Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1909-02-05
ADDRESS OF MAJOR j. OGDEN
MURRAY.

! The following address was delivered
before a gathering of Confederates
by Major J. Ogden Murray, one o.
the Immortal Six Hundred.
COMRADES AND FRIENDS;
The peerless women Of the world, We
who wore the gray. believe are the
women Of the Southland. In all thai
is -,rand, we hold that the women OF
the South stand peerless in the realm
Of created things. Seeking an EN-
blem OF her, we find the task difficult
But in the floral kingdom, that won
deriul and exquisite exhibit OF the
great love for man, presented TO us in
things beautiful, and find for woman
a symbol in that matchless cOmbina'
tion Of beauty and fragrance, the
night blooming cereus. This plant
while generously contributing its odor
and beauty to enrich the earth's treas.
ures OF fragrance, modestly conceals
| its beauty beneath the veil of night
And this is the emblem Of our grand
women Of the South, who 60 on and
| on in their works of charity and love,
without oStentation or parade.
We are told the brightest gems in a
nations's coronet are the ashes of lis
heroic dead, and yet claim there is
another gem in every nations crown
that cannot be overlooked, its bril-
liancy cannot be hid from our view.
What is this priceless gem, YOU may
ask: 1t is the moral force of the noble
mothers Of the nation that teach the
children the love of liberty, justice
a nd truth. These are the principles
that make all nations great; it is the
principle of Liberty, Truth and Justice
that makes the great statesmen, sol
diers and citizens, and | say to you,
it was these principles that gave to
the South in her hour Of peril, Jeffer-
son Davis, Robert f. Lee. Stonewall
j ackson, and the other heroes OF the
, South, that wrote for all time upon the
pages Of American history the grand
est story ever told.
There is no people on The face OF
this green earth who can boast Of such
women as ours: no nation can claim
greater statesmen, nor grGnder SOL
| dierS, than the states that composed
the COnfederacy Of lS6l65. At our
mothers knee we were taught the
principles of liberty, justice and truth,
and without the least fear OF contra
diction, 1 say it was the teachings OF
these great principles of the Southern
mother to her boy. that made the Con
federate soldier the ideal soldier OF
] the world: and | d. not hesitate with
the lights before me, that the moral
support given the Confederate armies
during the great struggle by our brave
women. was potent factor in our con
tinuing the struggle for four long a1d
bloody years against the fearful odd;
We contended with.
The women OF the South were thu
ministering angels OF the Confederate
soldiers; they were the inspiration
that gave US comfort and hope in our
darkest days. They are passing
away. like the men Of lS6l-65; theil
numbers grow less each year; thei,
locks, once golden, q 'e now streakec
with the frosts of time: their steps,
like our own, grow slower each day
bat their courage, fidelity, devotion
and loyalty is as superb today as i
was in the days when red-handed wal
desolated Our land, and the invader
marched with iron heel over the SACRED
soil and wrought ruin upon our homes
Comrades, the grand women Of tn
war DAYS are as dear TO us today a
they were in those days when we fol
lowed the Confederacy whittier it led
Shall we not tell the world of thes
grand women, and tell their grand oil
story 10 those who will come after Us
Yes, comrades, we must always tel
this grand old story, for 1t was write
on the pages of time, as the grandes
example of courage, fidelity an
loyalty ever known, and it will a.
ways be the admiration of the homes
and true men OF all time. The courag
!. of the women Of the South was nc
excelleG by the women OF Sparta no
] Rome. and today these daughters {
peerless mothers of the South, in thei
organization OF Daughters OF tn
Confederacy, are teaching TO the We
men of all nations Of the earth
lesson of fidelity and charity wor.
v its learning.
n Comrades, who can say-who dare
| Sdy-OuT CAUSE Is d iOSt CtuScY WI
5 can say the Confederate soldier wi
be forgotten soldier, while the'
Daughters OF the Southern Cross liz
TO tell the grand Old story, hande
down to them by their mothers? A
most daily these daughters of Il
Confederacy are erecting at some spc
q monument TO heroes of the South, {
mark spot to tell TO future peop
the story of the men who wore ii
gray. When we know all this is b'
ing done, pray tell me how 1t can
sid in truth the grand old story
the days of 186l-65 will be forgotte
story? Comrades, when the bugle
time shall sound taps for you and IN
= and the Confederate soldier shall
but memory, these worthy daughte
of the peerless mothers of the Co
+ federacy will tell to posterity yo'
grand old story OF the past, and u
world will know OF jefferson Dayi
the patriot statesman, Lee, the In