The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-03-30

MIN wrote Governor Clark that il was
not necessary to make large contracts
LOT military supplies for any long time,
as the war would not last long. but the
Governor soon afterwards sent an agent
10 England to buy arms"
over 700 engravings of officers and men,
representing them, as they looked in those
uays, give added interest to these vol
lihes. Nearly one hundred of these
mostly privates (for no line has been
ofaWn at rank have been sent in by
Judge A. w. Graham. He was too young
TO be in service himself, but he had five
pfotnerS in the service, each of whom
was wounded and four of whom have con-
trlputed articles to this work. A very
| large part of the other photographs have
Deen sent in by the mothers wives and
daughters Of soldiers who with a devo-
ton known only to a woman's heart have
| preserved these mementoes of long
buried past, oftimes the only relic of their
dead, and taking them from their sacred
repositories have had them engraved a
| cost they could oft not afford. that nos
terity might look upon the lineaments OF
the brave who could merit such fidelity.
| The engraving of the photographs could
: not have been procured but for the as
slstance of that patriotic Southerner. Ma
Jor e. l.. Patton of New York city. Presi
/ dent of the University Publishing Com
pany, who without reward or the hone
! OF reward, undertook the supervision of
the work of engraving securing the low
! est possible cost for the veterans and
providing, at his own expense the cleri-
cal force to conduct the correspondence.
receiving the photographs and returning
! them to their respective owners. grouping
the engravings and attending to every de-
| tail till the last sheet was printed off
and shipped us. Had he been a native
North CarOlinian he could not have done
more. Our thanks are also due to his
accomplished clerk who chiefly conducted
this matter, Miss r. s. Adams. To rare
| business accuracy she has added a wo-
mans sympathetic assistance in this work
The engravings of all the thirty-fye
North Carolina Generals have been made
at Major Patton's own expense for these
volumes.
| To Colonel William Lamb, the gallant
defender of Fort Fisher, we are indebted
for the full page engraving of the BON
bardment of Fort Fisher" (the frontispiece
to Vol 81, the full page engraving of the
Mound Battery" and other engravings.
To Mr.. James Sprunt the writer of the
valuable article on Blockade Running"
we are indebted for the full page en-
cravings of the Steamer Advance" the
Shenandoah and other engravings, and
we owe to Colonel Thos. S. keenan,. of the
Fortythird regiment, the frontispiece to
Vol. 4 "Johnson's Island" Ga description
| of which may be found in his personal
"reminiscences of prison life on page $50
of that volume) and also for full page
engraving of Company A of his regiment
The only other engraving of a full COM
pany is that furnished by Captain c. b.
benson in the Twentieth regiment
| This work undertaken more than seven
years ago has been prosecuted with many
hindrances. 1t would be bootless to re-
late the tribulations attending such an
Undertaking. It's merits are due to the
efforts of the self-sacrifcng patriotic
mem who have written the several his
tories composing it. It's shortcomings are
due to the editor and the limitations
which the lapse of time and untoward
circumstances have imposed.
For better, for worse the record is
now made up. The last word to the pres
ent age or posterity has been said and
already the voices of many who have
spoken are stilled in DEATH
| On several occasions, the Confederacy
was ON the very eve of success, but
some unexpected fatality interviewed. At
Shiloh within a half hour of the capture
of the Federal Army with Grant and
Sherman at its head a single bullet which
caused the death of Albert Sidney John
ston changed the history of the Continent
At Charlottesville, one scattering volley
! fired by mistake of his own men took the
life of StOnewall Jackson, when but for
that fatality the capture of Hooker and
his whole army was inevitable. The I'M
expected humiliation Of the Federal Gov
eminent in surrendering Mason and
Slldell to British threats avoided war
with that power and with it the indepen-
dence of the South, which would have
come with the command of the seas which
was within the power, at that time, of
Britan's fleet. 1t Stuart's cavalry had
been on hand at Gettysburg, or even a
competent corps commander to have held
our gains of the first two days. in all
human probability the war would have
ended in a great Southern victory at that
spot Had Mr.. Davis, when he sent his
commissioners to England to negotiate a
loan of SIS, 900 000 acceded to the pressure
of foreign capitalists to make it 5000, 000,-
900, not only would the Southern finances
not have broken down (Which was the
real cause of our defeaD and Southern
troops have been amply supplied, but
European governments would have inter-
vened in favor of Southern independence
ere they would have suffered their inf1u-
entail capitalists to lose that sum. They
have always interviewed everywhere for
, such cause
| There were other occasions besides
when a contrary event would have
brought about Independence. No troops in
all history have fought better nor has
any people shown better military quail
| ties. But, as Napier said of Napoleon.
/ Fortune, that name for the unknown
combinations of an infinite power, was
wanting to us and without her aid, the
! designs OF man are as bubbles on a trou-
bled ocean,
| The Youngest who wore the gray have
/ crossed the crest of the narrow ridge
/ that divides two great oceans and al
ready, like Balboa, they have deserted
! from the western slope the wide waste
of waters which reaches beyond the sun
set. Not many years shall pass ere the
IoC oF yIo fO1I ho -