The weekly intelligencer., 1900-03-10
Our Confederate Dead.

NllT ANllANANAatN A'NNs
st. Louis Posi-0epaich, sunday, March T.
The following answer from Mrs.
Robert to the published statement OF
Mrs. Edwards concerning the cemetery
at the Confederate Home was made on
last Tuesday, but delayed in trans
mission. On reading Mrs. Edwards
presentation Of the matter Mrs. Robert
said:
Mrs. Edwards not being a member
of the st. Louis Chapter at that time is
not fully informed as to all the prellml-
naries of the Confederate Home Gene
terry muddle. When, in the spring of
1897, the home was to be turned over to
the State, | conceived the idea of trying
to save the cemetery, aud called at MIR.
Bannermans S Office to ask for it, not by
the authority, but in the name OF the st.
Louis d. o. c., of which | had been a
member from the beginning. lie was
out. | then went to Mir Kennard'S, and
while talking with him, Mr.. Banner
man, Capt. GuibOr, and one other
member of the board whose name | do
not recall, came in. We discussed the
matter, and the gentlemen seemed TO
think it the best possible disposition to
make of the cemetery, and all pledged
me their support. Mr.. Newman recent
ly sent copy Of the resolution passed
by the board. to a member of the board,
which states that at the request of Mrs.
z. G. Robert to give the cemetery to
the d. o. c., it would be done as soon
as such steps could be taken to enable
them to hold 1t. This will explain to
Mrs Edwards the reason Of the action
Of the board, of which she declares her
ignorance
II went TO the next meeting of the
chapter delighted to report, the, to me,
precious gift. was chilled beyond ex-
preston at the indifference with which
it was received; indeed, shocked, as a
Vice-President of the Chapter said,
after the meeting, "they had no more
use for it than an old chicken COOP
Her very words.
Mrs. Valiant. another Vice-Presi-
dent, stated as far back as then, that
there was plan to move all the dead to
Springfield and make that the State
cemetery.
Mrs. Edwards is entirely correct in
her statement that at that time there
was no such organization in the State as
the United Daughters of the Confed-
eracy, but,she does not know that the
meeting was the birthplace of the first
U. ID. c. Chapter, which now forms a
very small part of that noble host of
5000 women who proudly bear its
honOred name.
Before left that meeting several
ladies asked me to form chapter Of the
U. ID. G. to take charge of the COnfed-
Oiatc liouht oFihtNtiN. NllllI Nlu WIFI
in 30 days, though | did not get our
charter until July. As soon as we were
organized, we asked for the graveyard,
and Immediately the d. o. c. became
greatly interested, secured a charter and
applied for the hitherto undesired GENE.
terry.
Mrs. Edwards is correct again in her
quotation from the constitution of the
st. Louis d, o. C., but again is in
Ignorance of the fact, from not being
member of the st. Louis ID. o. c. at
that time, that the clause she quotes is
an amendment TO the constitution, made
30 days after that new constitution had
been furnished to the d. o. G. when the
Home was turned over to the State, and
the old constitution had become useless
and we had organized and asked for the
cemetery.
The U. D. C. is not lighting. We
have asked the privilege of caring for
the cemetery, and we are told it is to be
abandoned--the dead to be moved to
Springfield II the board can stand that
I we can; especially as we have Just re-
ceived generous offer from one true
friend of the Confederate Home. of a
piece of land adjoining the Home tract,
on which we can erect monument to
the memory of the old soldiers we have
housed, and Of the work of the Confed.
e crate women Of Missouri.
9 IAN things come to them that wait.
.
I DEATH or MRS n W RRTANT