Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1914-05-26
YESTERDAY
Survivors Of Army of Northea Viz
s. ginia Gather at Prince and
Washington Streets

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1t was a pathetically slim line OF
gray-coated veterans that nlartclneo
from Lee; Camp Hall to the, Confed(
crate Monument yesterday after
moon. Where once $50 of the young,
manhood of Alexandria had followed
the stars and bars that floated at
the head of the column Of the Sew
enteenth Virginia Regiment, few
over score answered to the roll call
yesterday afternoon And those
that are left will before many more
memorial days have passed join their
comrades of the army of northern
Virginia and leave the decoration
of the graves of the Confederate
dead to younger but not less loving
hands.
The scene about the monument
was an inspiring one. Hundreds OF
Iicitizens had gathered beneath the
trees that surround the statue erect
ed twenty-five years ago to 1.-THE
Lost Cause" From the direction OF
Lee Hall marched fifty girls and
boys, dressed in Write with red
sashes across their breasts, and took
Their seats beneath the colonial por-
tico of the residence of DR. Hugh
Mcclure. Following came the vet
Grams marching with ihalting steps,
ibeneath the colors that they had so
bravely followed fifty three years
ago. From the opposite direction
came the American Indian Guard
band in their gorgeous uniforms
followed by patrol of kahkl-unl-
formed Boy Scouts who formed a
Gordon around the speakers stand.
The exercises were short and I'M
pressive. The little boys and girls,
who had been trained under the d.
rection of Miss Blanche Rotchford,
sang a number of patriotic selec-
htions The Rev. J. w. Duffey, chap
lain of the camp, delivered the 1nvo-
cation and William A. Smoot, COM
Smander, presided and introduced
Major J. c. Hemphill, of South Car
| lima, who was the orator of the DAY
The speech made By Major Hemp
! hill was an inspiring one. It was
/ in the main part an eloquent de-
Tense of the position taken by the
nSouth during the war and an eulogy
Of the deeds of the Confederate sold
Ter. In opening his remarks MAJOR
Hemphill said.
at is holy thing to remember t'le
dead who died for US, to cXtoi taeif
fame. to recite the glory OF their
deeds, to lay wreaths upon theI:
raves; but we shall have 'rI5ln'cr-
prete;, the true meaning of this coca
sion if we fail TO see through oIT
tears the righteousness Of the cs;GSe
for which they fought and Lied; else
these memorial services are but VAN
and empty mockery. Memorial Dag"
Memorial of what? Surely not Ct the
men we mourn, alone, but of The holy
cause also and chiefly, for which
they made the supreme sacrifice. ms,
this indeed, this is the central idea
of these services, or if it be NJ: -
we add to our humility and baseness Of
sin arr, hypocrisy the humility and n.y.
rocrisy OF a peopre utterly unworthy
Of their historic past and richly &c
serving the contempt not only OF their
ancient foes but OF the world a.; well.
Alexandria, though standing here
.;!bin the sight c. tn" capitol # a
newborn Nation he Capital Will II
W: ma :e-did no. tr.s!e with its fears
ror count the cost wnnr the SUMMONS
came but in the Seventeenth Regi-
Iin!ant of Virginia Volunteers, and the
other commands in which its men
faced death on many bloody fields,
went forth to battle for the right as
God gave them vision 10 see the right,
and of the manner in which they am
their comrades kept the faith the
official records attest. Every stone
at Arlington aaG in the National csr-
eteries throughout the land is NOV
ument to the valor Of the soldiers
who followed Lee arl Jackson and
Stuart. and Hampton and Forrest,
and Ashby and Mosby, who drew their
swords in defense of the Constitution
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