Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-08-30
ADDRESS OF
WARNER BALL,
Before the Circuit Court of North
cumberland County, on the 0cCa-
sion of the dwelling The POr-
trait of Major James Hurst,
August 18th, 1907.

HuSuSt lLtil, iyUI.
Your HONOR, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
Major James Hurst, of this county,
an officer in the war of 1S12-it is with
pleasure present his picture, which is
the contribution of Thomas B. Hurst
"a grandson and Warner Hurst "a
great great nephew), both of this
county of Northumberland.
Of course, love Major Hurst, al
though l did not know him in person,
for he was my mothers father, and
that makes him dear to me; and at the
name of mother, l must touch tender
chord in the human heart, for none can
be dearer than mother. / love to talk
about the dead and mingle with them
in thought, and we should not teach the
young to look upon death with too
much dread; it is true, it brings about
sad partings, but in life there are sad
partings too, and the living we may
not meet in this life, but our dead loved
ones we are bound to meet in the life
to come. And while Major Hurst lived
four generations ago (having died in
1879 he is not forgotten; and if we do
not forget the dead, why should they
forget us? they know more than the
living can know.
whenever we come to pay respect to
the memory of the dead, it is an out
ward evidence of the feeling of love
and affection that exist in the human
heart.
And as each picture is placed upon
the wall, it is evidence of our common
belief in eternal life. And while we
lift up these pictures here in memory
of those who have gone-it is an act,
which shows our belief and hope that
our dead are lifted up, and living in a
brighter world. We are indebted to
the Honorable Judge of this court for
having inaugurated this movement of
placing these pictures upon this wall.
1t is lesson for the living, and legacy
to posterity that they may know that
this generation remembered their dead
and placed these pictures here that the
good deeds of those they represent
might be thought of, and initiated; for
good thoughts must precede good ac-
tions, and noble actions make noble
men and women. We can always have
good company in our thoughts.
The Hursts came from Wales, when
oppression became too great in the old
country, and crossed the Atlantic, and
with Others helped to raise the flag of
liberty in this land where tyranny should
not live. And no tyrant can ever rule
over people that loves liberty.
Major James Hurst was born of hon
orable parents in this county; his father,
Thomas Hurst, married Miss Elizabeth
Hudnall of this county. He was an of
ficer in the war of 1872, of recognized
bravery, gallant, courteous, admired by
those who knew him and kind in his
family. His wife before her marriage
was Miss Susan Spiller "a niece of Cen
eral Frazier) the Spillers came here
from the county of King William. 1
hope 1t is not wrong to speak of Major
Hurst's descendants-and when | re-
late an Incident which happened (the
latter part of our civil war; between
his son James Hurst, and a Yankee
Colonel, it is not from bitterness
James Hurst with other mounted men
was at Lottsburg with orders to fall
back to Fallin's Mill if the enemy ad-
vanced. So on came squadron of cav
airy, and it so happened that James
Hurst was the last to leave Lottsburg
and was overtaken by this officer lead
ing his men, calling surrender and
shooting all the time-but no, this son
of Major Hurst, with only one charge
In his gun, calmly reserved it until the
officer was up with him, and when he
shot the officer fell, and not one of his
men passed the dead officer.
Thomas Ball and Thomas B. Hurst,
(two of his grandsons) were in the 9th
Va. Cavalry, and proved worthy of
brave ancestor; and another grandson,
James Ball, fell at the End battle of
Manassas, with his face to the foe-his
name is on the monument to your Con-
federate dead.
His offspring and kindred, the Brents,
Pinckards, Edwards, Balls and Hursts.
are holding positions or practicing pro-
fessions from the Atlantic to the Pa
citc, and l know of none who have
brought discredit to the family.
Perhaps it would not he ont Of ,looo
for me to say that fathers of families
do not always shoulder the response
bility that was placed upon them by
their maker-God made man the head
of the family and when he leaves to
his better half the duty of teaching
virtue and noble principles to the chill
dren, without his assistance, he puts
extra work on his wife and is not true
to his maker. He has no right to ex-
pect so much from the wife, when he
is unmindful and does as he pleases.