Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1902-06-21
Confederate Veterans Presented
With Crosses of Fionors.
CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL DAY
Graves Of the Departed Soldiers Of the South
Decorated Impressive Services in Opera
House Follow the Flower Sifewing.

the city were decorated Tuesday af-
ternoon and the crosses of honor were
bestowed upon the surviving veterans
or the near relatives o. those who
have passed away.
The Dahghters of the Contederaev
the Confederate Veterans. the Sons of
Confederate Veterans and their
friends met at the Court House at ?
O'Clock in the Afternoon and proceeded
to Norbou n. st. Joseph's and Green
Hill cemeteries. where the graves Of
the deceased Confederate veter aus
were profuselv decorated with flowers.
After the decoration of the graves
they assembled in the Central Opera
House, where the bestowal of the
crosses of honor took place.
The meeting onened with brave by
Rev. L. S. Dnnawav, He was follow
ed by Mrs. Virginia +. McSherrv.
the president of the Berkeley county
chapter and of he West Virginia di-
vision of the United Daughters of the
Oonfederacv, who made an address ex-
planning the object of the bestowal OF
the cross. She said
1.-THE idea of the cross was conceived
by Mrs. Alexander s. Irwin daughter
of Gen. Howell Cobb. of Georgia who
presided wei the l Confederate Con-
gress at Montgomery. Ala, "a niece
of the Trainer of the constitution of
Thomas r.. r. Cobb said That the
Daughters of a sacred cause should
! testify their love and reverence and
eternal LOYALTY to the principles OF
that cause and the brave men who
faithfully defended 1t unto the end.
by presenting to each the Southern
Gross of Honor, an insignia which
with our monuments shall remain the
testimony of the present to the fu-
ture. that these were they, who kept
the faith as it was given them by the
fathers"
The designs used were adopted at
Richmond convention in November
1899. They are OF bronze made from
captured confederate cannon gener-
ouslv donated TO our organization by
the U. 5 government for this Dur
pose. Thew are maltese in design,
suspended rrom a bar by chain. The
front presents In the center. the bat
tie flag. surrounded by a wreath of
la urel, and on the ends of the cross
~. ID. @. In the N. G. "" The
reverse side bears the words, South
ern Cro.s of Honor" with the IN
s~crlDtion, "Des Vendice. God our
Observation-Disclosures, in the CEN
ter
The objects of the U. d. G. as de-
fined in the constitution are social,
literary. historical, monumental. be-
nevolent and honorable in any degree.
without any political significance. Its
endeavors are, LIST. To unite in the
federation all bodies of Southern Wo-
men now organized. or that may be
hereafter formed End, in cultiva-
tlon of friendship among the women
whose fathers. brothers, sons and In
numberless cases, whose mothers shar-
ed common dangers and vibrations.
3rd. Instruct and and instill into the
descendants of the people CT the South
a pride IN the wars history and ven
GRAFTON and love for the deeds of their
~forefathers. 4th. TO perDetuate a COR
rect and truthful record OF the
ACHIEVEMENTS of the confederate SOL
diers and to promote an impartial
history of the Confederate side OF the
i war between the states. We have in
the Cross of Honor a powerful lever in
our work, for heir records must be
good. To obtain a cross. an offer of
which has been extended TO every
Confederate Veteran in good stand
ing by our organization of 10000 wo-
men ranging in location from Canada
to Mexico. from the shores of the At
lantic. to the Sands of the Pacific.
The cross is the universal symbol of
the highest dignity honor and self
sacrifice when all Of these are com-
bined, have We not q token worthy OF
being received by our brave soldiers
from the hands of the u. D. Q. In
deed in our veneration for the rem
nant which is left us of our Grand
Armv. do we not feel them ia he
the very center of our being? TEey
share to defend their country n the
States right. They gave up their
homes. offered their lives most faith
FULLY they carried out their vows.
Do thew not merit the badge of hon.
or? They boro themselves with the
greatest dignity, the greatest s~elf-con-
troll when all was lost but honor.
They were compelled to surrender in
overwhelming numbers. Do they not
deserve the cross. the symbol of the