The Washington herald., 1907-09-02

is the only battlefield Of the Revolution
airy war which has been marked and pre-
served. The Federal government has es-
tablshed great national parks at Gettys-
burg, ChickamaGga, Vicksburg, and Shi
loh for the preservation Of the history Of
the civil war. and the State governments
have co-operated by building many monu-
ments on those fields. But Congress has
never seen III 10 undertake the preserva-
ton Of any Of the scenes of the battles
which gave the American nation its
separate station among the people Of the
world. The camp ground at Valley
Forge is preserved by the State Of
Pennsylvania, there Is a monument at
Bunker Hill, another at Yorktown, aud
monuments and tablets erected by pa
triotic people and societies are set up IN
many places.
At Guilford battle ground, however.
there is more than mere tablets can
signify. There is the same old road
across which Gen. Greene disposed his
two lines of militia and one line Of Tegu-
lars. Up that road came Lord Corn
wallis and his splendid soldiers, English
Of the Queens Guard, Scotch Fusiliers,
and the mercenary Hessians. The rail
fence behind which the Carolina militia
men awaited the approach of the enemy
is gone. but its position is marked by
line of granite blocks. Every detail of
the topography Of the field and of the
progress of the battle is marked.
The government of the United States
did not preserve this field. Patriotic Citi-
Gems Of North Carolina. the State in which
the fires of independence burned brightly
before the torch was lighted at Lexington
or Concord, have possessed and preserved
this battle ground out of their own pOCk-
cts. An organization was formed in
Greensboro in 1851. and two years later
had raised enough money by soliciting
small donations 70 purchase a portion Of
the land From time TO time other par
GELS have been bought, so that the park
now contains 100 acres The site Of the
old courthouse, Of which nothing remains
save the foundations, Is also owned. but
Il Is detached from the main body of the
park
Congress appropriated money to build
two great memorial arches across the
road along which the two armies marched
on March i. 17a. These have been erect
ed as monuments TO Gen. Francis Nash
and Gen. William Lee Davidson, two sol
diers who died In battle for the cause Of
independence. The Continental Congress
decreed that monuments should be erected
TO their memory. but the States then had
no money. and IL was not done. More
than a hundred years later, at the solicit
tation OF these North Carolina patriots,
Congress revived the old acts, and the no.
bic granite arches are the result.
The association Of men which has built
up the park has been trying for several
years TO have It accepted by the Federal
government as a national park. This
would assure its preservation and care.
Congress viii be-aDpealed TO again. and
Mai Joseph NJ. MOTeheaC. president Of
the GUilfOrd Battle Ground Company is
hopeful that something viii be done TO
guarantee the preservation of the work.
Senator Aldrich, of Rhode Island. passed
bill through 1.-THE Senate providing for
the erection of an equestrian monument
10 Gen. Nathaniel Greene on the Guilford
battle ground. Gen. Greene, who com
manded the patriotic army in that battle
was a native of Rhode Island Speaker
Cannon would not allow the bin to come
up IN the House. although he was born
within q few miles of Guilford. Last
spring he came 10 his old home at
Greensboro, and, Of course, visited the
battlefield. He was much impressed by
what has been done. and Il Is believed
here that he viii relax his opposition TO
the monument
Twenty-seven monuments have been
erected on the battle ground, nearly all of
them by private means and subscriptions
One of these is to q woman-the only
statue of a woman patriot Of the Revolu-
ton ever erected, and another IS the only
monumental memorial ever erected 10 a
boy hero of the war for independence.
The woman thus signally honored was
Mrs. Korenhappuch Turner, Of Mary
land. Her son was badly wounded
at the battle of Guilford Court House.
She rode horseback from her home, north
of the Potomac, and found him. almost
consumed by the fires Of a terrific fever
She bored holes in the bottom Of a tub
and suspended it from the rafters above
where he was lying. She carried cold
water from the spring and put L I'm the
tub and allowed it to drip down upon his
body. This, she kept UP until the fever
was alayed. a treatment which antici-
pated the 'iCe-pack" OF the modern hos
pital nurse. and was equally as eficacious.
The monument is a pedestal of granite
which supports a bronze statue She is
represented as wearing an apron: in one
hand IS a cup and saucer and in the other
spoon, which things are more typical
OF ministering angel than wings. BY
the side Of her monument under an a"
tent shaped block Of granite, rests the
body of her grandson, Capt. James NJ
MOrehead, who was a North Carolina SOL
der Of the Revolution. Such a woman as
Mrs. Turner did not live in vain. and she
has been hOnOTed by her descendants in
their lives, as she has been by this
bronze and granite memorial. Two Of her
grandsons became governors Of States.
North Carolina and Kentucky; another
a
lucky, and another is in charge Of the
Guilford battle ground to-day.
Not far away is the monument
erected by the boys and girls of a
North Carolina school to commemo-
rate the heroism of young boy Gil
lies bugler for Light Horse Harry
Lee, who fell cut to pieces under the
swords OF TarletOn's merciless drag
oons. Another monument is a pile OF
rough and unhewn granite blocks. which
show no mark Of chsel. There is no
craven legend, but resting near by is a
cast-iron plate which explains: Nathaniel
Macon decreed that his memorial should
consist only Of rude stones. Here they
are" These rude stones" honor the
memory Of patriot, who was brave in
war and wise in counsel private
soldier under Greene. a member Of the
bLdtC senate uuIluB the latter years OF
the Revolution, a Delegate In Congress.
ana for many years a member Of the
United States Senate, ne lived a long
life Of usefulness. He refused an offer
Of e Cabinet position under Jefferson.
He retired from the Senate several
years before his death, but he was
the last OF the contemporaries Of
Washington and Franklin to serve in
that body and when he left it Thomas
Benton called him the real Cincin-
natus Of America"