Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1901-07-20
ADDRESS OF COL. ]. l. POWER
At the Annual Reunion of Stockdale Camp
U. G. u, McComb City, juno
2S, 1901.
Ny Comrades dnd FTiends:

what busy life, there is no experience that
gives me more satisfaction than the years
charged the duties Of a Confederate sol
dier. There is no legacy ! may leave my
children that | wish them to prize more
highly than the fact that their father
esp0used the cause and followed the nag
of the, Southern Confederacy There are
genial to me than those composed of the
men who fought under Lee, Jackson, Joseph
y. and Albert Sidney Johnstoni Beauregard,
A. Z. and d. II. Hill, Price. Forest. Gle
burn, Fitzhugh and stephen .. Lee, Wheel
federacy WaIthaii, Martin, Humphries,
Barksdale, Davis, Harris, Posey, Benton,
Featherstone, Chalmers, smith, stone NJ.
Adams, Burt, Holder, Reynolds, Brandon
Clark, Withers, Gholson, Sharpe stock1 Sll
Missssippians ON nearly every battleheld
during the four years struggle. There are
no women now living none me. thqt ever a,,ars naye
ate and admire as i do the mothers and and
9sughters q the yro SgS se Piess ~
1865, many of them are with us still, and
they will be with us when we cross over
bivouac Of life eternal. Ihey were Mitn US Ts
when we donned the jacket oil gray ~, II
their prayers they Mere Wfh tbsy Us n were ere
with us in the hospitals ana recelveu from ON
the lips of our dying comrades tne ,. iast
and thousands OF them who never saw their
loved ones after the heart breaking good
bye on earth, have since been singing wlth
them the "Sweet Bye and Bye IN
fairer and a brighter land ,A,,
Yes, my comrades, l am glad to be with
you today. | feel that It = g2od 70 r,tS pS
here No man can meet and mlngle Win
more congenial associates and trlenus thah
those who espoused the same lost cause,
and who stood shoulder to shoulder n ~
one Of the greatest wars since the world
began. 1t is a real satisfaction TO know
that the survivors on both sides inc plooay
,l,o ,,1,n oh itE
willing and anxious to meet ana talk over
those times that tried mems souls. Inc
prestige Of victory does sh not ed rs Of
duty faithfully done is our ample reward.
The highest and best compliment paid TO
| federate soldier was by one who knew
him best; When the peerles5ss' e5 lhe az mn nf
| successful and magnaninous leader Oh the
Union Armies, he spoke these fareWeli
W9Eaf aftep ep S four ipi0y Years arduous service
marked by unsurpassed courage and fortl-
tude, the Army of Northern Virginia mas
| numbers and resources. l need not tell
| the survivors of so many hard fought pat
ties, who have remained steadfast 70 the
| last. that / have consented to this result
| from no distrust of them, but, feellng that
yalor and devotion could accomplish h9th.
| ing that could compensate for the loss lhag
| would have attended the elimination OF
| the contest, | have determined to avoid
the useless sacrifice OF those whose past past
aBy the terms Of the agreement officers
/ and men can return to their homes ana
| remain there until exchanged You Will
4 take with you the satisfaction that pro,
ceeds from duty faithfully peIformedi ana ana
/ ] earnestly pray that a mereiIul GOD VIII
| extend to you His blessing and protection.
''With an increasing admiration OF your
| constancy and devotion, and grateful
remembrance Of your kind and generous
consideration of myself, | bid you an ar
fectionate farewell, c,,a.o,,,
| Followers of Lee at Gettysburg, of Jack
son in the Valley, and other dashing lead
ers at Manassas, Savage station Malvern
| Hill, Sharpsburg. Fredericksburg Chicka,
mauga, Spottsylvania Court House, 6oid 6d
Harbor, Petersburg the Widgrness shidqn' sap}n
| AppomatoX, and the scores Of other battle
fields Of the Old Dominion and al over
| Southland read above your honorable DIS
charge-as rich a legacy as you can ,5, leave
your children and your children's children,
Let it be engraved upon their hearts. Le5
let it be memorized and spoken by. the
descendants of those VINO not only pelleNeu
they were right, but, who knew they were were
they did not succeed. For myself, | claim
to be thoroughly reconstructed and | fe,
a reunited people, but | have no patience
with that excessive loyalty, or conservatism
or penitenceGTt p Whatenrp ya nraTnts T3s orators on
some reunion and memorial occasions. %
suy "I am glad we We're whipped am re-
toiced that the Confederacy did NOT sue
Sceed If is ali for lie best''-and such like
gush. 1t may be all for the best pq'
the wise and patriotic leaders o. the s2HIh i
who stepped to the 'front.' did not thlnk s.
then, and u very large majority OF tnt
Is certain: the women Of the South didnt
think so in 1861, and it Is reared that
good many Of them never Will get recon
structed. And this reminds me Of wha
Corporal Tanner of the Union Army, sale
when he hobbled to the platform ON pain
q artificial stumps at The 4 famond ad n6t re%n ssaI
for your women, we would nave whlpnet
you, Johnny Rebs,. in six mouths IN
Southern women always were, are now, ant
ever will be, on the side of right ana trutl
and duty.
reason to know and appreciate the vaior o
the Confederate soldicr--General Grant
when his staff officers had started salut
in honor of tie surrender at AppomatoN
he exclaimed Stop that firing We hay
no great victory 10 be proud Of, for W
have been four years capturing these egg
, arms" And General Gordon relates, how
when his battalions marched in front 0
the Federal lines to stack arms, the Unlol
: General in command gave the order sPre
: it is only American soldiers that coul
! deserve such generous recognition, , o
that could be magnanlmous and gallan
enough to accord it.
your patience, and upon the proprieties 0
this OCCASION for me to enter upon
lengthy dscpssi99n Of the causes Or Of tn
have been written to show both sides o
=. the question. In. the splendid report OF "a
| Historical Committee U. e. ", at memphis
Of which Gen. S. d. Lee was chairman
: occurs this paragraph ~
1.-THE objects of the. Union were TO q
, tablish Justice, and insure domestic traI
. guilty" Evidently these blessings coul
1 not be realized as long as one section Pc
sistenty and prejudicially lntsrmeddie {Ytife ii
j South made no encroachments upon q
rights or the property Of the North, On
latter, on the assumption ro OF a ndrn mgaef IA IA
more aggressive in intrenehing upon q
rights of the former. For instance, q
I South made no attempt to prevent Ne
territories which had been obtained by II
V common blood or treasury ot both section
e right to carry her slaves into that terr
!, tory and yet slavery and mills were ALL
constitutional institutions. Again q q
g South made no attempt: as the North dl
a to enhance her own interests at the e.
. pense of the other section by means of
k protective tariff on her products"
: In his splendid address at the Atlant
. reunion two years ago. Mlssissippis silve
q tongued orator, Chas. p. Hooker stasad Il
of the South the war was not fought f
the maintenance of slavery, but for the pc
!. petulty of the Union and the sovereignty
a Slaves were property. recognized and pr
= tected by the Constitution, and the Supren
might might Be sf taken Remand and should be protected
= The common territories; but Mr.. Sewal
) declared an 'irrepressible confict" and
n found that the compact of federation al
union had been nullified. by vehement d
llyerances in nearly az 1t the Northel Il
+ Mr.. Lincoln was nominated to the pre'
IA dency. ,.-.
ID n ha 1aUielafIIrh In 126H declared tn