The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1921-06-01
SOME ECHOES FROM
; THE VISITING EDITORS
F. HERR'S RARE COLLECTION
OLD PAPERS, ETC.

OLD PAPERS, ETC.
At the recent meeting of the Miss
issippi Press Association in Green
wood, Miss, secretary +. Herr of the
Greenwood Chamber of Commerce
was elected an honorary member be-
cause of the many courtesies shown
the editors.
Mr.. Herr is former member of
the Louisiana Press Association and
will be remembered as the publisher
of the Felicianas at Jackson, La, a
paper that established the reputation
Of the publisher as a writer of ability,
and that welded considerable influ-
ence in the state fight for primaries
in Louisiana. Mr.. Her built and op-
Grated the Jackson Railroad for many
years, constructed and equipped de-
partment for regular commercial
business course in Centenary College,
served as mayor, and was otherwise
identified with the public and political
interests Of Louisiana.
Mr.. Herr, whose father was a news
paper editor, is the possessor of a
rare collection of old newspapers and
books, some Of them 2 or three hun
dred years old. Some Of these were
exhibited at the Mississippi Press con-
yention, and Colonel Henry made
some selections from those of the civ
il war period, notably the Meridian
Clarion, and others, for use in the
memoirs he is now preparing. Another
interesting paper is copy of the
Cape Girardeau Eagle, published by
Ben F. Herr, Mr.. Herr's father, prior
to the Civil War. In typograph, gen
eral makeup and editorial ability, it
ranks with the best of today, barring
none. Almost if not quite the first
duty, assigned General Grant, then a
colonel, at the outbreak Of the Civil
war, was at Cape Girardeau, and the
sinking Of the Eagle office in the
Mississippi was one of his first acts.
Another interesting exhibit was a
number of newspaper clippings in va
rious colored inks, correspondence Of
Captain Herr, while with his COM
mand during the Civil war, good
deal of it is written in or near Vicks-
burg, and including copy Of Major
General Dabney H. Maury's farewell
to his soldiers, dated
"Six miles East of Meridian, Miss,
May 7, 1866.
SOLDIERS: Our last march is about
ended. Tomorrow we shall lay down
our arms which for four years we
have borne to defend our rights
to win our liberty. We know and the
world knows, and history will record
that we have borne them with honor.
We now surrender to the oyerwhelm-
ing power of the enemy which has
rendered further resistance hopeless,
I and mischievous to our people and
cause. We can never forget the noble
comrades who have stood shoulder to
shoulder with US to this moment, the
noble dead who have been martyred-
the noble Southern women who have
been wronged and are unavenged, OF
the principles for which we have
fought, Conscious that we have play
ed our part like men, confident Of the
righteousness of our cause, without
regret for our actions in the past
and without despair for the future
! let us tomorrow, with the dignity Of
veterans who are the last TO surren-
der, perform the duty that has been
assigned to u.s." Signed
Dabney H, Maury, Major General
Confederate Army.
Immediately upon the surrender
Captain Herr settled in Livingston
ALA, and began the publication Of the
Livingston Journal in Sumter County,
adjoining Kemper County, Mississip-
ri, two Of the most severely afflicted
reconstruction counties in the South,
and two that applied the most heroic
remedies. These were the days that
tried mems souls-that produced such
men as the Georges, the Walthalls,
the Lamars of Mississippi; the John
lT. Morgans Of Alabama, the Ben
Hills of Georgia, and other intellect
ual giants and statesmen Of the South.
Not the least interesting Of Mr..
Herr's collection is book "Printed
and sold by B. Franklin, in Philadel-
mia, at the New Printing Office near
| the Market" Proceedings OF the
House of REPRESENTATIVES Of the Pro-