Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1902-10-24
CONFEDERATE VETERANS.

The features of the Grand Camp of
Confederate Veterans at Wytheville
yesterday was the report Of the history
committee, presented through its chair
man, Judge George l.. Christian.
The report states that the State Board
of Education made an unintentional
mistake in allowing the history of Cooper
Estell and Lemon TO he taught in the
hubble schools of this State. The report
SAYS the book should have been excluded,
that il smacks too much of G. A. II.
methods. The work was condemned
more because Ct what it does not say
than of what it does say, and become
the text is as one who says eve
thought we we're right" instead of 1--WE
we knew were right.' This part of the
report received great applause. The
committee says that the people have
heir right to insist that their children
should be taught the truth. After the
conclusion of the reading Superintendent
of Public Instruction J. W. Southall
said that the State Board of Education
put the history referred to on the list be-
cause it thought it was the wish of the
Grand Camp that it should do so; thay
he understood the authors would put
additions in the work, and that if tibet
had not satisfactorily done so he heartily
concurred in the report. This means
that in the future the book will
be Eliminated from the school list.
The report contrasts the treatment of
southern soldiers in northern prisoners
with that of federal soldiers in Confed-
crate prisons, and severely arraigns the
federal government for its failure to re-
spond to the constant advances of the
South to facilitate exchange of prisoners.
1t recites as fact that the Confeder-
ate Congress passed alaw that the feder-
al soldiers in southern prisons should be
treated as were the soldiers in the armies
of the Confederacy, and that the hospi-
tails for northern prisoners should be
conducted as were the hospitals for Con-
federatcs. Continuing, it charges Gen.
Grant with having contended that gen
eral exchange Of prisoners would mean
that the South would fight to extermina-
ton, and that he would rather see north
ern soldiers die in southern prisons
than to release Confederate prisoners,
who would recruit the army of Lee. The
report was unanimously adopted, and
was literally applauded throughout.
Another interesting feature of the
morning was the giving of the "rebel
YELL" led by James McGill, of Pulaski,
first lieutenant commander.
The report of the grand commander,
Col. Thomas w. Smith, was also read.
He made strong plea for the organiza-
ton of camps of Sons of Veterans. The
report earnestly recommended the cele-
bration of Memorial Day, and that it be
not called Decoration Day.
Marshaled by Col. w. 0. Moore, and
headed by the Virginia Polytechnic In
stitute Band, line of gray-clad veterans
mile in length marched through
Wytheville in the afternoon, carrying
banners torn by shot and shell. Jefferson
Shields, Stonewall Jackson's cook, occu-
pied place in the procession.
The Daughters Of the Confcderacy,
sponsors and maids Of honor followed in
carriages, and the schoolchildren Of
Wytheville brought up the rear.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans yes
terday afternoon reelected f. Leslie
Spence, of Richmond, commander. The
division was divided into eastern and west
enbrigades. Col. W. W. Sale, of Norfolk,
was elected commander of the eastern,
and Col. Z. Lee Trinkie, of Wytheyille,
of the western.
There was a reception at night.