The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-24

desire TO HONOn CAPrAIN WIRE
CAUSES SPLIT.


Savannah, Ca. Feb. 7s-Upon the de-
sire OF two. possibly three Georgia ci-
ties to furnish q site for the monument
of Captain Wirz. for whom II IL claimed
THAT he lost his life in the defense of
the Confederate President. Jeffersoa
Davis. rests the reason for the present
hight AMONG the members of the Qeor.
lgia Division. United Daughters Of tho
tConfederacy. that has been caused by
bfhe monumept question.
At the regular convention of the d.
vision In Savannah during the last
week in October. 1908. after the parti-
lSan fight of cities had made 1t impos-
tsible for Andersonville, where Captain
kWirz's service in The civil war has
placed the center Of the discussion hts
name has caused since the war closed.
to be selected for his monument. Saw
.ennah delegates led fight In favor OF
lRichmond. and by q very close vote.
the old Capital Of the Confederacy was
selected. However the Georgia cities
that had before wanted the monument
kept after 1t and now a called meeting
Of the division will take up the ques-
tion Of re-considering Its selection and
the monument may vet remain perma.
0ently on Georgia soil.
- 1t is very probable that those who
voted for Richmond will. II Richmond
lie put out of the running. fight for An
Jacksonville. though Americus. Macon.
land possibly Atlanta, will be strong
,contenders. The called conventions will
be held in Atlanta. March II. and the
meeting promises to be the most ex-
citing the Georgia Division. u. d. c..
has known. The question has caused
. sharp division. manv claiming that
reconsideration Of the divisions de.
termination to place the monument at
tRichmond is now too late. that ad-
vances have been made to Richmond
rhat cannot be retracted. -
[ The monument is in the s.ore yard at
EAmericus. where 1t was made. Dates
thave been set for its shipment to Rich
mond and IT was thought at one. time
that the shaft would be rushed out Of
the State and accepted in Richmond as
one way to cut the Gordian knot the
problem had tied. Against Ander-
sonvilie IL was urged that threats had
tbeen made. bv negroes especially, that
the erection of a monument to Captain
EWfrz there would be followed by rior.
nng and that the shaft would in all
probability be injured. possibly destroy.
ed, with grave trouble resulting.
The delegates who want the monu-
anent for Georgia first. and their own
cities next. will join in the fight
against Richmond. with part of Ander-
!sonville's adherents Most of the dele-
gates from the Savannah district will
probably lead the fight for the virginia
Capital. That falling, they will join for
sAndersonville and the prediction Is
made that the shaft will finally be plac
FED at Andersonvflle. IL Richmond Is
turned down.
Members of the division are looking
forward to the meeting in Atlanta with
the expectation Of a bitter fight. The
monument question has stirred the d.
vision. and in fact ~the entire organiza-
tion as has no question stirred 1t In
years. The alternate praise and calum-
ny heaped Upon Captain Wirz and the
efforts of the Daughters of the Con-
federacy to show their belief in his
high motives and his death as a martyr
urged them to erect a monument in his
honor. The quarrel that arose over a
site has but augmented the feeling that
has grown from the first of the Wirz
agitation.