Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1913-01-25
Allegiance to the South.


In the first one Of the series Cen
srai Pickett tells why his allegiance
went to the Confederacy. He writes:
' No. my child. ] had no conception
OF the Intensity OF feeling. tho bitterness
and hatred toward those who were SO
lately our friends and are now our ene-
mics. i, of course, have always strenu-
ously opposed disunion. not as doubling
the right Of secession, which was taught
in our textbooks at West Point, but as
gravely questioning its expediency. / be-
iieved thai the revolutionary spirit which
infected both north and south was but a
passing phase OF fanaticism which would
perish under the rebuke of all good citi-
zens, who would surely unite in upholding
the constitution. but when that great as
sembly, composed Of ministers. lawyers,
judges. chancelIors, statesmen. mostly
white haired men of thought. met in South
Carolina. and when their districts were
called crept noiselessly to the table In the
center of the room and affixed their sig
natures TO the parchment on which the
ordinance of secession was inscribed, and
when in deathly silence. in spite OF the
sathered multitude. General Jamison arose
and without preamble read. THE ordi-
nance Of secession has been signed and
ratified; l proclaim the state Of South Car
olina an independent sovereignty" and, 1
lastly when my old boyhood friend called
for ain invasion, IL was evident that both
the advocates, and opponents Of secession
had read the p~ortents Alright.
you know. my little lady. SOME OF those
cross stitched notices on the cardboard
samplers which used 10 hang on my nurs-
cry wall. such as Gle who provides not
for his own household Is worse than an
inhdel,r Charity begins at home" etc.
made lasting impression upon me. and.
while I love my neighbor-that is, my
country--I love my, household-that is. my
state-more, and ! could not be an inidel
and lit my sword against my own kith
and kin even though / do believe. my most
wise little counselor and ~conidant., that
the mea sure OF American greatness can
be achieved only under one flag, and l
fear alas, there can never again reign for
either Of us the true spirit of national
unity, whether divided and under two
flags or united under one.
The subject Is pursued In a later let
ter, which runs;
Why, Chulita mia. all that we ask Is q
separation from people OF c~ontending In
%terests. who love us as a nation as little
as we love them: the dissolution OF a UNI
ion that has lost its holiness. to be let
alone and permitted TO sit under our wi
vine and fig tree and eat our figs peeled
or dried or fresh or picked. just as we
choose. The enemy is our enemy be-
cause he neither knows nor understands
us and yet will not let us part in peace
and be ~neighhors. but insists on fighting US
to make us one with him, forgetting that
both slavery and secession we're his own
institutions. The north is fighting for the
Union and we for homo and Preside. All
the men I know and love In the world
comrades and friends. both north and
south-+arc exposed TO hardships and dan
gers and are fighting on one side or the
other and each for that which he knows
to be right. @$ 3
VIII you come. my darling. and have
some coffee with your SOLDIER II is some
we captured and II IS real coffee. Comet
Ths tin cup is clean and shining. but the
corn bread is greasy and smoked. And the
bacon-that rs greasy. too, but II Is good
and tastes all right II Il will only hold
out till our stars and bars wave over our
land OF the free and our home OF the
brave and we have our own home. New
ermore, wen hear OF wars. but only love
and life with It's eternal joys.
On the night before General Pickett
was wounded ut Gaines Mills he wrote
the following note:
. This was never contemplated in
earnest. believe that II either the north
or the south had expected that its diff
ferences would result IN this obstinate.
cruel war the cold blooded Puritan and
the cock hated Huguenot and cavalier
woui have made n compromise. Poor old
Virginia came oftener than Noah's dove
with her olive branch. Though she de-
hired 10 be loyal 10 the union Of states.
abe did not believe In the right Of coer-
zion, and when called upon TO furnish
troops to restrain her sister states she re-
fused and would not even permit the pas
sage of an armed force through her do
main for that purpose With no thought
of cost. no consideration Of disparity OF
relative strength or condition, she rolled
up her sleeves. ready 70 risk all in defense
OF a principle eensecrated by the blood OF
her fathers. And now. alas, it ~ too late
We must carry through this bitter task
unto the end. May the end be soon.
Begged For Immediate Marriage.
In April. 1862. General Pickett. 30