The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-08-09
Editorial Correspondence

Van Wrinkle who had gone to sleep in
1907 ana slept until this good day, had
opened his eyes on the long procession OF
gray headed Confederate soldiers who
marched to the tune of Dixie. up the
street, ne would have thought that he was
witnessing review of magnificent army
returning from the war victorious. In the
splendid Confederate Reunion here today,
there were several hundred Confederate
soldiers IN the line of march, and the
spirit OF patriotism that animated them
in 1861 still burned brightly in their
hearts. They were in excellent spirits,
one nearing their applause and witness
ing their enthusiasm as the eloquent ora
tor told the story of their faithful and
their immortal deeds, would not have
thought that they belonged to the army
of the vanquished. If they were vanquish-
ed they have never found it out, and have
none OF the humiliation that is supposed
to belong to an army that has not sue
ceeded
few years ago preacher from Canada,
who came to North Carolina to spend the
winter, said that he made up his mind
during his stay in North Carolina not
to mention the war at any time, or any
phase OF It, His reason was that he
thought it would mortify the Confederate
soldiers who had surrendered, if any refer
ence was made to their unsuccessful strug
gle for the right of the State to secede
Il had an idea," he said, that the South
ern people were living in the shadow of
defeat, and that every reference to the
war must give them feeling of humiha-
lion. Therefore, l had determined not to
speak of it, because l did not wish to
hurt their feelings. Imagine my surprise"
he went on to say when / found that it
was universal topic OF discussion and
that in every community the deeds of
the brave Confederate ,otdiers were re-
counted daily. Instead of wishing to avoid
the topic of the war, | found that the
Southern people had no feeling about it,
except of rejoicing in the various sue
cesses of their brave and valiant soldiers
1 came to know more about the war in
six months residence in the South than
had learned in all the books of history
III thought to find crushed and.>sorrow-
ing people in the depths of humiliation.
Instead found the people happy, content
ed and rejoicing in the courage of their
noble soldiers, and cherishing the Lost
Cause with beautiful and undying af-
lection that lifted them up on plane
that challenged my admiration and re-
spect. There is no parallel in history to
the sentiment that pervades in North
Carolina and in the whole South with ref
erence to the unsuccessful war. be-
lieve the feeling expressed by the old
soldier who had lost a leg and an arm is
a common sentiment. He said, with a
smile, We were never defeated; We were
ourselves out whipping the Yankees"
:
/ There is no county in the State whee
, the Confederate spirit is more in evidenc
, than here. At the outset of the discus
{ sion of secession Arson, being a Wits
2 county, was opposed to secession. Under
the leadership of that grand old man, the
t late Thomas S. Ashe, the majority o
l these people strongly believed that thu
4 hope of the South was to fight for it
rights in the Union, but there was no
} wanting here ardent disciples of Calhoun
who believed firmly in the right of seces
sion and who believed that the time hat
come in 1860, upon the election of Lin
coin, to put that conviction into prac
5 tice. Foremost among the Jealous seces
sionists was a talented young man, Will
e liam NJ Hammond, CHS comrades here to
: day affectionatey call him "Bill.'O Re
turning to Wadesboro from the Universit,
e OF North Carolina, where he graduate
r with high honors, Mr.. Hammond becam
q the leader of determined band of pa
$ triots, young men of spirit who were 70
e secession. His career at college had beef
| a brilliant one he had served as a tutor
: showing scholarship of high order, an
j lad read law, and just AS the war com
t menced had hung out his single here TO
q the practice of his profession. His father
a leading citizen, was true disciple o
Calhoun, and his talented son inherite
his fathers views. He raised the frs
t company in North Carolina that was of
: fered to the Governor of the Stale for tn
IS Confederate army Speaking about it tc
i day he said: Eve were so anxious to ge
: into the fight that we chated because W
could not get uniforms and equipment
n quick enough. We feared the fight woul
all be over before we could get to tn
: 'front.'
After deciding to volunteer, the Anso
soldiers were anxious to do their part
Their desire to go to the front recalls
story told by Bill Arp. He says that i
| ~ 6ro+ do,,. Of tho war the Young me