The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-07-11

The Richmond Dispatch. after allud-
ing to the proposition that the L. 5.
Government shall establish a national
military park at or near FIedericks
burg and Richmond. says:
1--WE should like % see the vicinity
OF Richmond chosen for the site OF the
park; but il we can't have our wish
about that, we shall be glad TO support
the next best proposition looking tc
practical results. Of course, we old
Confederates cannot hope 10 have
things all our own way. To get any
scheme through Congress II must be
backed strongly by veterans Of the Gray
and Blue both. "
The Dispatch in this matter seems &c
have quite naturally as the Oldest paper
at the State Capital. a very proper
touch Of State pride, and The Free
Lance proposes to tel the Dispatch and
through il the people Of Virginia what
has been done in The Fredericksburg
and Adjacent National Battleields PaIk
matter, and to ask the Dispitch if It
does not, as a State organ, believe that
the Fredericksburg park matter Is
backed strongly by veterans Of The
Gray and the Blue both"
The Fredericksburg Battlefrlds Park
matter was taken up. first. by our City
Council. in February. 1896, and COM
mittee appointed 10 inaugurate it.
Thereafter. in April, '96, a meeting
was held in our Opera House, st which
Congressman Jenkins, Republican. Of
Wisconsin; Walker, Republican, and
Jones, Democrat, Of Virginia, were
present and gave the matter hearty APP
r. p-oval
/. Then provision was made for a
Joint commission, a voluntary unincOr-
porated body, to consist Of members
from Fredericksburg, Orange Spotsyl.
yania and Stafford, and gentlemen from
each Of tie counties named and Fred
ericksburg were selected 10 push the
proposition. These gentlemen at once
saw that. following in the footsteps Of
Ohickamauga, that an Incorporation
was not only desirable, bat necessary,
and thereupon
ii. The fredericksburg and Adjacent
National Battlefelds Memorial Associa-
tion OF Virginia was chartered February
18th, 1895, Abraham Lincoln's birth.
day, and organized February %, 1898
Washington's birthday Among the
incorporates are over two hundred
gentlemen, ex-officers and soldiers
OF the war lSGl-'G5, from 30 States
Of the Union and the District Of Column
bia. In these incorpOrators are many
of the leaders on each side Of the war Of
'61.'65 such as Gen Horatio Q King, its
president, and for twenty five years the
secretary Of the Army of the Potomac /;
Gen. Orland Smith, the present Presi.
dent Of the Army Of the POt0-
mac Gen. Daniel T. Sickles, Gov. w.
A. Stone, of Penn AMI exGOv Beaver.
Of that state Ex.Sscretary Of the Navy
Tracy, Gen. Felix Agnew. OF the Bal
timore American. Gen. T. d. Grant =,
Charles Broadway Rouss, Ex.Gov.
Chamberlain. of Maine; Congressman
Amos Cummings, Ex-senator Faux
ner, Of West Virginia; Judge Walter
CLARK, of North Carolina; Senator
James X. Jones. of Arkansas Gen. NJ.
O. Butler, Of South Carolina; Gen.
James Longstreet and Congressman
Livingston, of Georgia Chief Justice
Woods, Of Mississippi Ex-senator
Blackburn, of Kentucky; Senator Oaf-
frey, Of Louisiana; Senator Bate and
Congressman Richardson of Tennessee
Congressman Lanham and Ex-Con-
gresham Culberson, of Texas. Besides
very many more equally as prominent.
All Of these gentlemen not only con-
sented to become members of the asso-
citation. but are warmly in favor of the
Esedericks burg park
III. Virginia has. through her Leg
islature. taken up the Fredericksburg
Park proposition as State matter
Her Legislature has endorsed it, and
Gov. Tyler is of the opinion that it is
the one park that should be first es-
tablished, and that other propositions
should stand in allegiance, pending
action on that by Congress. In the
list of incorporators from Virginia
are Dol. James d. Brady, OF Peters
burg, q gallant Union officer than
whom no one has better war record
who ia a member Of the Execu-
tive Committee Of the Association, and
there are over atty Virginia incorp-