The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-18
A LETTER FROM
MRS. WHITE


In letter from Mrs. Alexander B
White, president general of the United
Daughters of the Confederacy, the use
| of the Confederate seals on or near the
birthday of Robert e. Lee was stressed
The seals will be sold today in Birmng-
ham and as there are but limited num-
her on hand 1t is to be hoped that no one
| will pass them by. The seals are both
beautiful and inexpensive. They were
designed by an Alabama woman, the late
Mrs Edgar James of Florence.
| Mrs White sends this letter to the
! United Daughters of the Confederacy:
| TO the United Daughters of the Confed-
eracy:
My Dear Friends: AS the holy Christ
mas time drew near heavy sorrow came
to me as most of you know in the death
of my husband, by true friend and COM
rade in all things. In wanting me to serve
| you again this year with this deep shadow
over me he showed his wisdom in this
| as in all things for he knew how ii
would help and strengthen me, for your
many kilograms, your tender letters oil
sympathy and love. and the beautiful flow
ers from the general organization and
| from many chapters have drawn me
closer to you aud have poured balm on
| my wounds, have drawn the bitterness
| from my grief in letting me know there
are thousands who are giving a loving,
sympathetic thought to me and my young
| daughter in our trouble. 1t makes me
think of all of you so much more tender
| ly and makes me feel we are indeed a
| great band of sisters ready TO help one
another when needed and more than ever
| realize that membership in our organi-
zation is worth while and the work con-
| secrated.
| Work is good for me, 1t is a solace and
comfort, and from now on ! shall try to
take up our work and give 1t the time
and attention it requires and | hope TO
have the earnest and prompt cooperation
| of every one of you. You can help me so
much II you will make the work easier
for all the officers.
| The birthday of Gen. Robert e. Lee,
| January 49, will fall this year on Sunday
| and thus will give us an opportunity OF
| having a particularly sweet service and
of bringing out the Christian character
and life of our great leader. In this peace
era and in view of the pronounced com
mercialism of the age, 1t would be well
to stress this side oil this noble man $
| life. therefore / urge all chapters to hold
their services Sunday afternoon In some
church and have as their subject. Gen.
Robert e. Lee the Christian" To this
lserVice invite all congregations, all choirs
and all Confederate organizations and
have one grand union service that VIII
unite and help all
January 10 is also the day for the be-
stowal of crosses and they must be con-
ferred not on Saturday or Monday, but
on Sunday Make IL a sweet, solemn act
The Washington convention adopted my
| recommendation to extend the time ol
bestowal and extended 1t indefinitely. but
do not let this make any veteran, wido"
| or descendant put off making out appil-
cations for crosses, nor make any chapter
| oh anDOIIncnp thew Will con-
fer crosses nor slow to order and bestow
them The great number of crosses con-
ferred in 1912 when 1t was expected be-
stowal to end shows how chapters and IN
dividuals can work when necessary. anc
if all chapter presidents will urge through
their local papers every one desiring
cross to fill out the proper papers prompt
Ilv the work of bestowing crosses can b'
| finished, and no cne be disappointed, II
two years Let me urge you to do this.
| Don't forget, too. that Lee day is to b'
observed by us by using on all our lei
ters and packages the u. D. c. seals. Th'
committee chairman. Mrs. w. L. Durr
Montgomery, IS prepared to fill all orders
This will help on the work for the Ar
lington monument which the Arlington
Monument association hopes to complete
i'm July 1t can he finished then If ever!
member of the United Daughters OF lh
n Confederacy will give to this fund % cent
this year You who were so fortunate a
to be present at the laying OF the corner
stone of this raonument surely feel J.
claims on you and will respond to thi
call and try to interest others.
| want every chapter to observe Shllol
lday in April. Have meeting for Shiloii
Several division historians have prepares
their year books Shiloh programmes an
material for programme Will be sent IN
chapters through the Shiloh directors b.
the shiloh monument committee In Marci'
On Shiloh day help on the great cause 0
this monument TO all Confederate solu'ef
| by Going something to increase TINS fuh
and every Daughter of the Confedersc
write and send out at least one Shilo
most card on the anniversary of the bat
itle These post cards can be obtalnc
from the state Shiloh directors or fror
the director general. You did so well 10
Shiloh in 1912, please do as well this yea
and let every chapter go on record
giving something for Shiloh in 1913.
Manv of the gerat battlefields are los
ing their outlines and seem forgotten
also the men who sleep their long slice
| there, mark these graves and the mos
important points ON their battle ground'
until fitting monuments can be erected an
more work can be done
During these winter months forget nc
that we have many veterans and wome
|
feoerate homes hut are fighting to kee
the wolf from the door, and as the year
are weighing on them more and NOR
! heavily the struggle becomes harder an
| therefore your help is needed. Do nc
walt for them to ask for help, but see
them out and give them the helping han
and the cheering sympathetic word the
need. Help those entitled to pensions I
get them. Remember. our debt to Mr..
Ella King Trader and send something ia
her.
One of our most important works is his
torical work. yet sometimes | fear W
are not sufficiently alive to the nee
, of it and the need of garnering the ma
terial lying loosely about us in old let
tiers and papers which may be carelessl
destroyed. Let me urge every one I
look out for such material and secure
| IL possible.
, ron't forget that the per capita tax Q
chapters is due March Z. 1t Is only .elin
) quent taxes, or taxes for new members
that are to be paid so days before tn
Noy ember convention. Who wants to b
marked delinquent? Net one. | hope. Re
member, too, the demands on the treas
ury are heavy and by paying your take
a. the proper time-March-you make tn
work easier and lighter for your treas
) urer general, Mrs. c. B. Tate. Pulaski
Va. and if you wait until just before tn
convention she is terribly burdened an
: clerical help is necessary.
Several divisions, l understand, hav
sent in but few II any application o
eligibility papers to the registrar genera
for registration. This is a grave erro
on the part of the division and chapte
2 pre- sidents. All members must be regis
tered, and II our membership should b