The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-05-14

! sons OF NeW'Derry sned Heely tneH
blood at the modern Pass of Thermo-
pylae-the Bloody Angle at Spots
ylvania, May II, 1864, and like the
Spartans Of old, were enabled to hold
the enemy at bay in that most terri
BILE conflict of the war. Also they
crimsoned the soil of Snodgrassr Hill
at the battle of Chicamauga, IN those
! fierce and irresistible charges against
the Northern Rock of Gibraltar, and
caused his stubborn and surly re-
treat. Under Hampton and Butler
and Gary, from the north side of the
James river to the banks Of the Con-
garee, in the cavalry and artillery,
they gave many a goodly life in sac
rifce to their beloved State and
Southland. The graves of the he
roes, upon which you will today, place
beautiful flowers and garlands with
wreaths Of evergreen, attest that
they did their whole duty under the
banner of the starry cross, emble-
matte of home rule and independence.
"And God rest the boys of the old
brigade,
And hallow the turf that lies
Flowering over each crimson blade,
And the stars Of God on heights ar
rayed,
Be sentinels over the old brigade" "
But if the sons Of Newberry did
nobly, their duty during the trying
times Of the war, not a single atom
Of praise must be withheld from her
faithful daughters. whose minds day
and night, were full possessed with
care and solicitude for the fathers,
brothers, husbands, and sweethearts
on the tented field. Tented, did |
say, rather should it be said Gin the
bare camp with only his thin blan-
ket between him and mother earth,
and the frosts and dews Of heaver4,
Yes, the noble women acted their
part in the management of planta-
tions, making Of cloth and clothes,
nursing the sick and wounded, mins
istering to the dying and moulding
the mounds above their dead heroes,
decking them with flowers as YOU
will today, and hallowing them to
God with their tears. Among them
were the bereft mother, the discon-
solate widow, and the broken-hearted
sweetheart. I can in mind S eye, see
the last parting of a gallant soldier
boy with his betrothed. He had be-
sought his ladylove to seal their love
with the marriage vow, but she had
appealed to his manly patriotism and
the wedding was postponed until he
returned from the war, his country
saved and he a hero crowned with
laurels. Alas, his beloved form was
brought back to her in death. She
bathed his pale brow with her tears,
kissed his ashen lips, and placing
crown of immortelles on her martyrs
head, tore her aching heart from her
throbbing bosom, and placing it be-
side that of her lost dear one, buried
them both in his grave. She lives
yet in many a Southern home-a
sweet, gentle old woman, old Auntie
to some, old Maid, to other. She
performs her duties diligently With
cheer and smile, but in the solitude
of her chamber, she takes from her
treasure place an old faded ambro-
type of a young soldier, dressed in
Confederate, her eyes fill with tears,
she presses the picture to her lips:
then falls upon her knees and prays
a merciful God for the time to come
soon when they will meet again in
Heaven. All, comrades, it is our
bounden duty to erect a monument
to our Confederate women. They
did their duty as we'll as we, and
though they faced not the enemy on
the field Of battle, their bodies and
minds were racked with toll and
trouble, and their hearts were scared
with grief and sorrow. Thousands
have gone to their graves with brok-
en- hearts. I care not what the sup
porting column of this monument
should. be, but the figure in bronze
that sQrmounts the shaft, should be
that of ministering angel beaming
with pity, sympathy and love.
Comrades the years are laying a
whitening hand upon us. No longer
are our steps springy, and sprightly,
our shoulders are bent and our locks
are white. but before we enter our
final resting place, We should see to
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