The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-06-04
MODERN INCIDENT
At CAMP MEADE
How to Bring About FraternaI
Relations Between The North
and the South.

SlQeS.
The convention of the American Water
Works association last week in Columbus.
| o., was an occasion where the opportunity
was offered the southern men to learn of
most generous and beautiful thing in con-
nccton with our southern dead, buried at
Camp Chase: as well as to lead to the or
ganization of a national association of men
| who fought on both sides, to care for the
graves of all confederates buried on north
| ern soil.
Colonel Knauss, veteran In the union
army, seeing the sadly neglected graves of
| the prisoners from Camp Chase, 1890 in
number, made the request of Governor
Hays to do something toward keeping the
| place in order. The governor paid a man
$50 to keep the grass cut during his term
| of Office His successors, Governors Bishop
| and Young, failed to continue their prede-
! cessor's good work, and once more Colonel
Knauss interested himself, and through
mis- influence Governor Foraker resumed
| the work and had the grounds again made
| presentable. Through the influence OF
friends in congress Colonel Knauss and
| Governor Foraker secured an appropriation
| from the government OF $4,000 A stone wall
| WIS DuliI the WiOIe SilClOSulS doOut
| four feet high, the grass was kept cut
| down, the ground planted in trees and me-
| mortal services held annually under the au-
! spices Of the kind-hearted colonel A large
| boulder lying a little distance inside the
| gateway has chiseled upon il: Here lie
| 2,260 confederate soldiers, who died at Camp
| Chase during the war" On each side of
| the gate is stone pillar surmounted by an
| arching of wood and on this the single
| word. - This Touched the SOtUl-
| ern men who were present, and they felt
that every man and woman in the south
| should know how generously union men
| had dealt by our fallen sons, who died so
| far away and so sadly bereft OF friends. .
| Colonel knauss says he has been amply
repaid for all care and trouble by the let
| tiers he has received from southern people,
| whose friends graves he has been able TO
| find and mark for them.
In several Instances marked slabs have
been erected.
Let me hope this little sketch OF the good
| work of Colonel Knauss may be the means
| of others in the south being able to learn
of their dead friends, as a complete list
| of names of prisoners who died there has
| been kept, with the names of companies in
which they served.
Mrs. Knauss and several ladies from the
south, accompanied by the mayor (who"had
furnished Colonel Knauss carriages for the
visitors to ride in), were awaiting them at
| the burial ground. One who present
| said: Few eyes were dry while their host
| told Of how the different governors had
| helped to keep the cemetery in order, and
| when told of Governor Foraker's action, in
| the matter, voiced the sentiment of one
| who cried out: Was that the same Fora
| ker who declared: mo rebel flag should
| be returned while he was governor"
90 The very identical Foraker replied
| Colonel Knauss. Then forgive him. said
the inOuirar and all cried we f0rp-Va him
we forgive him. "
Colonel knauss was too modest to tell
| of his own long continued and unrelaxing
| efforts in behalf of dead, and when
the Memorial association is formed perma-
nently that was then organized his name
will be linked with it.
Rev. John Hewitt, of st. Paul's Episcopal
| church, was a southerner had been a con-
| federate soldier, was elected president.
| General Walter 8. Payne of Fosteria, vice
| president; Mayor Samuel l.. Schwartz of
| Columbus, secretary, and Colonel Knauss,
| treasurer.
Mrs. Thompson, of Mississippi had sent
| some money, "the widows mite to Col
| onel K, and he had purchased flowers with
| it, which she had asked him to use in
| decorating the graves.
From this generous friend Colonel K.
had also flowers for planting. and a mound
| had been arranged wherein the southern
| ers present planted them, Miss Knauss,
| aided by the ladies, assisting in this labor
| of love.
Mrs. Thompson had lost son, he was
| numbered among the missing, and when
she sends money for flowers, the hope is
ever in her heart that some may rest on
his unknown grave.
| Will not our women on another Memorial
| Day in the north, when confederate graves
| are decorated in June send cape jassaines
and magnolias to our northern friends, and
| EWoeninP aside all in vii n
| what is here related, bury the past as far
as 1t is possible, and look only to the great
| future before the American people, united
| in heart as well as name.
A committee of which Mr.. Hewitt was
| appointed chairman will draft consttu-
ton and set of bylaws to be adopted at
| the confederate decoration day next month
| in Columbus.
| A history is to be compiled, cuts made
and all printed in some southern periodi-
| cal.
| So out of this beautiful conduct on the
| part of Colonel Knauss will grow "a
| tional Memorial association composed of
| northern and southern men, who will carry
| out the proposal made by Mr.. Mckinley,
| that the nation should care for the south
| ern soldiers neglected graves, and in this
| association only the sweet, the noble and
the generous deeds of both sides be re-
| counted.
| Below is a list of names of those who are
| chartered members of the Memorial asso-
citation, including the officers already
! named:
| III. c. Irwin, attorney, Atlanta, GA; r.
M. Clayton, city engineer, Atlanta, Ga.
| Willis ]. Miner, Birmingham, Ala; Charles
| e. Boiling, Richmond, Va; Judge j. A
| Anderson, Atlanta, Ga; Colonel L. H
| Gardner New Orleans; General Walter S.
| Payne, Fostoria, o.; Rev. Mr.. John Hewitt.
| Columbus, o.; Colonel C. III. Campbell,
| Charlotte N C.. Hon SamlIel Sxyarf
| Columbus, o.; w. H. Rapp, Georgia. Col
| onel D. B. Travis, Atlanta; Fl. N. P. Dole,
| Columbus Miss Devoe, Columbus Mrs
| Mcneil, Rich street. Columbus; Miss May
| Davis, Lexington, KY; Miss Stella Devoe.
| Harrisburg; Colonel and Mrs. W. ii.
| Knauss, Columbus.
| The writer, who lost father and brother
| under saddest of circumstances during the
| war, recalls the kindness of northern
| friends during the terrible epidemic Of 1873,
| while she lived in New Orleans, and coupled
| with this, desires to see such good and
| c-anProus things told in o1r paucnonarS