The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-05-23
Voice Of the People
Preserve thc Cunfclerate nnlIa

10 the Editor of The Times-Dispalch:
sir.-I have just read the commun,-
cation In The Times Dispatch OF the
18th instant from Bedford city, Va,
signed By Mora Kingsley Hurley, about
the lack of Confederate records. etc.
Many years ago. while L was a citi-
zen OF Missouri. I thought OF this lack
OF records. and 1 dctermincd that l
would do what 1 could TO perpetuate the
names and fact OF service in the Con-
1ederate army OF those brave men ana
gallant boys who were in my
during the war. Fortunately, L pro-
served some two or three pay rolls OF
my company-CompnnyF +. Second RerI-
inent. Virginia Ar,illery-und from
Them and memory 1 mado out an al
phabetical list Of about 10 men and
boys; who We're with me from the first
rrcFelle to the last tattoo. noting the
deaths. the wounded. the killed, etc,
including a sketch Of the compnny's
service, Its officers. etc. recorded me
whole in a hrst-class book. ledger sire.
using the best ink. that which is gen
sraiiy used in recording Wills and
deeds.
sent the book. to my father. then
iflng. Colonel r. H. Allen, of Lunen-
burg county, Va, tnclosing an order
or the County Court of the county, and
asked him TO take the book and order
20 the County Court Chat was when
we had County Courts). and mako n
motion that the court receive tho book,
enter the order on Its record book. and
place the Confederate book among the
archives OF tho county, which was done
l also wrote out In the book 4 GOOD
deal about the war. It's hardships, sur
icrinSs, ~priYatiors, etc, making in
all quite 100 or moro pages OF written
matter; and In the clerks Office OF the
county that roll OF honor will remaln.
Men and women a hundred years
hente1yes. a thousand years hence
can place their fingers on this
or that name and say, Here is my an
cestor's name, written by the captain
OF the company In which he served
during tho terrible War tho
States. 1s6l-'65."
On that roll are tho names OF quite
q number who lived in Brunswick,
Dinwiddie and Nottoway counties. as
we'll as those who lived In L%unenburg.
What a contribution to history
would such rolls be. IL every captain
In every county in Virginia. and. in
deed, in the whole South, had done
what did, Is IT TOO late TO do SO
now?
There are yet living a sufacient
number OF the old boys" to make out
a pretty good list OF their commands.
II not all. a large number of them.
procure an order OF court to have
them recorded in p suitable book. and
placed in the clerks Office for safe
keeping.
1t Is q shame that so many men n
woman born since the war, now with
families OF their own. can't tell
in whose company their fathers OF
- = y 80 -Ax,..A H. 49, 4 - L- -H
Few days g l read III the Petersburg
Index-Appcal two letters from q widow
In far away Arkansas, asking for In
formation about her dead husbands
service in the Confederate army. Hie
name was Tim Parrish. My brother
in New York. saw the letters, sent the
paper 10 me. marked. and I Immediate
ily wrote the widow. asking for a de-
s%crlption OF her husband, etc. I have
no doubt her husband was one OF my
soldiers. ana his name IS recorded on
the roll of honor In ~Lunenburg county
clerks office. 1t will he a qualifications
to me, should It turn out that Tim
Parrish. of Arkansas, was the Tim Par
IRISH of my company. to give her an
AFFIDAVIT that her husband was o Con-
federate soldier and that his name Is
on Lunenburg's roll OF honor.
Is 1t worth while. Mr.. Editor. to
make out such a roll OF honor in every
county in the Slater Will the day
ever come wnen our grandchildren and
their grandchildren will not care to
know from whom they are descend
ed? 1 hope not. but I do sometimes
think that 1t is strange. indeed. that
young men and young women now liv-
ing don't seem TO take much interest in
Confederate records.
Respectfully.
C. r. ALLEN,
Cochran. Brunswick county.