The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1910-08-25

Congress the Fourth Louisiana District
subject to the action Of the Democratic party.
BOSSIER'S CONFEDERATE MONUMENT.
The Confederate monument erected in
this place by the Richard J. Hancock Chap
ter, United Daughters of the Confederacy,
to commemorate the deeds of the men of
Bossier Parish who fought in the Confed-
crate War, will be unveiled next Tuesday,
August 3Oth.
1t is needless to say that in thus honor
ing the noble purpose and heroic achieve
ments of the men of Bossier who wore the
gray, our patriotic women are lovingly per-
forming sacred duty--a duty that may
never be disregarded by people who hope
to be remembered in the years to come. In
the titanic struggle of 1875 Bossier Par
ish discharged promptly and completely
the grave responsibility imposed upon her.
Her sons were among the first to respond
to the call to arms and among the last to
leave the scene of conflict, after every duty
Adu OCCu Idtulully uASCuolE,CO 0uN OVCI y
promise had in good faith been kept.
After all these years that haveintervened
the past rises up before us like dream.
Again we are boys once more full of high
hopes and fond expectations. Again we
are in the great struggle for Southern In
dependence. In the distance we can see
the lightning flashes and hear the distant
muttering thunders in the political skies Of
our country, clearly and Enthusiastically in
dicating the gathering forces of the coming
storm of war that would sweep over oul
Sunny South, carrying desolation, dis
truction and death in its wake. We hear
the sound of preparation for war; the music
of drums and the call of the bugle. We see
in our dreams thousands of assemblages
and can hear the appeal of orators as il
fired the Southern heart. We see the pale
and anxious faces of women and the flushed
faces of men, and in those assemblies we
see our gallant dead, whose gallant lives
were so nobly offered in the cause they
loved so we'll. We are in memory with
them when they enlist in the great South
ern Army for freedom. We bring them
again to sight. We see them part with
those they love; some are walking in quiet
places with the maidens they adore. We
hear the sweet whisperings of vows of
eternal love as they part forever. Some
are parting from mothers who hold them in
blessed mothers fond and loving and
last embrace. We hear the mothers part
ing blessing given with mothers kiss of
love to her boy as she babe him go. Yes,
we can see the father bending over the
cradle of his child that is asleep, taking a
last look of love as he imprints last kiss
upon the lips of his child. We see the
same father parting from his wife, endeav-
oring with brave words, spoken in loving
tones, to drive away from her heart the
awful fear. We see them part. We see
the faithful, loving wife, standing in the
doorway with the babe in her arms, sob
bling through her binding tears, taking a
last look of love as he goes from her sight
forever. We see that husband in the
foremost ranks in battle slain, offering the
last libation that liberty draws from heart
that breaks and bleeds in its defense, and
with his life blood ebbing swiftly away he
commits his far away wife and child to the
care of the great God in whom he put his
trust. Amidst the glory that surrounded
him his spirit was waited on angel wings
to the God who gave it. Again we see that
devoted wife in her Bossier home bending
over her babe, her eyes dissolved in dew as
she reads the sad message of his fathers
death.
The gallant dead of the sons of Bossier
are mingling with the dust of many bloody
fields of various States. May that ever
lasting peace that comes alone from God
be with them in the quietude of their slum.
bers in the honored graves they fill. Rest,
loved comrades, who share the fame of
Robert E. Lee, Albert Sidney Johnston,
Stonewall Jackson, Joseph E. Johnston,
Nathan Bedford Forest, Richard Taylor,
Braxton Bragg, P. G. T. Beaureguard,
and other gallant Confederate leaders
whose swords flashed and cleaned amidst
the smoke and sunlight of battle, as they
led them on to victory. How bright their
young faces come back to us through all
these vista of years. How they bore SUI
fering and hardship, and how ready were
they with their lives at the call of duty.
Suffering they bore; duty they performed
and death they faced and death they met