The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-13
BY THOMAS M. OWEN.

A nation history Is not cDlilpleie
which does not record the names and
deeds of its heroines with those of its
heroes, and revolutions sometimes throw
the two in such close proximity that
the history of the manly bearing of the
on is imperfect unless coupled with
the more delicate yet no less brilliant
achievement of the other, and such must
ever be the history of the most gallant
and successful,Victory or the intrepid For
rest, unless embellished with the name
and heroic acts of Emma SAMSON.
Upon discovering the difficulties which
embarrassed the advance of our brave
army in pursuit of a Yankee raid under
the lead of Colonel Streight, produced
by the burning of a bridge across Black
creek, near the residence of her mother,
in Cherokee (now Etowah) county, Emma
SAMSON. inspired with love of country,
indignant at Yankee insolence and flushed
with hope inspired by the arrival of
pursuing force, exalted herself above
the fears of her nature and the timidlty
of her SEX with a maiden's modesty and
more than woman's courage, rendered her
services as a guide and, in the face OF
an enemy's fire, and amid the lannon's
roar, safely conducted our gallant forces
by a circutous route to an easy and
safe crossing, and left them in eager
votion to our cause, and by the great
arms within the confines of our own state.
By her courage, her patriotism, her de-
pursuit of a fleeing foe, which resulted
public service she has rendered, she has
secured to herself the admiration, esteem
ant gratitude of our people, and
place in history as the heroine of Ala
bama." (Acts of the General Assembly,,
1868, PIP. 21S-2140
A certified copy of this resolution was
presented to Miss SAMSON by Hon.
Thomas B. Cooper, of Cherokee. Hon.
Burwell T. Pope, of st. Clair responded
for her. The ceremony took place at
Turkeytown, in Cherokee county, in the
presence of a large concourse of people.
:The lands were surveyed and a portion
sold for Confederate script, which soon
lost all value, while the adverse issue of
the struggle caused the loss of the medal
and other portion of the lands" brewers
Alabama QS72), PIP. (24S-251) In further
recognition of the debt of gratitude due
her, the Legislature of Alabama. in 1899,
passed an act in which she was donated
six hundred and forty acres of land. In
1864 Miss SAMSON married C. B. john
son, of the Tenth Alabama regiment,
C. S. A, in 1879 they removed to Texas,
and in 1887 her husband died, leaving her
with FIVE boys and two girls On August
Y, 1900, at Galloway, Texas, she passed
ito where beyond these voices there is
peace" leaving a name which will linger
| long in history
his heroic incident has been the subject
of song and story, and it is but calling
yo:-- attention to facts perfectly familiar
to refer to the earnest and persistent
efforts of Hon. John w. A. Sanford, who
has honored you with his presence during
these exercises, to secure a change in
the design of the Great Seal of Alabama,
so that one commemorative of the
heroism of Emma SAMSON" might be
adopted. The details of his proposed
design are the figure of an officer on
horseback, fully armed, and a young
woman seated behind him with her left
hand pointing forward, and the legend
L will show you the way.
Dr. Wyeth has dedicated his Life of
General Forrest to her as a woman
worthy of being remembered by her
countrymen as long as courage is deemed
virtue. And in the text of his i'm
mortal work he declares that "as long
as the fame of Nathan Bedford Forrest
shall last among men-and it must en-
due forever-coupled with 1t in artless
| womanhood and heroic pose will be the
name Of Emma Sansom." CWyeth, p. 209)
Now that | have passed in hurried re-
viev the dramatic incidents in the life
of one woman, whom we now pedestal
in hope of perpetual memory, | must
not close until ] give you the wider ap
| plication of the lesson of her life. This
| portrait stands not only in perpetuation
of an incident of 1868, but 1t stands as
well for the embodiment or the collective
| asr iration and appreciation Of the women
of Alabama of 1902.
1t Is said that woman's heroism is re-
served for revolt tons. Therefore, we
find the epic period of our history, the
four tragic years from 1861 to 1860, filled
VIA examples of the splendid conduct
and sublime heroism of the daughters
of Alabama, similar to the conspicuous
| ipS be fai lie ~ WI I
cited. During the period of public and
private discussion which preceded the
precipitation of the conflict she counselled
resistance to the aggression of the
north. On the fateful eleventh day of
January, 1861, when. amidst the most eX-
traordinary and exciting scenes in our
political history, the bonds which held
AL -bama in the Union were dissolved by
an ordinance of a convention of the
so ereign people, she was present, 1.-THE
love songs of yesterday swelling into
political hosannas, in commemoraton of
the event. Her hands fashioned the state
flag which on the same day was flung
to the breezes as the Star Spangled Ban
ner came down. Her voice whispered
| courage when later the first tocsin of war
sounded. In the camps of organization
ana instruction she was ministering
angel to the sick, and an inspiration TO
the faltering and respondent. Daily her
prayers assembled in behalf of loved ones
at the front and for the success of our
brave armies. In the hospitals where the
mangled and bleeding soldiers in groans
al agony lay her gentle hands tenderly
bound up their gaping wounds, and
brushed the death damp from the brow of
the dying. With husband. or father, or
son in the army the management of the
household and of the farm, with the
+ slaves, devolved on her and in economy
of administration right well did she DEM
onstrate her fitness for business affairs.
Upon her faithful energies largely fell
tn burden of supplying clothing for the
ar, and in its manufacture she toiled
with sacrificial zeal In meeting the de-
mlnds for material she subjected herself
to privations and self denial which are
no incredible. The jewels were torn
from her neck, rings from her fingers,
aid nraisng supplies for our struggling
armies.
Hardly had the smoke of battle cleared
away when she organized memorial
sociations for the care of the soldiers
graves and inaugurated the beautiful ex-
ercises of Memorial day And to her
zeal. fidelity and persistent efforts is
principally due the erection of our beau
tiful Confederate monument on Capitol
Hill in Montgomery, as well as those in
other towns of Alabama.
And after the terrible ordeal by combat
had closed. with change of social and
domestic conditions so abrupt as to be
simply appalling. the women of the state,
i