The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-05-16
Ghe 1tles5enger.
THE CONFEDER ATE VETERAN

veterans at charleston was
a great gathering of heroes and a
splendid display every way Lee, Jack
son, Joseph E.. Johnston, Sidney John
ston, B~eauregard, D. H. Hill, A. P. Hill,
w D. Pender, Forrest-the great
soldiers of the war-are all gone to the
eternal camping ground beyond the
great river, and we trust n AMI all
are resting now in peace under the
shade of the trees that will never be
leafless or know any blight. After the
great labors, the splendid deeds, the
heroic valor they have sheathed their
swords which are now hung up for
monuments When the roll of gallant
and highly meritorious officers is
called what a ~laGnentable absence Of
Adsum all along the line. Bee, Rhodes,
PettigreW, Stewart, Cleiburne, Hood,
Heth, Early, Ramseur, Branch, Daniel,
Robert Ransom, Barringer, ZOllicofer-
but the roll is too long to name here
if we could recall readily all who have
QdSoCu away liz LAClC ID IAO 6AN"L
roll of brave and dashing colonies who
deserve to be forever remembered be-
cause they were the bravest of the
brave. As to the officers of all ranks,
and their name rs LEGION" who dis
played conspicuous valor and did their
duty with the utmost fidelity it would
ko1n n 1nno fipon oupD No road fhpir
names much less record their deeds.
Then to think of the men in the ranks
those invincible p~rivates who wore
the immortal gray-what a mighty
gathering of heroes. Their individual
names will not be blown from the
trumpets of fame, but tens of thou
sands of the men who dashed into the
fight wore as loyal, as brave, as heroic
souls under their uniforms as the COM
manders wore. Eternal honor to their
name! The motto of the first page of
Charleston News and Courier, which
does SO much credit to the public spirit,
enterprise and patriotism Of that able
southern newspaper, precisely ex-
presses a great and most memorable
truth in connection with the great wal
between the invading north and the
south that fought for liberty and second
independence-"No nation rose so
white and fair, or fell so pure of
crimes" That is a plain truth that
deserves to be held in remembrance
and to be emphasized always and every
where. 1t is the truth, the whole truth
n nothing but the truth.
Among the distinguished soldiers of
the c%onfederacy were at least two
names that deserved a place surely
among the portraits printed in the
News and Courier. We mean Lieuten-
amt General Bedford Forrest, of Ten
nessee, and General Daniel B. Hill, of
South Carolina. General B.. T. John
son says in his spirited and interesting
work of General Joseph E. Johnston.
one of three or four greatest comman-
ders in the war on either side, that the
great soldier said to him that he re-
garded General Forrest as the greatest
military genius of the war, north or
south. General D. H. Hill had no SUI
perior for personal GOODNESS and dead
game" He was indeed a most fearless,
pertinacious fighter. Lately a disting-
uished Virginian who was of General
Jackson's staff, said to us-"General D.
H. Hill was a hard fighter" So he
was, and if he had been in command OF
Wilmington instead of Bragg Ca North
C%arolinian mind you) Fort Fisher
would not have fallen. General Hill
commanded North Carolinians from
Bethel to the close, and he had a high
opinion of his brave boys" General
Fender, a native North Carolinian
surely deserves a high place in the af-
fections of our people. We know from
excellent authority-an educated Chris
tan major of this state who still lives
We are glad to think-that in talking
with General Lee about the death of
General Fender, but then announced,
that the great soldier in evident dis
tress said: There is a soldier who
did not have his proper rank. He
should have been n Of my corps COM
manders." Read General Lees tribute
to the fallen North Carolinian and you
will readily credit this reported saying.
He paid Fender higher tribute than he
yer paid any other of his officers who
were killed with the one exception of
Stonewall Jackson.
AS North Carolinians we are glad
that so many of our own people were
at Charleston, and that so many of the
gray headed veterans survive to meet
and greet their comrades in arms.
May it be many years before those gray
haired men sleep with their fathers.
They we'll represent the 126, 900 patriots
who served in the war as the call of
their state and in behalf of the new