The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1914-02-24
FLORIDA WILL TAKE
CARE OF VETERANS
Florida Spends Vast Sum For
Support of Veterans.
REUNION MAY 6, 7 AND 8.
State is Making Splendid Prepare
tions f'r the Annual Confed-
crate Reunion.

Jacksonville, Fla. Feb. 22.-The
state OF Florida pays out more money
per capita for the support of depen-
dent ex-Confederate soldiers than any
other Southern State. This fact
should be sufficient to convince ex-
Confederates everywhere that when
they, and their descendants, visit
jacksonville on the occasion of the
twenty-fourth annuai reunion of the
United Confederat Veterans Associa-
ton that they will be in the hands of
their friends. The reunion will be
held May 6, z, and 8.
The handsome total Of $500, ,OOOper
annum is being paid by the state for
support OF ex-Confederate pensioners.
The average yearly amount paid to
each person on the pension list, ac-
cording to the latest report of the
state Board OF Pensions, is $121,25,
while the average paid to old soldiers
is $122,3O. widows of Confederate
soldiers draw an average Of $12O per
annum. Since the report from which
these figures are taken was made,
the Legislature has passed still
more liberal pension law, which will
authorize additional payments of ap-
proxtmately $150,000 a year, making
the total $750,0OO per annum paid to
Confederate pensioners by the state.
There are 1888 soldiers pensioners
on the rolls of the State and 2.227
widows of Cenfederates, making a to-
tai of 4,860. The fund to support this
pension roll is raised by a tax of
four mills on the assessed property of
the taxpayer.
Florida is not only caring for the
living but the memory of the dead
Is also kept green. Throughout the
State handsome Confederate noun
ments have been erected by both
public and private means. All told
there are 20, or possibly more hand
some Confederate monuments in the
State and others are yet to be erected.
A home for ex-Confederate soldiers is
maintained at Jacksonville. Last year
the State appropriated $4,000 to the
Confederate soldiers home in this
city. Two Confederate monuments
have been erected here, and a monu-
ment Will be dedicated to the women
OF the Confederacy during the coming
reunion. This monument is a com
panion to the handsome State
Memorial unveiled last May on the
battlefield OF Chickamauga during the
Confederate reunion at Chattanooga.
1t is located in a beautiful park and
will be ready for the unveiling cere-
monies by the date of the reunion.
This brief exposition OF the work
that Florida is doing for tn ex-Con-
federate soldiers, living and dead, is
proof that the people of the State
will extend a warm and generous well
come to the old soldiers and their
friends on the occasion of the Jack
sonville reunion. Florida, while
situated far south of the greater thea
ter of war of 1861-5. felt the shock
of the conflict. Jacksonville was oc-
supied four different times by the
Federals. The purposes of this oc-
cupancy. according to official reports
on file In archives of the War De-
partment, wepe to keep the st. Johns
River open from it's mouth to the
head of navigation ana to arm the
negroes for services in the Union
Army. The small Confederate force
in East Florida In 1868 was com
manded by Gen. Joseph Finegan. On
March 13, 1863. General Finegan is
sued a proclamation here in which he
said.
''I feel 1t my duty as brigadier-gen-
eral commanding this district to in
form the people OF the disrtcit and
OF the State that our interruptions
enemy has landed a large force of
negroes. under command OF white Of
ficers, at Jacksonville, under cover
Of gunboats. He rs attempting 10
fortify the place so as to make II
secure against attacks. The purpose
Of thts movement is obvious and need
not be mentioned I'm direct terms. 1t
Is sufIlcient TO inspire the whole body
OF people with q renewed and steruer
purpose OF resistance. / therefore
call on such of the citizens as can
possibly leave their homes to arm
and organize themselves into COM
panies without delay and report to
me-"
Gen. r. saxton GU. S. A. in a
report to the War Department dated
March IA, 1853, says: THE object of
this expedition was to occupy Jack
sonyilIe and make it the base of op-
erations for the arming of negroes
and securing I'm this way possession
of the entire State of Florida. 1t is
my belief that scarcely an incident
in this war has caused a greater panic
throughout the whole Southern coast
than this raid of the eolored troops
in Florida"
During this occupation, Jackson
Vile was burned by Federal troops. A
correspondent of The New York
Tribune wrote a graphic description
of the FIRE, which was probably over
drawn, from the deck OF the trans
port Boston then lying in the har-
Dor. He charged the crime of burn
ing the city to the Eighth Maine and
dxth Connecticut Regiments, and de-
YoIared that the negro trOOps had moth