Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-12-12
CADETS At WEST POINT
LOYAL TO CONFEDE.RACY
When Final Break Comes They Are
Found Returning to Fight
for Stars and Bars.
SOME "REMINISCENCES OF ls5o.o1
On November 1, 1860, Eighty-Six
Southern Boys We're Students at
Academy, and Of These Sixty-F'ive
Entered Confederate Service.
nv KATE MASON ROwI.A ND.
continued from last SundayD

nv KATE: MASON ROWLAND.
Continued from last Sunday)
several recent writer's have called
attention to the fact that the famous
WORK OF the learned PENNSYLVANIA jur-
ISL. William Rawlc, "a View of the
Constitution Of tho United states" was
~ one time in use at West Point. and
IN this book the doctrines OF States
rights were clearly enunciated. Cen
"rai Scham quotes from Rawlc his
declaration of the right OF secession:
The secession of Il state from tho
Union depends OH the will Of the people
or such state. and General Schan goes
on to speak Of the reasons why the
theory of State sovereignty and it's
necessary corollary OF paramount al
l"Siancc to the state should have had
vitality at West Point long after 1t
was denounced elsewhere In the North"
Admit state sovereignty and all that
the South cOntendcd for follows: Pro-
fessor Albert r. Bledsoc. n West Point
graduate. and profound and bril-
liant scholar. was appointed by Presi-
dent Davis. June. 1861. Assistant Sec
rotary of War and Chief of the Blu
reau OF War OF the Confederate States.
Later, at tho request Of Mr.. Davis, he
went to. England to obtain material
not accessible in the Confederacy--fo
book the President had desired him
10 prepare on the Constitutional Right
OF Secession" ON his return, the war
over and the Confederate executive d
prisoner at Fortress Monroe.
ARGUMENT OF HLEDsoE
FOUND USANSWERABLE
Professor Bledsoe published mis- val
uablc little volume under the title zig
DAVIS "a Trnitor?' and il furnished
complete defense Of the southern
President. AS such. il was used by
answcrablc. The United States dis
missed the case, for they dared not
risk trial which would SHOW TO the
world that the SOuths contention was
correct. The Union was a compact
between the States, the Federal gov
.Tninent their agent, with delegated
powers only, and the ultiuat. alicEi-
h'cc OF the citizen was to The source
OF power, the state. The South's sons.
IN SCI, true to the teachings OF their
fathers, focked to TIA. standards Of
the Commonwealth. Aud then war was
forced upon them. Within their rights
they had formed another government.
a Southern union. They sought only
independence. as had the patriots OF
1876. Now the spectacle was seen Of
The Northern states, casting to the
winds Constitution and bills OF rights.
setting themselves to the tyraLt's task
OF coercion. linus Initiating without
the show OF legal right mat Great
=
course in the Revolution.
WEST POINT STUDENTS
COME BACK no SOUTH
From West Point there came 10 the
south at this time. among others Gar
nett ami bearing and kosScr and i.o-
KAN. Of Virginia; Wills AMI Pierce
Young. Of tieorgia; Hamilton and Far
Icy and WADE Hamilton Gibbs OF
south Carolina Tn. latter ;red the
signal gun at Fort Su,npicr. April
-, 1851. Their there WeTe Whitc and
Lea. OF Mississippi: Cnamb!iss and
Wil!ctt. OF Tennessee Dunlop ana
Graves. OF Kentucky: Ramseur. OF
North Carolina; Semm-s ana oliver OF
Louisiana; Morena. OF Florida brother
ln-!aw OF Secretary Mallory; and OF
N!ahanas sons. Charles T. BAN and
tire Young Marcellus Pelham, OF whom
Ia" poet Randall has written so cX-
qu!sttcly. Major Wright nc,cs some
OF these youths who fell IN the great
struggle: pelham has a name among
The artillerymen of the south. He was
fair-faccd, m!ld-manncrcd. gentle
voiced boy when saw him starting
OF 10 his career. There was Kelley.
whom ! did not know WELL but whom
/ remember as It youngish 10 okng fcr-
low when he went off to he Il Southern
major general III Il Year OF two. Dear
ing was Il reckless, handsome boy. who
died a acknowledgements, probably be-
fore he was twcnty-two: and Ramseur
was not much older when he died a
major general. remember him rid
ing fiery horse and dashing al n
dangerously high fence to show a
charming looking girl how The cadets
were taught 10 ride
VIRGINIA WOMAN TELLS
Or THEIR HOMECOMING
a Virginia woman writing from
l.ynchburg her war "reminiscences, Our
Women In One War. Charleston, S. c,
1885," says:
"A short time after the secession the
young men from Virginia who were at
the United States Academy at West
Point. after circuitous route reached
home. / was at camp on the outskirts
OF the city, having gone to see tn.
soldiers go through their evolutions the
evening of the arrival of the cadets
Some Of these were brought up to my
carriage to see me, I having known
them at West Point tho previous fall
Among them was young Rosscr. The
next was James Dearlng from near
Lynchburg. He was one OF the hand
soonest men l ever saw. At the time OF
his return he was not twenty-onc, hay-
Ing been at West Point about three
years. The next was Pelham. He was
as beautiful and as modest and gentle
as Il woman. but brave lion. He
fell the second year OF the war. The
Youngest Of the lot who returned from
West Point (she does not give his
name) was a youth of rare talents and
character. He did his country good
service for four years, and IS now hard
lighting the battle Of life as Il jour
nalist to provide food and raiment for
mis- family"
Another OF the Southerners who fell
during tho war was Rice Graves. Of
Kentucky, who gave up his life NJ
rhickamauga. Cadet Rowland. In let :
lntn ,i,.,, 900
II his standing sponsor in baptism the
sunday previously for one of his
friends mentions that this was tho
second time he had acted in this ca