The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1915-05-11

Woman ever has a large part thdl
makes for the good of the natioh'
whether political or religious. 1t
would be impossible to conceive Oh
the great plans of government with
out her shaping hand. One OF the
nroudest memories of the war OF the
states is the conduct of women OF the
Confederacy, who willingly gave the
all-fathers, husbands, sons anu
hrothers-to the service of thelr
country. With no thought OF SELL
of the first call to arms in '61 they
made their protectors Godspeed ana
took the burden of the support Oh the
family upon themselves. Inc aeeu
parents had to be cared for, the Ilttle
children fed, clothed and reared, tne
slaves looked after and PROVIDED loI :
They proved themselves equal 10 the
undertaking. In addition 10 tnls,
they cared for the sick and Woundeu
soldiers. depriying themselves OF the
necessities of life often for this pur-
NOSE in many cases feeding anu
clothing all within their reach VINO
were found needed. There were no
idle moments in the homes OF our
Southland in the sixties The women
were spinning and weaving to pro-
vide clothing for the loved ones III
the army, struggling at the same tlme
tn carry on their home affairs. THESE
women, reared in luxury, In the ap-
sance of the men, who were all at
the front. planted, cultivated and
gathered the crops, chopped ana
hauled wood, fed and attended 10 Cne
stock, overseed the slaves, and Where
there was an oyerseer on tne
farm looked after him, cheertully
performing all these duties as thelr
mart of the sacrifice necessary 10
achieve the independence OF the Con
federacy. The daughters were tram
ed to bear their part Of the burden
and identify themselves in these great
sacrifices, and not to believe as some
in these times do that
ITO cook and weave and knit and
sew
Were once a girls employment,
But now to dress and catch beau
Are all she calls enjoyment
Consequently, the generation OF
women following this war has proven
to be the first and noblest characters
the world has ever known. The sure
and rapid recovery of the South Will
attest this fact.
The heroism of the women of those
war times was moral herolsm even
greater and grander possibly than
that of the soldiers who fell in bat
tie. Heroism didn't die with the an
cient Spartans, whose mothers urged
their sons to "go to battle and return
with their shields or upon them.
The mothers of the Confederacy gave
to the world an exhibition OF bravery
and unselfish devotion never eXcelled
and rarely equaled in all history.
MANY instances of their courage could
be related. A gentleman travelling
through Virginia stopped at the nome
of a friend. She was alone and told
him that her husband, father and ten
sons were all in the army and mem
bers of the same company. You
must be very lonely, being accustom-
ed to so large a family" Yes, 1t
is nara 10 DC dlOu6J UuC IL hebd WI
more sons they should all be in the
army" Is it any wonder that with
such mothers the Confederate sol
diers, for four years, although far
outnumbered by the enemy, poorly
equipped, half-starved and often bare
footed, thrilled the world with their
deeds of bravery and daring? The
faithful women of the South didn't
parade along the perilous edge of the
battlefield, but there was continually
a heart to heart sympathy with de-
tenders, singing their brave songs OF
hope and cheer. In hospitals they
were messengers of mercy; beside the
dying pallet they were ministering
angels.
oh, the brave stand they made!
When can their glory fade?
The South's noble women
What part had woman in the Con-
federacy? They stood shoulder to
shoulder with the men in their love
for Georgia, deeming it glorious to
give up every comfort for their be-
loved te-surrendering their gems