The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1910-05-16
LIFE AND CHARACTER
OF ALFRED ROWLAND.

last week by COMMANDER j. "a NC
AIlister, Of Camp Willis Il. Pope.'
1t is with much reluctance, on
account of my consciousness of
my unfttingness for the duty,
that l have undertaken the part
assigned to me in this days ex-
ercises. A fair, discriminating
and just delineation Of personal
character is difficult for the rea-
son that on one hand the severe
y just critic may fail TO give
roper credit for qualities that
are prominent in his subject and
thus may fail to do justice; or
lie 100 partial critic, influenced
by high personal regard, may so
>rnbellish and magnify the char
scteristics Of his subject as to
fall into fulsome pauegyrics,
rather than a just delineation of
character. Neither Of these
courses would be proper on this
occasion and before this audience.
have therefore endeavored to
present q just and faithful tr!b-
ute to the manly worth and nc
bi!ity of Alfred Rowland, and to
recall TO your memories some of
those traits that so beautifully
marked his character and en-
aeared him to the people of this
section of the State.
Alfred Rowland was born in
Lumberton on the 9th of Febru-
airy, 1874. When a small boy his
parents moved to Union, now
Raynham. and there he spent
part of his boyhood. In 1857 the
family returned to Lumberton,
where the rest of his life was
spent. During his boyhood he
was under the tutelage of DR..
Duncan Smith, Mr.. Giles Leitch,
Mr.. Robert E. Troy and others,
and thus acquired a good COM
mon school education.
In 1861 the war cloud that had
been threatening and whose
muttering thunder had already
been heard, burst in unexampled
fury over the land. Its causes
have been too often discussed to
required any discussion here.
When therefore the trump of
cur civil war sounded it was
like the call of Epaminondas to
the patriots of Greece:
Strike till the last armed foe ex-
pires,
Strike for your affairs and your fires.
Strike for the green graves of your
sires,
God, and your native land
IN response to this call, echoed
and re-echoed through every val
ley and hill and mountain of our
Southland, the youth and man.
hood of the South, from the farm,
the workshop and the counter,
from poor novels and princely
homes, moved by a common i'm.
pulse of patriotism, gathered
around that fated banner which
they were to carry so often tt
glorious victory and finally were
to fold in as glorious defeat.
Young Rowland was of Scotch
Irish descent from Revolutionar,
patriots, his great-grandfathers
Gen. Richard Clinton and JOIN
Rowland, -.,,;i = both served il
this momentous struggle 70
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. while hi
grandfather, Gen. Alfred Row
land, served in the war of 1872.
Descended from a race of fgh1
ers and patriots, young Rowland
though but II years of age
promptly responded to the ca
Of his country and in May, 1856
volunteered in Company d. 18t
North Carolina Regiment. Tn
regiment was attached to tt
brigade commanded first by Ger
L. y. B. Branch and after h
death till the close of the war
/ Gen. James H. Lane, A.P. Hill
Division, Jackson's Corps.
write in detail the history Of tt
regiment would be to wri
largely the history of the Arm
Of Northern Virginia.
1t received itsBaptism of Bio
at the battle of Hanover Cot
House, where, at the inception
as splendid career, it earned t
soubriquet of the Bloody 18th
1t was engaged during the Sew
days Battles around Richmor
at Mecnanlcsvllle, Gaines's M
LIST Cold Harbor and Frazie
Farm; during the first Maryla
campaign, at Cedar Mounta
Brandy STATION, End Manass
Harper's Ferry and Sharpsbu
After the return from Maryls
1t was engaged in the battles
fredericksburg and Chancello
vile ana gettysburg, and in me