The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-31
rHrr Anr pAsarrn AwAY.

T every hill and vale and. as in the old days of scotland's glory. the sound of the bugle aroused her sons to arms, so In our own lately peaceful land the beat Of the drums called the sons ot the south to take up arms in defense of their homes and their sa- cred rights Men Of middle age Joined the ranks with full appreciation of what 1t siGniAed. Young men in the enthusiasm of their early manhaod hurried to enlist in the cause of the confederacy. Bright boys. full of youths fire. many of them not yet out of school flushed with the ambition and patriotism of boyhood, laft che schools and the homes and proudly put on the gray uniform of the youns nation just emerging from it's cradle. Everywhsrs from all ranks and sta- tions Of life came the answering re- sponse to the call to arms ''EAaady, aye ready was the ery of the Scots when the eau came. and ~Ready. eye ready" answered the men and boys of the south when their States called them to duty on tho feld of glory and death.
 And it was a struggle whieh win go down in history for all tine as among the greatest wars Of earth. when we consider the odds that were against us from the very start we can only wonder that the contsst was maintained 50 long. In everything but its manhood the south waa wosuily outelaased from the beginning and nothing but the possession of vaior and patriotism never exeeeded In hu. man history enabled them to hold their own for more than four years. It
 matters not what may be the opinions of men as to the right or wrong of shs conflict. the impartial historian will give to the south and the people of the South a place in the front rank Of brave soldiers and true patriots. who fought on when hope itself was dead. and lost not one iota of their loyalty to the stars and Bars, and yielded only when human nature could no longer maintain the unequal stsug- gle against fate and vastly superior numbers.
 And what Of those wno returned with honor from the battle fleid to desoiated homes and the almost hope less task of asa4n taking up the du- ties which they had Iets more than four years agog Where now are the heroes who upheld the fag through the struggle which was each day fill ing history with new pages of glorious Southern manhoodg The cemeteries all over the country must answer the question as to thousands and tens of thousands of coufederates. The thinned ranks at each muater and TO. union show how pitifully few of them are left most of them fesbls and fast tottering towards the end Of alI things earthly. Those who entered the ranks as mere boys testify by their gray hairs and less buoysnt steps the ei- feet that forty-seven years o3 ruth less time has had on them. There are no young Confederate Veterans now. for but few of them can be found who have not reached their thrse-score years.
 It is with saddened hearts that those of us who are left try to keep track of each other during the few years that l may be left. Each day brings the an- nouncement that some one of the he- role band has answered the roll eau l grim Death Is continually sounding. At each gathering we misH familiar faces and fail to hear familiar voices. If the roster is called the continual repetition of the solemn word Dead" falls on the ears of those who are left The number left Is comparatively small and they so down like the leaves of autumn and their comrades see them no more. There are few who yet exhibit the strength and activity of virile manhood. but for the most part the survivors are aged and worn. and may count on but few years to remain among the living.
 And sometimes when we think of these fast falling veterans, of what they endured and accomplished. of the record they made. Of the many years. hard to most of them, that have passed since they laid down arms; when we reflect on their enfeebied condition and the hardships that some of them are yet enduring; when we think of ail these things. we cannot avoid the re- aectlon that the old heroes are in aome respects neglected Probably there is no intent to neglect or forget