The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1910-02-03
MRS. BERRY's ADDRESS
Delivered on the Occasion OF the
Celebration OF the Lee
Anniversary.
Confederate Veterans:

Anniversary.
Confederate Veterans:
One century and two days ago
to-day was born the man the anni-
versary of whose birth we are here
to honor,-your matchless chief.
tain, and the idol of every South
ern heart,-Robert E. Lee.
The Claiborne County Chapter
has conferred on me the high hon.
or of speaking to you on this sa-
cred occasion, to you veterans who
are to receive the "little bronze
crosses" at its hands; and although
it may seem presumption on my
part to do so, what say, however,
is only the Chapters tribute of
love and admiration for him. This
soldier without a peer for courage
and valor; this leader, who having
been forced to surrender to over
whelmlng numbers, yet is now rec
ognized as the greatest general of
his time. To whom less than fifty
years after this surrender a monu-
ment has been placed in the Ma
tional Hall of Fame. This man
who though vanquished has yet
challenged the admiration of the
civilized world. Our Lee, who was
as gentle as woman, for he had
learned gentleness at the feet of
the lowly Nazarene, whose humble
follower he was; but had not the
word fear in his vocabulary. Our
Lee, as tender as mother, yet as
your memory carries you back to
some. of those stirring scenes of the
long ago and in fancy you behold
him seated on his famous war
horse, Traveller, you think of him
as an incarnate God of War! How
we of the South love to dwell on
the beauty ard grandeur of his
character, his bravery, his daunt-
less courage, the modesty and
calmness with which he bore de-
feat as well as victory; that name
less something which makes one
feeFthat even to speak his name
makes the. place "Holy Ground,
has inspired IN you the willingness
to die for him.
1t is "meet and right that to-
day the whole South should turn
aside from therbusy walks of life to
mediate on and pay its tribute Of
homage TO. THIS, its Matchless
Herol For search the annals oi
history as you may, you will search
in vain, for. history does not record
another such. Lee was greater
under defeat than when the palms
of victory crowned his brow. By
this war he lost all. save honor.
He could have had lucrative posi-
tions, which would have been mere
sinecures, but he rejected all offers
of this kind, and chose rather the
arduous duties Of college professor,
teaching the youth Of the South
how to live and build a new South
on the desoIation of the old, while
word of bitterness passed his
lips.
] charge you, veterans, to- tell
the stories of his greatness to your
children.and your children's child
ren; keep alive.the story of valor,
bravery and chivalry as bright as
.exer.adorned anyenation; and per
.chancea "a poet will arise who will
hand them down in "song and
story. to ssnations yet unborn"
When the victorious armies
.march-home from war the govern
ment for which they fought erects
monuments and conferrs honors;
but the vanquished have no coun.
try to honor them; SO in your case
| it remained for the women of the
South TO do this. Organized as
the dDaughters of the Confeder-
acy,"sthey have ''set up stones
until hundreds of monuments real
fair shafts to the Southern skies,
mute tributes to your courage and
valor. But desiring something
more personal than monuments
they have caused to be made these
little crosses. They cost only {
few cents each in money, but they
are of priceless value, like the Vic
|torian cross, all the wealth of the
IvanderbiIts, the GOuIds. III,