The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-07-09
THE DISPATCH RICHMOND VA, SUNDAY JULY o. 1905

nc did The men who went first over tho
works at first Cold FIarbor and Galnessl
Mill and charged under Lees eyes at the
Wilderness and SpotsyKanla, were the
peers of any tho world has even known.
d. H. Hill, at Boonsboro Gap. with
few troops mostly composed Of North
Cnroinians, were superb In vnlor and
endurance in holding back the whole OF
McClelland's army. The Maryland regi-
ment. under Bradley Johnson, were ut
comrades for any of these, while Florida,
Tennessee. and MI OF our sister States,
furnished the peers Of any here.
It is probably not ut that should
speak OF the Virginians at this time but
was there ever q grandcr battle climax
than when Armistead and his Virgnians
died fifty yards inside Of the cncmy's
works at Gettysburg In the midst of cap
tlircd guns surrounded by nm entire
army who, after all. were still In death.
could but admit that human valor could
do no more than had been done by the
least OF these.
The record OF the deeds and daring.
suffering and endurance or tho South
ern soldier in the face OF Inevitable de-
feat would simply be a record OF each
day of those four years of fiery trial.;
when only the purest metal could survive
utter annihilation, and who can say that
while love Of honor, truth and pure pa
triotism survives on any part Of our
globe. the name of the Confederate SOL
der will not head the roll call?
Compared with the few Incidents spoken
OF above, there is one other which is
comparatively unknown and unheralded.
though to the mind Of the writer 1t has
every possible qualification to entitle the
names and memory OF the participants to
the unquestIoned title OF the bravest Of
the brave" though the record be turned
backward and searched with Argus eyes
to the solemn command, let there be
light" or the vision be turned forward
until the time when the grave shall give
up It's dead l refer here to the success
sive crews OF the David, the first make
shift and forerunner of the present sub
marine boat. In Mobile and Charleston
harbors seven entire crews of from eight
to twelve men each persisted, going to
certain and most horrible death by suffo-
cation. with true hearts and smiling faces
their sole recompense that their lifeless
bodies and unsullied names might form
part of the necessary material Of an ex-
pertinent which might possibly be OF use
to their country against her enemies
and this seventh crew was found years
q fter the war at the bottom OF the sea,
! with every man at his post OF duty, on
their little craft, lying peacefully by the
side OF a huge ironclad vessel of the enemy
WHICH, Win sltS crew, tHty Hdu uIdWut
down to extinction. which they gladly
joined not only without murmur or
protest, but dccming that each and every
one OF them were the honored, joyful
guests at deaths carnival, which they
graced freely in defense Of their loved
Southland. These crews were not de-
tails or men ordered to do they knew
not what, but were volunteers from the
ranks OF the privates. non-commissoned
ofa No foI
crate States army from various States,
who knew perfectly every detail Of 1.-THE
| fate of their predecessors, and deemed 1t
| glorious to be allowed to remove Inc
! honored remains from the makeshiIt
(which had been their coffin, SO as to ac-
tually and truly make room that they also
might take their places a Deaths BAN
quet board and on fames eternal roll,
as they justly thought.
Who now knows the names of any OF
these and what manner Of men they
were; who should have their names and
deeds on the brightest page of fame if
not these privates, non-cOmmissiOners
and junior line officers of the Confederat to
States army. Are all OF these men i have
been speaking about to be belittled and
consigned to an unmerited oblivion. and
any one man or set OF men alone be
made in the eye of posterlty the heroes OF
that army OF heroes. and that also on
claims Of specific achievements which are
now known to all men were those Of
Others. II so, allow the North Car
DINA monuments to remain over the dead
from all the southland. whose dust min-
giles with that of our own dead, spread
broadcast over our fields, noun tains and
valleys. wherever they In life confronted
the invader, but would 1t not he better
and truer to say simply of the fallen Of
| each and every corps, division. brigade
regiment and company OF that incompara-
| BILE army, None died with more glory
though many died and there was much
/ glory. &
And now propose a common sense
/, remedy for oil of this. North Carolina
| has the right to put up such monuments
! in North Carolina as she sees fit. but
| unless she also sees fit to remove those
! of the kind under consideration, which
| have been erected In other States and re-
| frain from further activity In this dlrec.
ton. The Confederate camps of all the
States as body. should see to 1t and at
| once. that twenty feet due south of each
of these monuments, plain marble shaft
| should be placed with this inscription
only:
THE statement made on the monu-
| ment twenty feet due north of this one
are without foundation In fact
Below this should appear the date with
| signature of the commander Of all Of
| the combined camps and that OF the COM
| mander of each State organization.
This course by the veterans would avert
great wrong to them and our cause.
| The writer is not veteran, though he
i yields to no one In his admiration and
honor for the Confederate veterans, be
they from North Carolina or elsewhere.
and with spirit of jealousy, that a
single leaf of their laurels be not torn
from their brows or even DETECTED from
Its proper place, he respectfully offers tho
foregoing remedy for their consideration.
T. P. G,
Richmond, June both.