The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-07-09
NORTH CAROLINA'S CLAIMS
ARE VIGOROUSLY DISPUTED
BY a vlRGINlAN,

by our nelghDOTS III IL lleld, Wnlcn Ilhs
brcn thoroughly thraslicd out and
Is now taking form In the shape OF
monuments being erected In Virginia by
the people Of North Carolina with the
approval and participation Of some Of the
State officials OF both States. would
seem to give authority at this time to
the truth OF the Inscriptions and state
rf1ciits cut on granite, and will very nat
ulally BIO accepted by coming generations
no true. We Of tho present day know
beyond the question OF a doubt that the
first two assertions are without founda-
ton, and the third Is supported by proof
In no wise stronger, Is as strong, as
that shown by three or four bodies OF
troops who We're not from North Caro-
lima. Virginia was the Northern from
tcp Of the Confcdcracy. and. therefore.
fully entitled TO the assistance OF the
States to the south OF her, II for no
other reason than that Of a knowledge
OF the laws OF sclf-prescrvation on their
part. but she accepted the situation
which She understood fully would make
her the battle ground for the cause and
received the troops from other States
not only as comrades In 81 righteous
cause. but as her honoroed guests all OF
whom proved true in both capacities
to the end. One of these States has
deemed IT we'll, after the lapse Of forty
years. to make claim to greater. share
OF the glory than is her due. Not only,
that. but she brings to Virginia her Pc
culiar views craven on stone and plants
them here for the .misinformation. not
only OF future generations OF Virginians.
but OF all future generations. while we,
through mistaken Idea OF the obliga-
lions Of hospitality due our sister State
have condoned paliated and seemed not
TO have observed the little breach OF
eft N i,3ut ne INV NJ II IN r,
common courtesy for one who was at
the time under our own roof tree. and
II. as In this case the visitor was
good friend who had been true as steel
during our mutual troubles. IT is only
natural that we would even allow him,
II his own Instructive sense OF propricty
and delicacy did not prevent. TO chisel
on our very hearth stone any fantastic
imaginings he saw fit to state OF the
glorious defense made by himself and
ourselves. but also by many other neigh
bors as worthy OF honor as either OF US.
Having thus complied with the laws OF
hospitality and our guests having de-
parted, nre we required to keep forever,
before our descendants the inscriptions
left on craven at our fircsides by our
cratic visitor as evidence and seeming
Croof that we Virginians, on those par.
ticular occasions. at any dim epoch OF
the past, or any possible period OF eter-
nifty before this old world OF ours has
grown cold and lifcless beneath our feet.
or has been consumed to ashes as the
case may be. could. under any imagin-
able conditions. allow any tribe, clan or
family OF tho sons OF man to be The
first or furthest TO the front" In an at
tack on her enemies or last in the de-
Tense of the small portion Of the that
globe we call our Mother--Nirginia.
,3tIf, however. It is indeed true thA our
i1a rat frn n
has come to the stage where we can
look on matters OF this nature with SUI.
Sficicnt Indifference 10 allow them to so
on record without contradiction. and IN
the most impcrishable form known 70
man. then the question 4confronts us IN
another way: can we also agree 70 as
homer the other Southern States VINO
were true and brave ms any? Yet this
thing is being done with our consent to
us and TO them on our own soil.
They are helpless to prevent IT. and 1t
Is our sdutv alone to do SO. All honor
to North Carolina: no troops were ever
better, Drawer or more efficient through
put the struggle, but have we the right
TO relegate to oblivion Bee and his gal
liant band at Manassas. or the regiments,
mostly South Carolinians. who held a
mound OF sand and debris. formerly
known as Fort Sumpter, for four years
Il against the best equipped troops and
most powerful navy the world had ever
known, and for n greater part OF the
time with no artillery OF any kind. their
bayonets and stout hearts the only btl-2
wark against the iron ships and twelve.
and fifteen inch guns OF the enemy, and
they left this mass OF wreckagc only
when the line OF communications were
cut in their rear by Sherman's hosts?
What OF Barlow, Longstreet, Gordon and
the incompa ra BILE private soldier from.
good old ! Georgia. long lines OF whom
were observed lying In long regular
ranks in n most exposed position. under
heavy fire of shells, shrapnel and mus
kerry at Sharpsbnrg, and when one OF
their officers was ordered to bring them
into alignment with the other troops, he
replied: Those. general. are some OF our
dead the remainder Of us are here In
our proper. place, ready for duty.
Have we forgotten Pelham. OF Ala
bama. with one section OF Stuarts horse
artillery, on the plains OF Fredericksburg,
under fire of practically all OF the artil-
lery Of Furnishes army. who. When or
dered out, replied that he was most COM
fortably situated and respectfully re-
quested to be allowed to remain?
Was it only a dream about Barksdale
and his mississippi brigade holding the
whole of the enemy's army In check at
the waters edge at fredericksburg. amid
the chaos OF crumbling walls and the
devastation OF the heaviest lombard
ment OF modern times, and at the same
time, under the musketry fire OF an en-
tire corps of the enemy? Orders for
their retirement were also sent tino,and
again, and they would not retreat until
Informed that they would really obliIge
8 Genera Lee by allowing the Yankee army
to come over so that he could use some
OF his other troops against them besides
F3arksdalc's Mississippi brigade.
Has the music of the guns OF tho
Washington Artillery and the cheers Of
Wheat's Louisiana Tigers become so faint
and forgotten that we cannot recall
.ther? There was time when both
were heard from every hill and vale In
Virginia where our enemies could be
Ia, OF In raoriad fhara -1uas Il