The National tribune., 1902-09-04
HELPING TIE cosrEpERArEs.

Commander-in-C Chief Torrance has is
sued the following circular:
Headquarters Grand Army of the Repub-
lie, Minneapolis, Minn., Sept. i, 1902.
To the Members of the Grand Army Of
the Republic:
In April last visited the Departments
of Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana and Mis-
sissippi, and Texas.
My visit was in every respect delight
full ore, but most gratifying of all was the
cordial good feeling l found existing be-
tween the Union and Confederate sol
diers. l affirm without hesitation that
among the best friends Of our comrades in
the SOuth are the surviving exCOnfed-
crates. This friendship is based upon the
mutual respect which one good soldier has
for another, and had it not been for the
bronze button / would often have been
unable to distinguish between the blue and
the gray, for the cordial welcome extend
ed by the one was equaled by the generous
hospitality proffered by the other. In all
my journey found no sectional lines sui
len faces or closed doors. One marked
contrast, however, distinguishes the sur
VIKING 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 COM
rades, or from the municipalities in which
they reside; and while the people of the
South have in a spirit worthy of the high
est praise done much to relieve their neces-
sites, the Nations wounds" have not yet
been fully bound.
people were too impoverished to make
adequate provision for those who suffer-
ed from disease and wounds, and the re-
suit was that many a Confederate soldier
ended his days in the almshouse and was
buried in a pauper's grave.
When at Montgomery it was my pleas
ure to meet Col. ]. NJ. Falkner, District
Attorney for Alabama, formerly an officer
in the Sth Confederate Cavalry, who for
some time past has been earnestly direct
ing his efforts toward the erection of q
Confederate Home at Mountain Greek,
Chiffon County, Alabama. The erection
Of the first cottage was commenced April
last on 40 acres of land donated by Col.
Falkner, and today two comfortable cot
tages have been completed, which shelter
II old Confederate soldiers, not one Of
whom could earn a living in land of
plenty against the competition of a child.
The plan is to build 40 of these cottages,
that many or more being required to ac-
commodate those whose disabilities are
total. My purpose in writing this letter,
and it is the last one l shall address to
you as Commander-in-Ch Chief, is to afford
the members of the Grand Army of the
Republic, individually or as Posts, an
opportunity to contribute to the shelter Of
these needy veterans. The dignity of their
demeanor and the uncOmplaining, sOldierly
way in which they bear suffering and pri-
vation, render them worthy of our respect
and sympathy, and it becomes q privilege
to assist in making their last days COM
Portable.
/ know of no surer or shorter way to n
complete unificatiOn of this country in pur-
pose and feeling than the highway of kind
| ness, and l believe its extreme outposts
should be jointly held by the surviving SOL
| diers of the armies of Grant and Lee.
There was time when the nearer we
came together the worse it was for all, but
now the closer we come together the bet
ter for all.
The old order "to kill" has given place
to the gentler command ito make alive"
and for the bitter contest forever
| ended at Appomattox has been substituted
a perpetual contest OF goodwill and pa
triotic devotion to q common country.
believe it is within the power Of the sur
viving soldiers of the great war to make
fraternity a National anthem, loyalty a
National creed and charity a National vir-
tue.
My comrades, as we grow older our
hearts become more gentle and tender, and
next to the comrade who stood by our side
is the brave soldier who faced us.
Contributions should be forwarded 70
Col. ]. N. Falkner, Montgomery, Ala,