Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-03-11
A Splendid Letter From
Far AWAY WV0minq
nOTYGT.AS

DOUGLAS, Wyo., Fen. s, 1SlV.
Dear Mrs. FELTON,: read with great
deal of satisfaction The Atlanta Journai
and YOUR column l like you and The
Journal for the many nice things you
saw about the old Confederates. We VINO
have interests in the south do not Won
der at the yalor displayed and for you
who followed the erratic Bragg, the
knightly johnson or the daring Hood IN
victory and defeat, we have only the.
high regard that one soldier has Tor an
other who fights his country's battles,
the land of your birth, the heritage OF
your fathers and the traditions or your
people. Many of you were raised 10
think that the word Dam-Yankee was all
one word. We both entered the war with
ideas that did not prevail, and which
were all shot to pieces.
1 remember meeting a squad of return
ing Confederates in the pine woods OF
North Carolina on their way to their
homes after Lee surrendered and Jonn-
sno quit" They were talking about their
homes and the state of the country.
Some were talking of quitting the coun-
try and going to Mexico. One OF the
men remarked: You fellows can DO as
YOU please, as for myself this country
is good enough for me. am going back
to Sandersville to kiss my wife ana
babies and plant a crop. but damn me,
if the Yankees don't behave will turn
out and help lick them again" Such
spirit. my friends, can be overcome. but
is hard 10 conquer.
II was the matchless courage of the
southern girls of that period that pro-
longed the war, that induced their sweet
hearts to face the. eannon's mouth and
to die among the guns OF some battery
In its capture or defense, rather than
return in disgrace.
The sad partfof 1t was, there were en-
tirely too many of such gallant souls on
both sides who never returned to claim
their just reward, the love of true
woman.
We come among you and find certain
laws of your state with which we intend
TO live in harmony. The act pensioning
Confederate veterans who are enfeebied
through want or wounds. and require
assistance, is eminently proper and win
never be repealed through votes from
northern colonists.
I want to speak to you of a class OF
men which 10 you will seem as unwrit-
ten history. I refer to the men from
the border states who were captured in
battle and who on account of the bitter
sectional feeling did not desire to return
to their homes and who rather than re-
main in prison until the war closed (an-
ticipating what you did later took the
oath of allegiance, not to the northern
government. but to the government OF
these United States of America They
were enrolled In separate regiments and
sent to the western plains to fight our
common enemy, the Indians, They were
good men. knew them as such In bat
tie, In cattle stampedes. in the deadly
blizzard and in their humble cabins as
prospectors. / was honored with their
friendship in their life time. and at some
of their deaths, helped perform the last
respectful rites one soldier renders TO
another. My friends, there are no un-
known or unmarked graves in that great
empire they helped create.
The fortunes of war decreed we should
not die on the field of battle, but many
of us in our old age, Ill pass our re-
naming days peaceably In your beautiful
country towards which we did so mucn
to reunite.
ST. CLOUD. 4