The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-02-23

-NAio , ait W oman > owe
Are with thee in thy rest
George NJ. Whiting.
The other that very
much interested me on my last visit
We're erected to the of Gen.
George 3. Anderson, with whom l
was at the University of North Caro-
lina-a brave, gifted, highly intel
lectual officer-the other was the
youthful, noble harry BurgWyn, Col
onel of the now very famous 26th
North Carolina Regiment. who was
killed in the. fateful charge of Gen
eral Pettigrew's Brigade at Gettys-
burg, on the third day of that very
sanguinary, historical battle. That
Brigade lost more men in the battle
of Gettysburg than was lost in the
four years war by any regiment of
the $500 that were in the entire war
on both sides. General PettigreW was
killed a few days later. He was one
OF the very greatest men ever born
in North Carolina. A few years ago
l wrote at considerable length, filling
some five columns of The News and
Observer. an article in which I essay
ed to tell Wha | knew of General
Johnston PettigreW, and to do ample
justice to his fame and memory. I
said then that he was n Of the six
greatest men ever born in the State
of North Carolina. I hold firmly to
that view in 1909. North Carolina
had many excellent soldiers, but no
genius equal to General ohnsto
Pettigrew, viewing him in his entirety,
and estimating accurately his abund-
ant and Very rare combination Of in
tellectual powers n accomplish
mentS and most extraordinary acQui-
sitions as a scholar and a lawyer. It
has been SO long since I visited Oak
wood Cemetery at Enthusiastically
thirty-five yearS-that I am aunable
to even name the most celebrated and
able men buried beneath it's sacred
soil. AS I remember the new
terry was attractive and pleasing, and
thoroughly we'll adapted in taste and
usefulness to the purposes intended.
Even then some of Mort Cardinals
eminent dead We're buried there. I
recall that amOng them Governor
Thomas Bragg, eX-United States SEN
ator, and really one of the great men
of our Commonwealth. He was a
great legal advocate, as I can we'll
testify to, for l heard him make the
greatest legal argument to which I
ever listened, save one or two, by
Judge Badger. Ex-Governor Land.
l.. Swain, SO long the efficient. faith
full president of the University Of
North Carolina. Among others there
repOSlng in the new cemetery were
Ex-Governor Jonathan Worth, q mar
of singular honesty and virtue. There,
too. slept in death the eloquent, chiv-
alrous Louis d. Henry and George w.
Mordecai. the man Of probity. charity
and public spirit. ] do not recall
where such eminent men lie buried.
Let me mention q point Of some in
terest. Soon after the late Hon.
Abram w. Nenable, orator of high
gifts and rare accomplishments, had
- - $50 49,
of 1876, an article upon him of in
terest appeared in the Raleigh "Bibli-
cal Recorder organ of the
Paptists in North Carolina. 1t was
an excellent obitual discussion of a
politician Of marked gifts and ac-
quirements, and was from the faclle
pen of Governor w. w. Holden. 1t
was admirably done and was alike
creditable to his heart and head. I
heard it we'll praised by men Of
prOmlnence%
/ have not touched on Tennyson
within a few weeks, I believe. l need
not write of that wonderful poem of
him-"Sunset and Evening Star'-the
most exquisite poem ever written by
a mar Of his extreme age, some
eighty-one or more. It is. l believe,
the most beautiful poem in any lam
guage that ever came from a genius
OF such advanced years. Compare
it with the test by the few very old
poets who have written in English
and behold their in~feriority. In fact
the very old poets wrote but little
that possessed merit. Wordsworth
quit writing almost entirely before he
was seventy-five. Shakespeare died
at fifty-two, and Milton at about sixty
seven. NO English poet ever fairly
approached Tennyson's productions
he gave the world after he was some
seventy-five years Of age, to the close
when about eighty-three- His Won
derful Sunset and Evening Star
has become one Of the most precious
productions in all Of the charming
realms of poetry. It will be repeated
and praised so long as exquisite poetic
art and inspiration are delighted in
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