The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-03


 school Address by Col. Alto V. Lee Jr.
 MT. Lees address. in It's tender feel ing, was Intense, in it's sentiments most beautiful, It's delivery brilliant and his praise of the Southern soldiers and women was touching and beautiful. The ''Veterans Cross of Honor" was sung by Capt J T. Brooks, Messrs. J. T. Weller. C. F. Cross and Earl Lay. An especially appointed, committee pre- sented crosses of honor to twenty-on Veterans Dixie" was rendered by school at the close of exercises Prayer and benediction by Dr. W. E. Hill.
 The court house was beautifully dec orated with the Confederate colors and a profusion of sweetest flowers. with which tn e graves were decorated by the United Daughters of the Con- federacy. (Mrs) Newton Alexander Hamman.
 Historian, Csadsden Chapter.
 sS4 Chestnut Street, Gadsden, Ala.
 The Work That Remains For Us To DO.
 When Lee surrendered. and the pail fell over the South; when the paroIed men came home to the waiting and anxious women: the long excitement over--the tension ended;-then, as in all such cases. a reaction had to come -disappointments must be smothered by taking the minds entirely away from the subject of the recent hap peninRs. There was too the neces- sfty of facing an. nnprornising future coma conditions. It therefore became the sacred duty of the women of the south to have their ex-soldiers forget that they were conquered. and oblit- crate the trying memories so far as the thing was possible m the face of their surroundings, amid the new made graves. the vacant chairs the widows weeds, and the mourning families
 Now looking back, it would seem as though that was the time to learn and record the late incidents-the ex- periences of danger, the giimpses or glory; the suffering, the daring-while they were fresh in the minds of men. and in the hearts of the women. But 1t was not SO While this marvellous page of history was making there were few lookers-on in the South. and many participators whose hearts were so bound up in the cause they could not dwell upon 1t. It was doubtless like uncoverinE the face of dear dead friends. and having all the sor- row and longing, the stined tears ano sobs rush back-leaving their hearts more and more desolate than before
 
 founded upon war incidents. written at the time were not widely read. It remained for the next generation to make them popular. An importan' work was neglected. and the apathy increased with the passing years. un- til, before we realized 1t. history De came perverted. Our schools and our country were flooded with text books, magazines, false accounts of the things which had been enacted under the eyes of men still living Our enemies had been at work while we had been despairfng. Thousands of these books were sold The principals of schools supplied their puipls with histories unjust to tho South In every partic- uIar-even abusive. and when at last 6 storm of indignation arose. the vo'- umes were mutilated. the objection able parts torn out. because Of the scarcity of those by Southern writers, or impartial writers. Then gradually War Horses awoke, scenting as It were. another battle to be fought. and applied themselves to the task of try ing to have justice done, and truth prevail while yet Almighty God spared them.
 Now came rumors that the eX-Hresi- dent members of his cabinet. generals. leaders, editors. had decided to write histories of the war between the | States. It followed naturally upon the | reading in those histories of the deeds of unparalleled bravery, the suffering of unspeakable hardships. done and en- dured by men and women who were walking among us. saying nothing and claiming little credit: to say notb- | ing of the thousands who had given their lives and gone from us foreVcr-- | that the great heart Of the south | awoke once more, and resolved to do I names from oblivion, and hand down | to posterity the record of their decds. Tha Veterans Association formed and | held their reunions; the Daughters ot | the Confectionery came into existence; | the graves of the fallen soldiers were decorated annually, monuments erected | to their memory: the great and con- | spicuous achievements of the Southern l armies were written up ana the at- | tentIon of the world called to them. so | that now it has come 'to be acknowl- | edged universally. that nothing in the 1 annals of history excels the heroism | in the long and desperate struggle of | the Sixties. And yet, outside or these 1 greater events and well known exam ples of generalship and bravery, there are hundreds of incidents almost for | gotten; deeds of daring and sacrifices l made by your own officers. privates, | and boys which from an ethical stand point should place them in the fore most ranks of the worlds heroes. And there were things endured by the | mothers. wives. and sisters of those | men of which we in our generation of ease and luxury and peace. have not | A conception. Dare any mother among | YOU picture herself what were the
 feelings of Mrs Davis and. Mrs, podd
 mothers of those two heroic youths who
 suffered death rather than betray
 tr,,st when they read their letters og ! fanaweII "of course. 1t is hard for