The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-10-16
PREVENT PLEA MADE FOR
 JOHNSON ISLAND HEROES

The following eloquent appeal, from the Robert Patton Chapter. U. D. C., of Cin- cinnati, Ohio, was read by Hon. Horace Stevenson at the unveiling of the monu- ment to gallant John Pelham at Jackson vile, Ala. on October 10, 1905:
 Cincinnati O., October 3, 1905.
 Appeal of the Robert Patton Chapter. United Daughters of Confectionery, Gin cinnat Ohio:
 Confederate Veterans, Sons of Veterans,
 Mothers and Daughters of the Confed-
 eracy-Our loving greetings:
 Today, under southern skies. on the soil to protect which from the invader, the flag of the south was unified, forty years ago. you come to unveil monu- ment dedicated to a valiant son of Ala bama. Golden is the sunshine above the resting place of this gallant sleeper, gray the moss pendant from the live oaks as the jacket in which he lies Soft signs the breeze a ceaseless lullaby. Like Rachael. mourning for her children because they were not, comrades of the old guard, friends of the early lost. you come to- day to render obation to his memory. Green grows the grass above his grave, and green the waiving trees, in the midst of which you have reared lasting tribute to your never forgotten dead.
 It Is not necessary for us to tell the friends of the man who sleeps beneath that beautiful marble of his character his courage, his patriotism. These facts belong to history, and as well were these characteristics his by inheritance as is his memory to you a lasting record of splendid manhood of military achieve ments In a book devoted to the memory of heroes who died at Bannockburn, F'lod- den Field Prestonpans and the Tyne, may be seen the feudal coat of the Earls
 -,AI Va rlap0 oh Crownhurst and Cound, all Knights or the Garter. men who won undying fame 800 years ago. Three pelicans plume them selves on the shield, a peacock in his pride and the buckles and studs for Pelham. and the motto beneath tells us. 'I die for country"
 So did Thomas, Henry. John and Will liam Pelham die long, long ago. In no battles of history. but the Pelhams are known always at the post of duty up- holding the faith within them, and giving their lives for their country. Major Pel- ham of the First Virginia of the revolu- tion the famous Surgeon William. and Peter Pelham of the Old North state. The war of 1872, the Mexican, King Philips war all knew some gallant Pelham. How the Pelhams followed the flag of the south on bloody fields we know full well. No knightlier soldiers had we, no more loyal heroes, and among this galaxy or braves shine forth the name of John Pei- ham, the immortal son of Alabama, who sleeps beneath the soil or ms peioVeo state.
 It is easy for you to come to this spot when the sun is low to say "benedic- trs' to your departed. easy to come here to plant the flowers that he loved best. If is easy for you to keep all things beautiful in this hallowed place, and were It. indeed. less easy, you would still come as saints go to their prisons, and chant your "misereres''-Dear Conferedate Vet erans and friends of this fallen hero Of the cause we lost we want to tell you of a neglected spot in northern state where lie two hundred and six or our brave soldiers, comrades of your honored John Pelham. Four-fifths of this num- Der were members of the Masonic fra ternity. There no loving hands tend flowers above their lonely graves, no tears are shed above the sacred dust where lie martyrs to country and duty as lofty patriots as your dead in Ala bama There died, more than forty years ago. those victims of hunger, cold, dis ease, in that federal stockade on John sons Island. Ohio, aye gladly died, rather than to subscribe to the enemy's oath, and be false to themselves and country.
 More than twenty boys from Alabama are buried on Johnsons Island. No mag nolia blossoms wait to them sigh from loved ones, no gray moss decks the way ing tree boughs in that alien land, no oleanders bloom in that dreary spot made glorious only by the dust of warriors that were without fear and without re- proach.' The dead on Johnson's Island is your dead, our dead, the dead of the whole south. The Robert Patton chap ter has undertaken to buy and wrest from ruin that hallowed spot.
 We are a small band of southern wom- en, strong only in our pride of birth, devotion to Dixie, and our undying adora- tion for the men that followed the flag of the south till 1t was furled at Ap- pomatox. We have. by almost superhu- man effort. succeeded in making the first payment upon the property. some 5000, and are now struggling to collect money for the second, which will soon be due. We appeal to you, dear veterans, we pray to you mothers and daughters of the south for succor in our need. We stretch forth our hands to the proud old state of Alabana-the state which sent more than sixty thousand-the flower of its nlanhood-to the front in 1861.
 We call upon the honor of the state, assured that we shall not call In vain. North Carolina has some twenty-five sol-