The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-05-12


 
 command. Chalmers's Mississippians were next to Clanton's men, and if Mis- sissippi should care to do so, it, too. could erect splendid monument tell ing of the bravery of her sons. But, like Alabama, she has neglected their fame, and still neglects 1t.
 The handsome granite monument which tells the world of the bravery of the Confederates of Alabama marks the spot where Jackson's Brigade crossed the Hamburg and Savannah Road, and shut within a gray wall the blue-clad men of Wallace and Prem tiss who had been pouring sheets of lead into the Confederates advancing on their almost impregnable position.
 The site was selected by Captain Peter B.: Mastin, who fought in the battle as lieutenant of the 17th Ala bama Infantry. Captain Mastin acted with a committee of ladies of the Daughters of the Confederacy. Captain Mastin and the ladies visited the field last September and in company with Major D. w. Reed, commandant of Shiloh Military Park, made the selec- tion.
 Selection of Site.
 The committee differed among its members as to where the monument would be erected. Captain Mastin alone stood out for the high point on the Hamburg Road. The ladies appealed to Major Reed, the courteous and consid- crate commandant of the park, for an opinion as to the site. Being urged for an expression Major Reed heartily endorsed the selection made by Captain Mastin.
 "The Captains reasons for preferr- ing this site are excellent" said Major Reed. Tt is nearer Pittsburg Landing perhaps, than any other Confederate monument will ever be erected. It is on one of the most conspicuous spots in the entire battlefield. It is on the road which leads to the spot where General Albert Sidney Johnston fell All visitors to the park go to the spot where General Johnston was killed. Do you know when visitor comes to the park I can tell by the first question he asks whether he was a Confederate or a Union soldier. If he was a Confed- crate soldier he immediately asks to be shown Shiloh Church. If he was a Union soldier he first asks to be shown the spot where General Johnston fell. v
 Captain Mastin, who remains unre- constructed, after all these years said:
 "Yes, damn 'em they are still rejoic- ing over Johnston's death"
 Tn the argument over, the site of the monument the Montgomery Confeder- ate travelled over the course his regi- ment had taken until he got to the rear of the Hornets Nest:
 Here's where we made the big cap ture," said Captain Mastin. We cut through their line, ran in behind and surrounded three thousand of them. We marched 'em right out of the woods and lined 'em up right on this road"
 Major Reed smiled and said:
 'I was one of the men marched out
 
 among the Union soldiers caught in the big haul"
 Exercises of Unveiling.
 At the exercises attending the un- yelling of the Alabama memorial pray CT was offered by Rev. J. A. Young of Walnut Hill, Cincinnati, a gray haired minister. Dr. Young was a Un ion soldier and fought at Shiloh. It so happened that he visited Shiloh for the first time since the war on the day ofs the unveiling of the monument. He, too. had "reminiscences of the furious fighting on that Sunday in April. He was in the wood when the fighting was fiercest, but with others of his com mand he caught the rush of the Ala bamians as they closed in and escaped the net by a timely retreat. He par ticipated in the next days fighting when the reinforced Federals recap
  army retired towards Corinth
 The impressive exercises under Shi- Ioh's trees on a perfect Spring day marked the fruition of the tireless la bors of the Daughters of the Confed- eracy for a monument to tell to the world the story of Alabama on the field of Shiloh. The granite monu- ment is one in which the State may well feel a pride and in the work of it's establishment the city of Montgom cry may feel a peculiar pride.
 Two Montgomery ladies led in this successful endeavor, Mrs. l.. c. Daw- son and Mrs. w. A. Gayle The en- deavor was eight years in the accom- plishment. During the entire time Mrs Dawson was chairman of the monu- ment committee and leader in the work of securing contributions Mrs. Gayle was President of the Alabama Division when the work was undertaken and as President she gave 1t her earnest and hearty support. Her efforts were in- valuable to the accomplishment of the great task which Mrs. Dawson had un- dertaken. The committee was raised in 1899 and, for eight years 1t has labored for the monument and on Tuesday the fulfilment of its hopes were realized
 Monument Cost $3,OOO.
 In a report submitted to the Daugh- ters of the Confederacy. Mrs. Dawson gave the information that the monu- ment cost $3.000. As the time for the unveiling approached, she was fearful that she would have to call upon the Division for a supplemental appropria- tion to prevent a deficit. But she re- doubled her efforts and wrote scores of new letters. As a result. she was en- abl~d to inform the Division that after paying for the monument the commit tee had the sum of AZ cents left, and Pc. a.