Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1902-10-25
An Appeal for "confeds."

Gen. Torrance, commander-in-chief
writes this interesting letter to his
comrades of the G. A. r.:
In April last 1 visited the Depart
ment OF Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana
and Mississippi and Texas.
My visit was in every respect a de-
Hghtful one, but most gratifying of
all was the cordial good feeling 1
found existing between the Union and
Confederate soldoicrs. 1 affirm without
hesitation that among the best friends
of our comrades in the south are the
surviving ex-Confederates. This
friendship is based upon the mutual
respect which one good soldier has
for another, and had it not been for
the bronze button 1 would often have
been unable to distinguish between
the blue and the gray, for the cordial
welcome extended by the one was
equaled by the generous hospitality
proffered by the other. In all my
journey l found no sectional lines, sui
len faces or closed doors. One mark
ed contrast, however, distinguishes
the surviving soldiers of the two
armies. The national government has
properly made generous provision for
her defenders, but whatever aid the
ex-Confederates receive must come
from their more fortunate comrades,
or from the municipalities in which
they reside, and while the people of
the south have in a spirit worthy of
the high praise done much to re-
lieve their necessities, the nation
wounds" have no. yet been fully
bound.
At the close of the war the southern
adequate provision for those who suf-
fered from disease anu wounds, and
the result was that many a Confeder-
ate soldier ended his days in the aims
house and was buried in a pauper's
grave.
When at Montgomery it was my
pleasure to meet Col. J. NJ Falkner.
district attorney for Alabama, form
erly an officer in the Eighth Confed-
crate cavalry, who, for some time
past, has been earnestly directing his
efforts toward the erection of a Con-
federate Home at Mountain Creek,
Chiffon county, Alabama The cree
ton of the first cottage was COM
menced April last on forty acres of
land donated by Colonel Falkner, and
to-day two comfortable cottages have
been completed, which shelter seven
teen old Confederate soldiers, not one
of whom could earn living in a land
OF plenty against the competition of
q child.
The plan is to build forty of these
cottages that many or more being re-
quired to accommodate those whose
disabilities are total. My purpose in
writing this letter, and it is the last
one 1 shall address to you as COM
mander-in-chief. is to afford the mem
bers of the Grand Army of the Repub-
lie, individually or as posts, an op-
portunity to contribute to the shelter
of these needy veterans The dignity
of their demeanor and the uncom-
planning soldierly way in which they
bear suffering and privation, render
them worthy of our respect and SYM
pathy, and it becomes privilege to
assist in making their last days COM
Portable.
know of no surer or shorter way
to complete unification of this coun-
try in purpose and feeling than the
highway of kindness. and l believe its
extreme cutposts should be Jointly
held by the surviving soldiers of the
armies OF Grant ard Lee.
There was a time when the nearer
we came together the worse it was
for all, but now the closer we come
tOrefner the beftpr for all