The Afro-American advance., 1900-03-03

! pie to such an extent again. Having
! been through one civil war, and having
| known by experience all of it's horrors
| would surrender the presidency even
| II l felt that had been elected. rather
than have a civil War over it. Many peo
! pie blamed Mr.. Nlden at that time foi
not insisting upon his Inauguration
| but he was patriotic and wise in declin
| ing to carry his contest to the arbitra
ment of war.
Speaking of civil war reminds me o
hundreds of scenes and incidents in
that four years of fighting. During the
greater part of the time / was on Vir
ginia soil with Huntons brigade, and
we were kept busy all of the time
With plenty of money and unlimited
resources, during the first two years oil
the war, we had plenty of supplies, food
| and clothing. Even then the hardships
of army life were severe enough. But
when our cause was failing, when we
could get no money from abroad, when
our confederate paper money was de-
preciated and depTeciatinP, when our
ports were blockaded and our supplies
exhausted. our suffcrinRs were us in
tense as those which were suffered by
the continental army under Washing
ton at Valley Forge and elsewhere.
Moreover, our soldiers, believing In
their cause, were as patriotic and noble
as were their ancestors, the heroes who
fought for the liberty OF the ! 3 colonies.
"There are thousands of living con
federate soldiers who will freely admit
that the cause was wrong. and who will
say that IL iH blessing to all of us and
10 our posteri;y that we have a great
united country. but no self-respecting
confederate soldier will say or permit
anyone to say that the confederate sol
diers were not as patriotic, self-sacrfic-
ing heroes as ever carried arms for any
cause in the history Of the world And
on many a battlefield we learned 10 re-
spect the soldiers of the north. No sol
diers on earth but southern men could
have made such a charge as Pickett's
men made at Gettysburg. No soldiers
In the world but northern soldiers could
have witbstood that charge and rolled
our shattered columns back from those
heights.
AT the beginning Of the war with
Spain / received letters from scores of
the old members Of Hunion's brigade.
begging me TO blow my bugls and call
them together. They wanted to fight
for our common country just as freely
and patrioticaIly as they fought for the
eonfederaey. Some OF them were more
than 60 years old, but the fire of youth
was kindied in them, and they were
ready 10 ieave their families and march
under TIE starr and stripes against the
foreign foe. OF course, they did not get
into the army. but their sons enlisted.
and / have been told that upwards Of
thousand Of the sons Of veterans Of Hun
tons brigade offered their services 10
the federal government.
Gen. Hunton's references 20 the vicis-
situdea Of the eonfederateS during the
latter part OF the civil war reminded
friend Of an old scrap hook In the treas
ury Gepa r Faent which mafeIy but sIo-
auentiy tells the story of the failure Of
the cause. It vas shown TO the writer
to-day. il iK Allied from cover 10 eoter
with samples Of confederate money.
The srat bills Issued By the coHfsdsr-
acy bear the inscription: Two yeaFs
After date the confederate states prom
ise 10 pay" but sery soon thereafter,
ghsz "a was sssE that long war In