Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1907-07-04
Honor Our Women.

tentlOn to what seems to me the
most obvious duty of the people
OF North Carolina, namely, the
building OF a monument to our
Women OF the Confederacy.
We have ourmonuments to the
Soldiers of the Confederacy. We
have recognized ourdebtto them.
So indellbly has the character OF
their achievements been impress
ed that q thousand years hence
they will continue to march at
the head OF all the great armies of
history. Their glory shall never
fade. But we have neglected their
wives and mothers and sisters
and for no other reason than
that they were women. For. We
do all know that in valor, in de-
votion, in suffering and in ser
vice they were not surpassed by
the heroic names on the battle
fields OF our Lost Cause. 1t de-
tracts nothing from but rather
adds to the record of the Confed-
crate soldier to say that he was
heartened for his sacrifices, MAIN
tained in his achievements and in
spired in his heroic warning by
the wife, the mother, the sister or
the sweetheart who sent h N
forth with his blessing an d
throughout the deadly days Of
his battles kept her heart strong
while she maintained his home,
nurtured his children, managed
his affairs and as often as oppor-
tunity was given cheered him
with her message and comforted
him with the work of her hands.
They could not have been the
brave men that that they were;
they could not have maintained
the war as they did; they could
not have given themselves to the
battle with that spirit which won
for them their undying glory.
had not the Women Of the Con-
federacy, in complete self-efface-
ment, with heroism unsurpassed
in human annals. chosen to bear
without a word; save words Ol
cheer, all the horrors of a wal
which stripped them of their pro-
tectors and threw them upon
their own resources. Imagine
what that meant! The mother
who gathered her brood about
her at fall of night with her heart
on the battlefield; who arose with
the morning to do her own and
| her husbands work; who through
out the day must expect t h
worst OF news; who made no cry
or complaint, but sent on h e r
brave letters; who wrought in he
roic endeavor to maintain t h
new nation; who month a tt e
month and year afteryearendur
: ed without any faltering t h a t
the soldiers knew OILS she not
worthy of the noblest OF memo
, rails, If the soldier fought, s h
wrought; if the soldier gave him
, self, she gave herself; if the soldie
, suffered, she Suffered; if the sol
, der died, she died a thousant
deaths. And if never shall fade
the soldiers fame on our debt t.
him, neither should her fame ant
orr debit TO her. For i'm truth the,
are inseparable.
But there are people who sa.
that monuments are vain things
, So they are to vain people. Blu
:. to those who have caught the siE
! niflcance of life monuments ar,
!. the worthiest works OF man. Ha
py is the people who have then
to build So far the race has pro
ceeded by means OF monument
they stand as bulwarks agains
all downward tendencies whatst
u ever.
At the foot of that monumeI
Q to our Confederate soldiers IL
d rising generations resolves to a
d quit itself not less worthily tha
!, they did. 1t is not then for t h
sake OF the dead or the past thf
Is we rear these memorials. 1t is f