The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-11-30
THE SOLDIERS, HOME
An Appeal TO the Women OF North
Carolina, aud TO the Chapters OF the
". &. Division, u ID. C..

OoA44 az COOl 49, vi NA| Ao
convention of the North Carolina Di-
vision u. D. c., 2 request was brought
20 them from the chairman of the TX
ecutive committee of the soldiers home
that they would try 10 supply that in
stitution with bed linen which It great
Iy needed.
This request created much discussion,
and brought forth some very positive
assertions III all 5ucn needs were al
ready supplied by Individual liberality.
The manifest a~bsurGity of such an
appeal being mad if the needs did not
exist 50 impressed some OF those pres
ent that a committee was appointed
state of the csc
The committee reported hat no pro-
vision had been made or promised for
be clothes of any sort; and that while
all such articles were needed for all the
rooms in the hospital, there was imme-
date need for ten beds. The
ton voted for this $50 out of
h S63 p thai was in its treasury.
After the adjournment Of the con-
vention, the delegates were given a re-
ception at the soldiers home by LOB
Branch camp of Confederate veterans.
1t was my first visit to the home and
/ will never forget IL, for | am a SOL
dier's daughter and a soldiers sister.
Everything was in exquisite order, ard
gave evidence of close care and atten-
ton. We were CARED int the new
hospital. a very nice and commodious
building. Bright wood fires sparkled IN
the open hearthS, and made the rooms
look so pleasant and cheerful that we
fairly lonsed for them to be furnished
and occupied.
Mindful of what l had heard assert
ed in the convention in regard to the
support of h home by private gener-
oSity, l asked Mr.. w. G.. Stromach sew
eral direct questions; and was assured
by him that all such tatemen were
altogether erroneous; hat the legisla-
tiv appropriations were wholly made
quate for the necessity of the home,
and at present it a no source of in
come and no liberal donations"
1 asked: What do you need most?'
Quick came the concise and emphatic
reply: w need everything and we
need it right away"
Just at that m some OF the
ladies began singing The Bonny Blue
Flag" One after another of the vet
Grams joining in the chorus.
Then followed Dixie" and a Rebel
Yea was given in our honor. Al the
sound of those broken, quavering
voices the mists of thirty-five years
rolled back, and l saw those feeble old
men once more i'll the pride and vigor
of manhood. the flower and strength
of youth, and remembered tina they
were some of the men who had made
possible our boast:
First at Bethel; farthest at Getty<-
burg; last at AppomattoX."
They were the men who went-1O.O 900
more than the state had voters-to the
front; they were the men in whose
hands were held half of the muskets
that Lee surrendered at Appomattox.
And how dOeS the state reward
them? With scant thanks. and scant-
er ratiOnS. There is a mean. narrow.
gruding spirit shown in what little is
done for them as if the effort was to
do the least possible. Yet, these men,
at the call of the state sprung to arms
without hesitation, and stood, a wall
of steel, w us and the foe for
four long years. 1t is a shame, a warn
mig, crying shame to treat them SOL
Ihere was not a woman in that gath
ering whose face did not look with
shame, whose heart did not swell with
Indignation and horror that such valor,
such patriotic devotion should be so
lli-requited. SO little priced.
If we could control legislation. if we
could make appropriations, the old SOL
dlerS-God bless them-Should never
know another want
AS a rule women have the control OF
very little money, but the object lesson
at the HON has not been lost upon us.
Love will find out a way. On my re-
turn home I had occasion to write to a
very prominent business man in one
OF our eastern cities and being full of
the thought of the home and its needs.
l spoke of them. In his reply, he said:
Il am panied and surprised by what
L Won III M IF Tho &c - -~1
diers' home.
The impression is very wide spread
that the home was not only established,
u supported in the most liberal man.
ner by the state n people have re-
Trained from giving as they otherwise
would have done on this account.
Can you not prepare a statement for
the press setting forth the actual con-
dition of affairs? 1 am sure it Will call
forth a liberal response"
at once, wrote to M. Stronach
enclosing this letter. and asking for an
official statement of the personal con-
dition of the home, the sources of In
come, average of monthly expenses,
number of inmates. ETC.; also asking
him to suggest in what way the Daugh-
ter sof the Confederacy could render
the most efficient aid.
Here is his rely to my letter:
Raleigh, N. c., October %, 1900.
MY Dear Miss Cameron:
You put it very clearly when you
say that h soldiers home has suffered
from mis-Statements.'
Il answer you inquiries as to number
of inmates, sources of income, officials
etc, and a few other matters, as I know
you are deeply interested in all
I'VE hav on our rolls between eighty
and ninety old soldiers, who have the
right to consider themselves inmates
of the home.
w have an arrangement with the
various railroads in the state whereby
we a get passes to any part of the
state for inmates of the home, enabling
them to visit their friends and relatives
and thereby relieving the home Of the
expense of feeding them.
Until the hospital was built we bad
only accommodation for about seventy
Now we could care for. say 40, if we
had the means to do so.
1.-The last legislature appropriated
for h maintenance of this home $40.
600 per annum, and $1,000 to build a
hospital and repair the old buildings.