Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1913-02-12

the man whom it aas given to govern
and command; tha supreme holiness
OF soul which made heroes OF the un-
reteotious citizen knd comman man,
end which brought to Gods service,
the service OF human freedom. the
militant people of these. mountains
and valley ). amidst the Hayers and
iejoicings of solicitous and grateful
world.
This figure and ita pedestal typi-
/ fes and represents the splendid per-
sonality, the answering courage the
devotion OF a great race. a race great
IN Colonial and Revolutionary times;
race great in meeting every call
made by the nation in every crisis OF
/ the nation.
1T stands for and typifes the spirit
and power which stood by George
Washington and saved him when the
British redcoats Of the line perished
IL that fatal ambush known in all his
tory as Braddock's defeat.
at stands for the devotion and cour-
age which smote Bourgoyne at Sara
! toga; which saved Washington at Val
| ley Forge; which won Trenton and
! Kings Mountain. and which at York
! town ended British rule forever in the
American colonies,
ut stands for the dauntless soul
that has made Jackson's riflemen at
J New Orleans forever famous: IL
j stands for the intrepid spirit that
freed the mouth Of the Mississippi
! from Spanish domination and liber-
ated Texas; that avenged the massa-
ere of the Alamo in the triumphs of
Buena Vista and Chapultepec!
1T stand for the militant fighting
| spirit of our peoplei That spirit which
led them, in instant response to the
! first call of Abraham Lincoln, April
! 10, 1861, to form themselves into
! those intrepid companies of Home
Guards, whereby and by whom Wise
vas driven back across the Alleghe-
MES and Lee and Jackson were held
| at bay until the later federal armies
we're formed and which were, conse-
! quently, thereby enabled to save West
! Virginia to the Union. 1t stands for
the militant spirit of the men who
laid down the pick and the shovel,
and the hoe and the mattocks, the
hammer and the anvil, who put aside
the pillow, who went forward and ere
ated the mightiest armies the world
has ever known, and of which armies
you veterans of the G. A. r. formed
SO illustrious a parti'
1T is this militant, fighting soul OF
the true West Virginian that this no.
bic statue is here to represent.
THE great figure stands behind all
of the glory, all of the splendor of our
West Virginian in war! He is equally
the master personality in peace! The
calm, strong face, the unfaltering res
button, the GOODNESS and daring, the
tove of home and country which will
meet death or give it ere he will let
that blessed flag fall from his uplifted
hand, are all embodied here in endur-
ing bronze
The figure is that of no single man.
1t is the composite representation Of
a yet living type. The gifted sculptor
created it in no hurried moment. 1t
Is the outcome OF successive years of
study and travel and association
among our finest population in divers
rarts of West Virginia, where are yet
preserved so many splendid types Of
our militant people. Look upon this
face! In it you behold a hundred
faces which you have seen and known
and yet know.
THE race, the West Virginian. as
! we know him. as we would wish TO
Know him, lives and will live forever
In this imperishable bronze to inspire
and glorify the generation OF today
and also many a generation yet I'M
born.
'In this noble face and figure You
now possess one of the great master
pieces of the sculptor's art in Amer
lea and in the world 1t typifes the
spirit Of the West Virginian."
Some years ago, when Colonel VIII
liam Seymour Edwards was speaker
| OF the house of delegates he became
| Interested in the history of the move
r1ent among the people of once trans
| Allegheny-Vircinia for the saving 70
| ne Union of that portion of Virginia
| iylng chiefly west of the Aneghenies
now the state of West Virginia. He
learned how the mountain people of
| Virginia. when he was himself a how
had formed themselves into com.
nanies Of home guards i'm instant 70.
| spouse to the first call of Abraham
Lincoln, April 18th, 1861; how they
had fought battles with the Confed.
crate forces of Wise and Lee and
jackson before the Federal armies
we're formed; how they had driven
Wise back to the valley of Virginia
had held Lee and Jackson at bay IN.
til the Federal armies at last were or
eanized 70 do them battle: how bv
reason OF their early organization. the
| Federal pension laws did not Weld
them protection and relief: and he
| became instrumental in inauguratinp