The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-09-01
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 1, 1899.
AsTRIKgNGA DDR ESS TO CONFED.
ERATE VETERANS

and usefulness. In the last number OF
the Wadesboro Messenger and Intelli-
gencer, a we'll conducted weekly x
change we rarely fail to handle, there
appears the elaborate address before
the confederate veterans who met In
that town ON 10th inst. 1t is by that
very popular speaker, General Julian
s. Carr, the states benefactor. We
took time to read nearly all Of it al
though it would fill a page in the large
sized Messenger. It is without any
semblance of fiattery a capital address,
really interesting all the way, full Of
description and glowing with ardent
patriotism expressed in flowing rheto-
ric. We like it much and commend it
to the attention of all North CAROLYN
ians who love North Carolina and glory
in the fame of her magnificent soldiery.
General Carr quotes Gov. Vances
figures as to the strength of the SOL
diers from North Carolina, putting the
total at 121, 038. We are sure it is an
underestimate, or the Roster published
by the state contains more than 10, 900
names in excess. These names were
gathered in the time Of war. There
are errors in the reproduction of the
same names sometimes when they were
transferred from one arm of the service
ito a~nother-from artillery to infantry
or cavalry or vice versa, or some other
way. There can hardly be ten or
twelve thousand repetitions. We be-
1ieve that fully 126, 900 soldiers were
sent t the war by North Carolina.
One thing should be done by the next
legislature. Let a competent soldier be
appointed to revise the volumes Of the
Roster, and make all needed correc-
tions. Where there are names repeat
ed Let them be corrected, and let it be
ascertained just how many errors ap-
pear, and what the precise strength of
the North Carolina army was. Publish
THE result In a supplementary volu2
All errors should be eliminated. Gov
.ernor Vance's figures are too small We
are persuaded.
l.. General Carr gives most striking
statement of losses which in itself is a
grand tribute to the men who led, who
di not say ego ON men," but who
said Come on Men," and they were
men every inch of them:
mo other state approaches within
thousands of her noble dead, and her
wounded, torn by the gashes of hon
orable conflict. Officers and men alike
plunged into the mouth of destruction.
With fewer officers of high rank by far
than her proportion Of private soldiers
would permit, she yet lost in battle
eight generals and thirty-three colo
nels to say nothing of lieutenant col
onels and officers of lower rank. What
a story of daring does that reveal, when
the co nmanders of half her regiments
were killed on the field, besides the
large number that died from disease
and privation, or were wounded for
life!"
Of the surprising character Of the
armies of the southern confederacy, he
says impressively:
''That price was immense, for here
was an army, where privates were OF
the same blood, culture, and ability as
the officers who commanded, and patrl-
otism was the inspiration of both alike.
The general of the army had a son in
the ranks"
General Carr quotes One inspiring
passage from Colonel R. T. Bennett,
who is often magnetic and sweeping in
his oratory:
There are occasions in the expert
ence of regiments, brigades and armies,
when they rise superior to themselves;
when the enemy astounded by their au-
dacity, stand at attention, and applaud
the oncoming host.
"Once in the supreme crisis Of a great
battle, when the earth trembled like a
heated oven. and the battalion hesitat-
ed, a private soldier of well-earnd re-
nown, appealed to them to go forward
and strike home for their cause. Per-
sisting in his appeal, he said, They
that love God, go forward q
EVERY human virtue wa repeated
during that struggle"
General Robert E. Lee, first among
soldiers. said to General Lane of our
own soldiers:
"Sir, North Carolina has reason to
be proud of her troops"
There are many fine glowing, impas-
stoned passages in the address. 1t Is
very quotable, but we have not space
ait command. The eloquent speaker
closed with this inspiring strain:
There is nothing in our duty to u
dead comrades and to ourselves which
conflicts with good citizenship and the
fulfllment of all obligations to our
state and federal government. On the
contrary, b adherence to the consti-
tutional obligations of each respective
Iy, and of the citizen to both is, as we
have already maintained, the only hope