Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1909-07-07
South's Failure Was Not Best
SaId Judge Letcher


Said Judge Letcher
In reporting the presentations
the Fifth Virginia Regiment bat
tle-flsg last week by Judge S.
Houston Letcher to the Confeder-
ate Veterans of Stonewall Jack.
son Camp, Staunton, Va, the
Daily Leader of that city publish
ed the address in full, from which
we quote the following:
A significant meeting of Stone
wall jackson Camp, Confederate
Veterans took place Tuesday night
in Camp Hall before large audi
ence Of Civil War survivors and
other citizens, besides number of
ladies interested in the presenta.
ton of the historic old battle.fsg
of the Fifth Virginia Regiment.
The flag was donated to the
camp by Mrs. C. S. Arnall and was
presented BY Judge S. H. Letcher
of Lexington, son of the late John
Letcher. virginia's Civil War Gov
ernor, who in 1851 presented the
flag to the Fifth Regiment near
Kernstown. It was received by
Capt. Jas. Bumgardner, Jr., who,
it happens, had also received it
nearly fifty years before, as Adju-
tant OF the Regiment in the Stone.
we'll Jackson Brigade.
Judge Letcher said in part:
II feel it n great compliment to
be invited to take 90 prominent q
part In these interesting exercises
and to present at the Camp the old
flag of the Fifth Virginia Infantry.
On a former occasion of more than
usual interest, amid the pomp and
glamour of war, and the enthu-
sissm that inspired orr then vic
torious legions, near the field OF
Manassas, this same flag was pre-
sented to the regiment by my
honored father, who was then the
Governor of this grand old Com.
monwealth. So after the lapse OF
more than forty years, with all the
vicissitudes Of war, the uncertain
ty of the times, the disorganiza-
ton of society, the frailty OF men,
DRY and the scattering of house
hoide, it is not little remarkable,
that these colors have been pre-
served, and are new again to be
committed to the keeping of some
of the same cid regiment as well
as other tried veterans, who will be
40 faithful to their sacred duty as
they were in ysars long gone by.
1t was thought by your committee
as not Inappropriate, that /, as
the son, should take part in this
last rite as his father did in the
first, though under circumstances
far different and less inspiring.
4 Il =
II know that he felt personal
pride in that ceremony in commit
ting this flag to the care and keep
ing of that enthusiastic and devot-
ed body of young Virginians, who
had so promptly stepped forward
at the call of duty, and who repre-
sented the bone and sinew, and the
best OF our people in this great
Valley. His interest in the pre-
was personal. because
they were from ME own section,
they were. many of them, his per-
sonal and political friende, (com-
paratively speaking) they were his
neighbors. and be was one of them.
v 4 X
"After the battle of Manassas,
when Jackson was promoted to
Major General, and placed in the
command Of the Valley, it was his
great desire to take with him his
old brigade and he made an appeal
to his personal friend, Governor
fletcher, to use his influence with
the Confederate Government in
having it transferred to his com
mand. His efforts were successful,
and the Brigade at once started
for the Valley, and in the memor
able campaigns that followed, re.
newed lustre was added to its re-
even the prowess, the
heroism and the courage of such
troops as composed the grandest
army the world ever saw, were un-
able to secure our independence
agalnet such odds and conditions,
with which they had to contend.
y y
my own belief is that no great
err misfortune could have befallen
this country, nothing in the ma.
ture of a greater menace to the
welfare and happiness OF the PEG.
pie of this entire country, than
that the South did not gain it's in
der Evidence. / do not believe that
two nations composed of the States
would, or could, have remained
and apart for any great
length Of time. Their common
interests would have eventually
brought them again together, but
the terms and conditions of their
re uniting would have been dictat
ed and controlled by the Southern
States, on the basis Of proper and
just Interpretation of the Consti-
tuition, as expoundsd and handed
down to US by Jefferson, ana the