The Washington times., 1901-12-08
CONFEDERATE RELICS
NOW IN NEW ORLEANS
THE SOUTHERN MEMORIAL HALL.
Flags. Cannon Balls. Uniforms, Pic
lures. and Letters Preserved as
Memcntos of the Lost Cause.
A Wonderful Collection.


armed veterans Of the lost cause-relics
Of the better days gone by-are the prin-
cipal visitors TO Memorial Hall. once Ia
while a child, who has heard something
about the flags and cannon balls and tue
pictures. strays in and stares with wide
open eyes at the battered and buliet-tofr
battle flags. the bloody uniforms. the
rusty old mimic balls. the out-of-date
nuskets, the busts. and the pictures. But
those old fellows who marched and fought
and suffered for four weary years. who
followed the battered ensigns TIL the
cause they fought for was eclipsed ana
the Confederate Government went down
in disappointment and despair-to the sol
diers Of the war this place is shrine, the
place for the perpetuation Of the memory
OF all their military saints.
NO" said General Chalaron, we do
not have as many visitors as NC used to.
The ranks of the veterans are thinning
year by year, and to those who did not
fight these things seem 10 be OF little
interest"
Mistaken man, The people do not know
what he has in his keeping. The cata-
iogue says he has so many relics. and then
Classics them like an apOthecary taxing
an inventory of his stock. The people
do not know that here is the flag of Hill
liard's Alabama Legion, which was press
ed eighty-three times in the charge up
Snodgrass Hill at the battle of Chcka-
mauga, which had hundreds of men killed
under it, which had three color bearers
killed while waving it on high. and which
was at last planted where they wanted to
planted il, while the command having lost
half Of its strength, under the orders OF
4 first lieutenant assembled under its bull
let-toTn folds and gave a cheer-weak and
feeble though the men were-of defiance
and resolution.
And here is the tiny rocking chair, up
hoistered in velvet with lilies. worn
mahogany chair, used By Miss Winnie
Davis when she was child. The little
hands which clasped the arms are crossed,
the beautiful eyes which opened on the
great world in the midst OF the great
worlds greatest conflict are closed and
the tired little feet are forever at rest,
but the little chair IL here, and here 1t
will remain.
Mr.. Davis of blessed memory sat in a
wide, high-armed, straight backed. cane
bottomed mahogany. From the porches of
the house at Beauyoir he looked out on
the wide stretches of the gulf, on the
where so many Of his countrymen rest
to this day in unmarked graves. And Mr..
Davis is gone. but the old chair stays.
The RcgimentaI CoIors.
The flag OF the Twenty-hfth Louisiana
Regiment. Army o. Tennessee. faded,
frazzled. worn. dropping from the weight
OF the years-the flag which Lieut.. Estille
wrapped around his body the night before
the surrender in order that it might be
brought safe TO the golden hearts and the
tender hands Of the women OF New Orleans
who made it-tanEs here. II was given
into the keeping CT Capt. J. NJ. Clayton,
Company c. and by him preserved and
presented 10 the hall II bears the motto.
Trust God and Go Forward" and corpses
on every battlefield attest the fealty with
which his was lived up to.
Right al the entrance is the bronze bust
OF Gen. z. E. Lee. To the left OF this is ,
the bust OF Capt. J. II. Slocum. Slocum
is the man who commanded the men be-
hind the Lady Slocum, the great colum-
bad which has found permanent resting
place in the sod outside the building but
which in the days of war Numbered its
message OF hostility.
Forty eight per cent Of the Fourth
Louisiana Regiment was killed at Chicka-
colonel. and came out under command
of second lieutenant This regiment
was transferred afterwErd to the Army
of Northern Virginia, and fought with
distinguished valor at Seressionyille.
Charleston. and elsewhere The flag shows
the terrible destruction worked by the
bullets of the enemy.
Flags Of the Twelfth Louisiana. Dreaux
Battalion from New Orleans. Black Jae
gers of the Twenty-second Louisiana, a
piece OF the Tenth Louisiana standard, |
Eighth Louisiana. Sixth Louisiana, Fiji
teenth Louisiana, Rosalie Guards from
West Feliciana, Cowan's Battery, St.
Mary's Cannoneers, Legardeur's Battery, |
Guiden Guards of New Orleans, lancehead |
and flag OF Second Louisiana Cavalry,
Twentieth Louisiana. Thirtieth Louisiana
captured by the Forty-slXth Ohio and Ie-
stored In September. 1900. flag used by
merchantmen in the Confederate service,
Washington Artillery. Sixteenth Missouri.
all these are draped over their stats in
the main hall.
Bob Wheats blood stains crimson the
battle flag Of Hheat's Tigers Battalion.
When he was wounded at the first battle
of Manassas the men used the flag as a
pillow, and his blood. clotted and cold
which ran so fast and hot in battle, is
on it yet.
Hardee's Corps flag, rare one, with
the names Murfreesboro, Perryville
Pennington. and Shiloh Inscribed around
the name Of the corps in circle. occu-
pies a conspicuous place near the plat
form.
All these tell their story Of courage.
The bullet holes are eloquent Of suffer-
ing, Of priyaticl, OF long, weary marches.
and of supreme patriotism.
There is the saddle Mr. Davis rode at
the reviews and during all Of his resi-
dence in Richmond. plain. unpretentious
affair. with not even a brass tack show
ing on II. There is no horn. and tho
stirrups are boxed. But for this the snd-
die is very like those used by the gentle
men riders Of today.
Gen. Braxton BTagg's saddle is much
more elaborate thing. 1t was made here
in New Orleans. is trimmed with Urass;
the horn is high and so Is the rear. The
whole is trimmed with brass with big
headed brass tacks all over IL.
Flags From Sill. skirts.
The flags of Generals Beauregard and
Johnston, made from the silk skirts of
the Misses Carey. of Richmond, and pre-
scented to the generals after the FIRST bat
tie of Manassas. flies here. General
Beauregard is gone, General Johnston is
gone. the Misses Carey are gone, and this
flag is all that is left to remind future
generations of this one beautiful feature
of patriotism on the part OF the women
of the South.
A small piece Of the flag which hoated
from the dome OF the Confederate Capitol
at Richmond during the Seven Days Bat
tie when Lees little army held the city
safe against overwhelming odds, the flag
which the soldiers fought for at Marye's
Heights. at Cold Harbor at Gaines Mil,
and in the Wilderness IS sacredly kept.