Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1915-08-26
As Panegyrist At The First
Annual Reunion of "Fer-
rell'S Boys"
TRIBUTE TO MAI. FERRELL
Delivered At Union Tabernacle,
HOpkinsville, Ky. Aug.
10th, 1915.

Following is the full text of the
eloquent memorial address delivered
by John Feland, of the class of 1880,
at the first reunion of FerrelPs Boys.
1t was heard by large gathering at
the Union Tabernacle, including 100
of the old Boys:
Instinctively we recall the an
nouncement of a mountainier preach
er who said to his flock:
"Bretheren have decided to di-
vide my sermon into three parts. The
first part I'll understand and you
won't. The second part you'll un-
derstand and | won't. The third
part nobody'll understand. Sp ak
ing seriously, in this epublic, unlike
many nations wich enjoy constitu-
tional Government, we grant no IT,
ties of nobility and no decorations
of honor. AS public servants COM
plete their life work and pass from
the stage of action, the judgment of
their contemporaries finds no such
definite means Of expression, and so
we have come here this night in the
good old American way to pay rev.
erence to the memory of him who
was responsible for about all the
good there is lin any of US. In beau
tiful valley, imagine, nesting
among the hills of old South Carroll
ma, James Overton Ferrell was born
After receiving a liberal education
i in the schools of his state, he be-
came professor in boys school at
Edgeville, S. c., where he was teach
ing when the war broke out. He
closed his school and enlisted in the
10Th Infantry of South Carolina as a
private and going to Columbia was
assigned to Gen. A. M. Manigault's
Brigade in December 1861, and was
made Adjutant. He held the same
position when the 10th and 18th
Regiments, depleted by heavy fight
ing, were consolidated. He partici-
pated in many of the fiercest battles
of the war, first under Gen. Joseph
E. Johnston and later under Gen.
Bragg. He surrendered at High
Point, S. c., and was allowed to re-
tain his horse Let me say as the
son of a Union soldier, that | lave
always been thankful that God put
it in the heart of somebody to let
the Major keep mis- horse, for it is
doubtful if at that time he possessed
anything else in this wide, wide
world. Knowing him as we did,
don't you know that he made a good
soldier? Believing in his cause as
truly as he did in his Savior, me
thinks that no reveille ever sounded
that did not awaken him. Do you
remember when he was aroused how
his eye flashed? and how his saber
must have glistened when the order
to charge was given! believe that
he saw and heard everything done
by his command in its heroic strug-
gle against tremendous odds, but no
boy who ever went to school to Ma.
jor would ever believe that he ever
heard a drum beat retreat Stand
ing as do tonight, at least upon the
crest of the hill of Life, | want to
say that / honor the Major as a
Confederate soldier, and in honor
ing him honor the cause for which
he fought. | declare unto you that
the feelings of bitterness and hate
have long since been consigned to
oblivion by all patriotic Americans.
If there be one who fought for the
Union. or who sympathized with the
cause, or if there be one who fought
or sympathized against it, who has
not forgotten the heartburnings Of
the past, he merits the anathemas Of
mankind. should receive Divine pity
and be born again.
In the fall of 1865 Major Ferrell
resumed teaching in the Greenville,
is. c., Female College. and it was