The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-12-16
THE UNITED DAUGHTERS
OF THE CONFEDERACY
History and Work of Great
Organization Told By
One of Them.
FORMER PRESIDENT OF PENsA.
COLA CHAPTER WRITES ELo.
QUENTLY OF SACRED CAUSE
FOR WHICH THE WOMEN OF
THE SOUTH HAVE ORGANIZED
BY Mrs. A. z. MacDavid.

BY Mrs. A. z. MacDavd.
The work of the United Daughters
OF the Confederacy has assumed such
magnitude that l shall not attempt
to give history of it, but simply a
few facts that may be of interest.
, The United Daughters of the Con
federacy were organized in Nashville.
Tenn, September 10, 1894, at the call
of Mrs. M. c. Goodlett, who is known
and loved as the founder of the or.
ganization, and who is also our hon
orary president general Three states
responded to the call, Tennessee,
Georgia and Texas. From this meet.
ing the organization has grown until
today there are 1,04S chartered chap
, tiers in the federation, combining a
membership of fifty thousand and
representing over thirty states and
} territories, New Mexico being our
latest acquisition.
Not only has this organization
} spread far beyond Mason and Dixon's
line, extending at it does from ocean
to ocean, but it is now assuming an
} international aspect by the formation
of chapter in far away Mexico City.
This chapter Is named "The Father
; Ryan Chapter" in memory of the
poet, priest, and patriot, whose sweet
songs of the Southland have enshrined
) his memory in southern hearts.
The object of the United Daughters
of the Confederacy is not to engender
) a spirit of bitterness, hatred or dis
loyalty to the Stars and Stripes as
many would believe, but to perpet-
uate in song, story and history the
sacred motives and principles for
which our fathers fought, and dared
to do and die for what they knew to
be just and right.
History does not furnish charac-
ter that commands the love and ad-
miratiOn that does that of the South
ern soldier.
His courage, endurance, constancy
and fidelity during that awful four
years that tried mems souls and
brought women nearer the throne, has
never been excelled. What more
priceless heritage can we give to flu
ture generations than this?
How many a glorious name for u.s.
How many a story of fame for us
They left; would 1t not be blame for us
II their memories part
From our land and heart,
And wrong to them, and a shame to us?
Our first consideration now is for
our veterans. that faded line of gray
which is growing so pitifully less each
year-to bring sunshine into their al
ready too Swallowed lives, and to as
sure them that the women of the
south love them for their cause and
|
Outnumbered but not defeated.
Among the many beautiful homes
that have been erected by the United
Daughters of the Confederacy to shell
ter these old heroes, may be mention
ed the one In our own state, located
at Jacksonville. This building is
large and roomy, with spacious and
well kept grounds and is beautifully
situated on the picturesque st. Johns
river. Here amid the most cheerful
and comfortable surroundings many
veterans have found a veritable haven
of refuge from the storms of life.
Two Monuments.
TO those who have gone before we
have erected shafts of marble and
stone to commemorate their virtues
and heroism, and over their graves we
scatter the choicest flowers OF the
Southland they loved so we'll The
Florida division has always been &C
tive in the work of building these
monuments, one of the most gifted
members of this division being honor.
ed with a prominent place on the
committee for the magnificent mon
ument now being erected to the Pres
ident of the Confederacy, Jefferson
Davis, and also on the committee for
the beautiful monument that is being
erected on Florida'ss battlefield, Olus-
tee.
While many monuments are being
erected by states and chapters. the
two of most importance to the United
Daughters of the Confederacy at this
time are at Arlington and Shiloh.
Arlington, once the home of Robert E..
Lee, is now the national cemetery and
one of the most beautiful in the world +
Here the United States government |
has gathered into one section. the
bodies of all the Confederate soldiers
that were scattered about the District
of Columbia, and it is here in sight
of the nations capitol that a monu-
ment will be erected to the Confede-
rate dead.
"The heroes who died for us,
Who living, were tried for us,
And dying, sleep side by side for u.s."
This will be the first Confederate
shaft to be erected in this vicinity,
for while beautiful Washington is a
city of many monuments, there is not
one shaft in honor of the Confederate
soldier or any Confederate leader.
The Shiloh monument to the Con-
fed9rate dead is to be erected on the
sacred and historic battlefield of Shi-
lob, where so many of the south's
bravest and best fought and fell,
where southern blood flowed until
the streams ran red. Pensacola
Chapter is to wear the state honors
in this work, as a member of Pensa-
cola Chapter has been appointed chair
man for Florida on the Shiloh monu-
ment committee.
Southern Cross of Honor.
1t was In the heart of woman,
Mrs. Mary Ann Cobb Erwin. of Athens,
Ca, that the idea originated for Civ
ing to veterans and defendants of
Confederate soldiers and sailors, the
Southern cross of honor The de-
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