Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-05-28

VINO were not par0Ied then received nom
orabIe paroles with the rest OF Lees army
! In few days after the surrender.
This short and imperfect sketch I hope
will enable those who were in our COM
mand 10 place us In the general histo-
ries OF brigades. divisions. and corps. I
could have embraced no more In go small
a space. The dates and localities Of the
killed and wounded tell the battles our
company was In. From Valley Noun
tain TO Appomattox Courthouse II fol-
lowed our great commander, and. when
all hope was gone. when reduced TO but
a handful by killed. captured. wounded.
fatigue and hunger In the retreat, they
still fought with that same gallantry
that distinguished them In other fields.
Such courage was born of the convic-
tons that we were fighting for the right.
and / ask to be excused for adding
few words 10 urge our descendants to
read the history of those times for them
selves, and to study the form or our
government as IL existed then
While we submitted 10 the result OF
war. there is nothing before or since to
show that we were wrong The very
States which waged war against the
South have been since most tenacious
to maintain State rights, for which we
fought, and the first TO resist interfe-
renee on the part Of the Federal Gov
eminent. / hope 1t will ever be so, and
the children of northern and southern
soldiers, alike, will live and die TO main
tain State rights. or home government
II they do not, the liberty OF this country
Will be gone No free government can
ever exist on any other basis. Though
the South did not achieve her ,ndcpen-
dence, the principle of State rights Is
her only hope. Though millions Of COL
lars of private property were taken from
her without law, and for which she has
never received a dollar, still, the very
principle Of State rights. which recog-
niZed that property, but which was dis
regarded by Mr.. Lincoln and mis- party.
is the same that we, Of the South and
those of the North must alike rely on,
alone. to give us home government and
liberty. i hope, then, that none OF our
descendants will ever think that we were
fighting in the wrong. Let them study
the United States Constitution, writings
before and pending its adoption, the de-
cisions Of the Supreme Court, and the
great expounders of that Constitution,
and they viii see that we were right.
The members of our company and their
descendants have gone north and south.
east and west, in. this country, and some
have followed the western sun half
around the globe But l hope they Will
never go where they will not be able 10
maintain that we fought in the right.
There Is no fear that they will ever 60
where our valor IS not recognized. for
those who were our enemies now pro-
claim ii from the housetops; and IL is
now spoken of around tho world. But, |
is there not danger that some OF them |
will not study these questions, and too |
easily conclude we were wrong because |
we were not victorious? Let none think, !
either. that, because, in the prov Gence |
Of God, we were not allowed t. establish |
our independence, therefore, we were |
wrong in trying to maintain our cause |
II that were so. ali failures to defend |
)ne's acknowledged rights would prove |
be had none. Let us impress Upon our
descendants their duty to carefully and |
study those questions. From
heir study they must learn the facts Tor
themselves. All Of us who were actors
viii soon be gone. More than half have
already crossed the river. The rest lave
ong since passed the meridian of life.
To name all the officers and men who
lcted with bravery in various battles
would be impossible, and, therefore,
lone have been named.
If your honors please, I do not think
he time will ever come when the pee
lie of this, or any other country will fail
o honor the memory of this gallant
,and. L. L. BOULDIN,
Captain Charlotte Cavalry.
Company b, Fourteenth Virginia.
Confederate States Army.