The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-04-12
Editorial correspondence. )

There were more people in this viii
lage today than have travelled the road
by the historic battle ground in forty
years. There were more people at
Appomattox c. III. on April 8, 1851,
when Lee surrendered than gathered
on the battle field today. but this is
the greatest day that Appomatto<.
Court House has known except that
beautiful April Sunday forty years
ago. This pleasant and hospitable viii
lage did not exist them. The court
house was two and a half miles east.
fire destroyed the court house some
FEARS ago and when it was rebuilt it
was erected here on the railroad, the
only county seat being two and a half
miles from the railroad.
That was a great crowd that gath
cred at the battle field today to join
with North Carolina in defeating its
monument to the brave men who made
1.-The last charge" captured 'the last
battery from the enemy" and engaged
in ''the last skirmish." The North
Carolinians expected no great gather
ing, looking to see only hospitable
neighbors present to give glad well
come to their visitors. But it looked
like the whole county was here. The
correspondent of the Richmond paper
estimated the crowd at 5000. Some
of the North Carolina editors thought
the number was between 1000 and
$1,000 1t was a splendid gathering or
the best type of Virginians and North
Carolinians who have been united by
a common destiny and common hopes
from the birth of Virginia Dare in
North Carolina and the settlement at
jamestown in Virginia. These Vir-
ginians did not say that North Caro-
lima was FIRST and last" but their
demeanor seemed to indicate that they
held the view so happily expressed a
few days ago by the greatest living
Confederate General, Robert F. Hoke.
who said:
81 was not at Appomattox and know
nothing personally of the details. But
there are bones of enough brave North
Carolina soldiers Wondering i'm Viz
oinia'S soil for VirginianS to be will
ing for North Carolina to write any
thing she desired on the monument.
The celebration was wanting in
nothing to make it perfect and the
only regret those of us fortunate
enough to be here had was that every
patriotic son and daughter OF North
Carolina could not have Joined in the
exercises which will become historic
Welcomed officially by the Cover
nor of the State. Andrew Jackson
Montague, worthy to sit in the chair
distinguished by the encumbency of
Thomas Jefferson and FitZhugh Lee,
and given personal and social welcome
by Hon. Ii. d. Flood. member of
Congress from this district and other
citizens, the North Carolinians felt that
they were in the house Of their friends
and that they trod soil hallowed by
the deeds of North Carolina troops.
The monument erected by North
Carolina is the first erected on this
famous battle field. There are tablets
marking the places where important
events occurred, but no State has
erected monument to mark the place
where its soldiers won lasting fame.
The example of North Carolina will
be followed by other States.
The world is full of monuments
marking the scenes of notable vic
tories. 1t is rare to find a people
mark with patriotic feryor their last
stand upon the field that witnessed
the burial of all their hopes" The
spirit of devotion to the just right of
the States and of devotion to high
ideals is as strong in the South as in
1851 in spite of the encroachinf spirit
of commercialism that threatens to
lower all our standards. Such scenes
as were witnessed today will tend to
give the youth admiration for the
noblest ideals and most unselfish de-
votion to duty. and will cement the
union which the War Between the
States taught must endure.
Naturally of all the company here
from North Carolina, next 20 the men
who surrendered here forty years aSo,
those to whom the occasion hal the
deepest interest were the children of
tile late hdJOE NTcHcIdI bryan NIIIsu1S,
who planned the last battle of the
War Between the States. Major Ii.
A. London, chairman of the Appomat-
tox Commission; Capt. A. d. McGill
and daughter, Miss Eloise McGill,
Capt. Wilson 7. Jenkins and Wife,
Mrs. E. f.. Moffitt of Raleigh. Mrs.
III. A. London, and Mrs. Mary Crimes
Smith, daughter of General Grimes.
spent Sunday afternoon visiting the
battlefield. Monday morning Major
London, who was Adjutant under
General Grimes, with General Julian
S. Carr and Major VIM. A. Smith--al'
three in Confederate unifornl--with
the three chivalric sons OF General
Enthusiastically of State Col. j.
Bryan, Austin and Dempsie- took
careful survey of the whole field,
and it was my good fortune to be in
the party. Maj. London was anxious
that the sons of Gen. Grimes should
trace step by step the route taken by
their distinguished father and as he
was nearer to Gen. Grimes than any
other man he knew the route per-
fectly and recollected every incident
of the fateful day. The route was over
country roads and fields, in valleys
and on hill-topS through the under