The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-31
TABLET is UNVEILED
IN OLD BLANDFORD
Tribute Is Paid to Heroes Who Lost Their Lives
in Battle of the Crater-Legion
Now Dissolved

, The death grapple OF these men with
the enemy was closer at hand than
cheer. It was the time for action,
Within a few minutes the charge is
ordered. The Virginia brigade and a
small part of Wrights Georgia bril-
gade. In all less than a thousand men,
spring forward. move across the Inter-
vening field in beautiful line OF bat
tie. with great rapidly. apparently as
II In a race to reach the goal. the
breastworks. the regimental colors of
the five regiments Of the brigade held
breeze as they are borne by their gal
liant color bearers, many men falling
Killed or wounded before the works
are reached
tured from the Crater north wardly.
but not until there has been much
hand-to- hand fighting, in which bayo-
net and dubbed musket were freely
the part Of men on both sides
TT Is not proposed TO give the de-
tails OF this unique ngagement,-o or to
tell how the men of W!se's Brigade.
Elliott's Brigade under Colonel F. w.
1cMaster. and of Ransom's Brigade.
under Colonel Lee NJ. McAfee. on the
ljanks, or how the artillery helped the
it to say that few hours later the
Alabama brigade of Mahone's Division.
led by General John C. c. Sanders.
turing the Crater. and thus restoring
the broken Confederate lines
II have asked. why did these men.
whose memory We are honoring, die?
July day on the field OF the Crater, and
on hundreds of other days and other
neids during the four years from April,
federate States enrolled in their ar
mics 500. 900 men and the United States
in theirs over 100000. and in which
nearly half million of men lost their
lives?
Our dead comrades fought and died
in defense OF their rights. their homes
and their firesides.
Some contend that this stupendous
struggle might have been avoided. 1t
might have been postponed, but not
avoided In 1920. and again in 1850,
pnemoniiio n o. the gathering storm
Congress, and In the utterances of the
press In 1861 the great Ruler of the
Universe, in the plentitude OF His
the storm to burst in all OF It's terrific
fury, and permitted the great war.
then begun, to be fought through four
been many and far-reaching, but none
more. striking than the growing con-
yietion among the thoughtful minds
Guided. that the people of the South
however unwise or inexpedient may
have been their act of secession. we're
under tho circumstances that SUR
rounded them, justified in resorting to
arms TO maintain the right OF their
states to withdraw from the Union, il
they saw ut, as they did. to exercise
this right But II is proper to add
here that the same omnipotent power
IN His infinite wisdom, has allowed
future events to so shape themselves
that all now regard the question OF
secession as finally settled against the
right as claimed by the seeding
states. and no people of our reunited
country are more loyal to ii or would
20 further to defend Il than the peo-
pie of the South. and especially the
Confederate veterans. Had those brave
men VINO fell al the Crater lived to be
with US to-day, 1t is fair to presume
that, patriotic as they were. they would
have shared this view.
OF Petersburg, by direction OF Colonel
Stewart. CHIEF of the Crater Legion.
now commit to your keeping the tablet
on which are the names of the gallant
dead of Nahone's Brigade who fell in
the battle of the Crater satisfied from
your splendii record of forty-odd years
OF good works that you Will carefully
preserve 1t along with other memen-
toes of the cause for which they died"
The veil was drawn from the tablet
by Master Theophilus a. Field. a
grandson of Mr.. Bernard and of Col
onel f. NJ. Field, both veterans OF the
Crater battle.
The tablet was received on behalf
OF the Ladies' Memorial Association by