransom and
seconded by Comrade Morton. After
an animated discussion, participated
in by Comrades Ransom, Morton, Nc
Ilhany, Mcfarland and Timberlake, it
was unanimously adopted:
Inasmuch as the question is being
mooted whether survivors of the army
of the Confederate States of America,
sometimes designated as ex-COnfeder-
ates, shall be admitted to the Soldiers
Homes provided by the Government,
or to the pension list of the United
States, and representatives from
Southern States have thought proper
to bring the subject before CONGRESS,
prompted either by their liberal inter
probation of the recent kindly utter
ances of the President, or by desire
to test the sentiment of the country on
the matters proposed:
This organization. known as the
Stonewall Jackson Camp of Confede-
rate Veterans, No. 25, of Staunton,
Virginia, Tor Camp No. 469, Va. Div
Z. G. w. with no inclination to make
parade of our opinions, but with the
conviction that we owe it to ourselves |
and to those for whom we speak that
our position in regard to these matters
shall not be misunderstood, do declare: |
list. That we distinctly disavow any
sympathy with the propositions refer
red to, and deprecate them as unlikely
to lead to any desirable result.
End. That the survivors of that |
army, so far as our knowledge of them |
goes, while contributing in taxes for |
many years past to the support of the |
Soldiers Home establishments of the |
Federal Government, have never en-
tertained the least expectation Of |
sharing in their benefits; would scOrn /
to ask it, and would, as a rule, decline |
to avail themselves of it if offered.
3rd. That we look upon the business |
of pensions, while well enough in pr1n-
ciple, as having been carried already |
beyond all reasonable bounds in it's |
gratuities and as to the recipients. As
at present being administered we re-
gardit as a system of Governmental |
robbery, in which we desire no part,
in any way, shape or form. The State
OF Virginia, from her meagre resources,
in her defence, and expects to do more
for them in the future. without calling
upon the General Government.
4th. This city and county, through
Lhe Augusta Memorial Association
for the Confederate Dead" has done
all that need now be done in the matter
Of caring for our deceased comrades in
arms; and that sacred duty will be
to our children and our
chlldrens' children. Our dead, mum
bered by the thousands, from near by
battle fields and hospitals, inferred in
our beautiful cemetery, are not likely
to be forgotten by the generation
which collected their remains and done
hon cage yearly to their memory. We
have preserved upon our records, as
far as possible, their individual his
tory. And having borne further wit
ness of our regard for them by a COM
monument unexcelled any
where for dignity and beauty, we fail
to see the need for Federal caretakers.
The same conditions exist generally,
as we believe, throughout the South.
5th. We consider that the recent
discovery of our loyalty as soldiers or
as citizens Of the United States is not
creditable to the discoverers;l
and that the gush of enthusiasm with
which it has been greeted in some To-
calities of the South was not called for
and not in particularly good taste.
All the world knows, or ought to
know, that we accepted in good faith
the results of the war of 1861, and that |
we have given true allegiance to our
common country since it's close, endur
ing with patience all the wrongs which |
followed it, but maintaining always |
our faith, unconquerable and eternal, |
in the principles for which We fought,
and belief which will never be sha-
ken that we but did our duty in con-
tending for them.
After statement from the treas
urer, j. N. Mcfarland, of the amount
of dues and request that members
call at his office at their earliest cOnven-
to meet Monday week, the Sth, at 81
o'clock.
Beats the KIondike.