The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-01-03
Thc Grny shells Trath.

Ing effect the Of the Confed.
eracy. He bases his opinions largely
upon two recently published wcrks-on@
dealing with the financial and indus
trial history OF the south during The
war and the other limited 20 a history
OF the confederate treasury department
Perhaps that is Rhy Mr.. Brown ex.
presses = feeling that IN armies %
the south were finer far ihan anyxhtaE
they det.n4e3-that the wonderful gray
shell was OF greater worth thai all II
held For Mr. Brown has. IN tks
midst Of his dealing with material
things-H!th corn. bacon. cotton and
nnances-pracucaIly disrcEaraed the
inner He has lost sight OF the on
great Of the Coufedcracy-ths
southern woUea- He scantIiv notes 70
u sure, that when the south came to
De- in eKtremis women Offered the ven
hair OF their heads 10 lie sold abroad TO-
arms hat hint OF a story OF ~unparaI-
leled pGthOs. OF uHexanplcd fidelity 10
an ideal. should not have been neglect
ed. Il should have been eagerly
taken. and the thrilling tale should hay.
been un!oldsd In magnificent. noble
sweep. HIS possession OF but the on,
tact ought TO have Induced Mr.. Browr
10 Use mis- fine gift OF ANALYSIS and hls
graceful pen In describing hat was
really the strength and ~Uniiagging SUP
- 80 $3.50 . n@A Q
and In evil report. and in telling fully
h IL was hat the wonderful .rAN
shell held against fearful odds Tor :ous
long years.
When the occasion came tho women
or the south were most potent in bring
ing Its armies promptly into the field
with a smile on their lips. but viii
grief and terror in their hearts. the.
sent husbands, sw~eethearts, brother.
anu sons into the ranks. pledged TO main
ain tho cause. Thrown suddenly Gro.
their own with the grss
Nu-l. Tar s,way, Iu,. turned their E1UTz
or leisure or Of pleasure into hours Of
tol! upon the suits Of homespIn. the
SOCKS and the caps for soldiers. The,
tore up their fine linen or their sheet
Ing OF coarSer stuff 10 make bandagcs
lheE sent, Is lon as IL was possible
~deIlcdci"S 10 their kinsmen in arms. lie
nyinC themselves for that pleasure
Gladly they accepted ~priVations. at frs
TO add TO the comfort OF the boys at the
front. and later because n-cCessaries haG.
become luXuries. They stripped them
selves that their loved ones might bs
'Iad. They starved that the cause
in4Ght nave s~uSJenance. Hands thai
had known no harder work than EN-
bro!dery or fancy sewing were occupied
with the rough goods OF mems attire
Delicate feet We're protected in rough
H'1AA4 vi wiz HlktlOAI covering al al.
Tender bodies were CARRIED in sackclotF
and appetitcs which once were fed upor
daintieS had TO be satisfied with fooa
that formerly would hardly have passeG
muster in the quarters. With
palmer fare went'stronger prayer. AnC
the spirit which prevailed in the greal
house Of the plain or on the river bank
was duplicated in the humber home IN
the clearing and in the little
cabin. These women never for n mo
ment, in victory or in defeat. question
ed the justice and the righteousness Of
the cause. They knew that IL was
right. They reached that conviction by
no process of involved reasoning. They
went straight to the point. They felt
1t. once having decided that the south
was right. nothing could turn them
from It's support, nothing could weaken
their W~hole-hearted allegiance. Poll
ties. finance, economies. personal ambi-
ton for place or pelf had no place with
them. Nor was the question debatable.
IL had for them no possible negativ,
side. Their cause was pure white
They did not waver even when tend
ing their wounded and burying their
dead. Disaster following disaster ap-
palled, but did not shake them. Then
came the end. But even with the south
PROSTATE. even after the Stars and
Bars, passing into the shadows of the
I'LL liSil Vi htS pan IOI llDSt VINO
had followed it upon many a bloody
field, had disappeared forever from
among the flags of world-pOwerS. the
women We're as firm as ever in their
convictions. They would not acknowl-
edge. they could not acknowledge, that
results had placed them and the cause
in the wrong. Before the final blow
vas struck they had begun to immortal
lie that cause in their beautiful GUS
tom OF StreWlng flowers upon the SOL
dierS' graves. Afterwards while sur
VlVorS of the battles were trying TO ad-
just themselves 10 changed conditions
and to TAX up the routine OF shattered
lives. and when ome indeed. had be
gun TO wonder whether it had all not
been a mighty mistake. the women still
cherished the cause which no longer
had a wonderful gray shell as its ex-
ponent. They began to raise monu-
ments TO men who. coming from COM
paratiVe obscurity. had won world re-
noWn as warriors, and to those who.
nameless. have endless fame, and.
sweetly illogical. they did not omit
from their plan OF memorials men
whose errors Of judgment and faults o
character had added vastly to soldiers
tasks and women's burdens.
Such devotion was a ronge bull
wark Of the ConfederaCy than all OF its
material and its statesman
ship combined. Defeat could not d.
minish it. 1t persists in the belief IN
the cause. despite the knowledge thar
the purposes Of the cause have failed
forever in this world. Women who
knew the cause militant and suffered
for it, who saw II fade and sorrowed for
ii. leave its memories a sacred legacy.
10 their daughters and granddaughters.
Their faith in it goes with them beyond.
the grave. They carry IL up to the
Throne of God. This devotion was an
incalculable inspiration TO real men. II.
was worthy OF the gray she'll. that II
sustained by its love and sublime con-
hdenc and courage. and which. in turn
honored, revered and protected It. the
gray she'll. which the women of tho
south will never forget.
Yet the story Of the wornen and their
cause has not been fully writ. No III
memorial OF them in marble. purer than
alabaster, as Epotless as they, has,
been raised. Gut the gray shell kept
its troth with them TO the death. and