The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1909-05-13
MEMORIAL ADDRESS.
The Glorious and Arduous Ser
vices Rendered by Robson
County Soldiers.

vices RENDERED by NODeSOn
County Soldiers.
delivered by Chief Justice Walter
Clark at Lumberton May 10)
Veterans and Comrades of
Camp Hoke, Ladies and Gentle
men:
When | received the summons
of my old comrade of Camp Hoke,
as a soldier | knew nothing else
to do than to obey the call. Be-
sides, | was glad of an opportun-
ity to meet again the good people
of our grand old county whom |
met when here 21 years ago, this
month, and of whom | have al
ways borne the pleasantest recol-
lections. | have not been here
since till now and | am gratified
at your marvellous growth and
development. You have the lar
gest county in the State and | am
sure that there is none better.
1t lacks but little Of half a GEN.
tury since North Carolina, resum-
ing her sovereignty, took her
stand with her sister Southern
States, beneath a new flag. Near
ly tour decades and a half have
passed since, wreathed about with
laurel and cypress, that banner
passed into the eternal silence
where live forever the deathless
dead.
North Carolina sent forth more
than 125, 1000 stalwart sons to
make her declaration good. More
than one-third d-43, 00O-came not
home again. Dead by the fire of
battle, dead by wounds, dead by
disease from exposure and hard
ship, $4,000 of our best and brav-
est are sleeping their last sleep
at Gettysburg, at Vicksburg, at
Chickamauga, at Charleston, in
the swamps of the Chickahominy,
around Petersburg, in the Valley
of Virginia and wherever in that
ring of fire, that encircled the
Confederacy, we faced the fear
full odds that slowly but steadily
drove US inward. In the four
decades and a half since, the re-
lentless years have driven great
gaps in the ranks of the survi.
vOrS. Another third, and ave,
perhaps half of the remaining
third have joined their comrades
in the great bivouac of the be-
yond. Of that mighty host o1
North Carolinians, 125, 900 strong
who may we'll be said to have
carried on their bayonet points
the fortunes of the Confederacy
as we'll as the fame and honor O.
North Carolina, less than tWent.
thousand are still with us.
The sufferings and hardship!
endured by our glorious womel
amid the trials of those arduou
years are not less worthy of com
memoration than those borne b.
our soldiers in the field. Thoug
we have as yet raised no monu
ment to them, it was the heroi
women of the Confederacy VIII
inspired our citizen soldiery b
their faith in God, by their magi
influence and their immeasurabl
good works. And we owe it
their fair daughters, whose ur
shaken fidelity has preserved tn
memory of our glorious dead, ths
the monument here and man
another shaft has arisen to poir
out to posterity the pathway I
fame that our fallen heroes troc
1t was the path of duty and {
honor.
am glad to be with you, We
Grams of North Carolina, and one
more look into the faces of SON
of the survivors of that splendi
soldiery whose fame is now c.
extensive with the world itsel
Half fed and poorly clothed, yoJ
array Of "tattered uniforms an
bright muskets' taught the fl
that courage and fidelity to du1
were inborn in this Souther
race. You often marched wit
bare feet and fought on half r;
: tions, but you marched to etc
4 nal fame and proved yourselv'
in battle worthy comrades of tt
Tenth Legion of Caesar and
the Old Guard of Napoleon. II
annals of war, soldiers, do NJ
show your superiors.
Outnumbered, not outdone, VI
surrendered after four years
an unparalleled struggle and yol
drums last beat is rolling
eternity. But your past, at leas
is secure. So much enduranc
so much valor, were not in val
Their memory is a rich lega'
for your children's children, al
the whole race wears the hon
you have conferred, upon it.
the long centuries that are
come, legend and song in tt
fair Southland will keep brig
the story Of the Confedera
soldier. His momory will spark
in the fountain, the mounta
peaks will recall remembrance
his marches
''The meanest rill, the mightiest ri'
"Rolls mingling with his fame forever
Posterity will recall, too, t
simple faith, and courage wi
which you turned your fac
homeward, and there picking
the web of life where the swe
had cut it, you began again wht
you left it four years befo
ID Won't Slight a Good Friend
? sTf aUar I nood ool1Oh mpdi(