The Columbus dispatch., April 15, 1908, Image 1

About The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 1905-1908

Image provided by: Mississippi Department of Archives and History

                
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S" YFm ENT, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15,
.1 1
1903.
"OUR WOMEN IN THE WAH
THE WAR"
"OUR WOMEI
4 IN
Supplement In Behalf of the State r.ldiiments To Be Erected In Their Honor,
By Confederate Veterans, Sons of Confuc.i. Veterans and Daughters of the Confederacy.
GEN. C. IRVINE WALKER. Manager. MRS. D. N. HEBRON. Editor.
OF INTEREST TO
How Governor Humphreys
From the Mansion
After the war, when her husband
returned home, he was shortly called
by his old comrades to the gubernato
rial chair at Jacltsou. Governor Hum
phreys was first elected in ISfij, and
re-elected In 1SCS. but was forcibly
dispossessed of office under orders is
sued by General McDowell, who ap
pointed General Albert Ames, of Mas
sachusetts, :i;i!it.iry governor of the
date.
Governor H-.tmphrey? was a cadet
at West Point Willi Jefferson Davis,
Robert E. Lee ar.d Joseph K, John
ston. He was a gallant Confederate
soldier, participating in all the great
battles of Virginia, nr.d was made
brigadier general. The removal ot
Governor Kumpkrej s from his exalted
office marked one of the most dramat
ic incidents In the history of Missis
sippi and the South. It Is fittingly de
scribed by Mrs. Lizzie, George Hem
ingway, who in a charmingly written
sltetch of Mrs. Humphreys' life says:
"After her husband's election to tht
fuibernatoria! chair in lSHo she moved
to Jackson. Whm Genera! McDow
ell removed Governor Humphreys
from the office of governor of a sov
ereign state, to which office the peo
ple of the state had elected him, and
which he retused to vacate until put
out by bayonets, tht contrived to
live iu Jackson untl".'ia!9, when his
A MONUMENT TO. CONFEDERATE
WOMEN.
Colonel W. S. Coleman, a gallant
ex-Confederate soldier, writes the fol
lowing letter.
West Point, Miss., Jan. 30, 190S.
Governor James K. Vardamaa,
Jackson, Miss.
Dear Sir and Friend I write to ask
the enlistment of your special Interest
and assistance in a pet scheme which
Is very near to my heart, and I know
Is to yours. It is to carry out, through
present legislature a resolution I in
troduced and had unanimously passed
by the U. C. V. Association, at Merid
ian in September, to secure from the
state an appropriation of $30,000 to
erect on the capitol (new) square In
Jackson, Miss., a grand monument to
the memory of the "Women of the
Confederacy." Also to have legisla
ture pass special act granting every
county and municipality in Mississip
pi permission and authority to make
donation of $3i0 or $1000 to same spe
cific purpose. Then let us make a
$73,000 or $100,000 shaft to our Con
The 'Mississippi Supplement.
When the younger generation of
men and women In Mississippi read
the story written herein of undying
love for the Lost Cause and Its sol
diers, and awed memory of the sav
age methods of the v v-vs -ds
helpless non-combatan. .. i i . not
wonder at the nhtenee of bitterness
nna jfat.cd, at the sympathy for pris
oners, the tender care of wounded ene
mies? If sometimes harsh words were
spoken, who can condemn in the face
of burning home3 ar.d starvipg babies?
But these were enly words. We read
cf no revengeful assassination, no re
fusal to succor sickness or need when
It was possible, and no bitterness In
the recollection. The interest shown
In this paper gives no evidence of self
glory, but seems Inspired by the pious
wish to preserve the story of the war
as It touched women and home, and
to 'show their children Tiow a nation
was so filled with patriotic devotion
that all self-seeking, all self-aggran-("Izement,
all enjoyment and ease were
forgotten, and privation and hardships,
loss of home and fortune, even hunger
Itself, accepted as the natural life, it
is worth the price It cost to have seen
and felt this exaltation of spirit that
is almost divine. If the humiliation -f
the days of reconstruction all alike
write, "they were too horrible to re
call." The original daughters of the
Confederacy (many now near the 80th
mlle post cf life's journey) rejoice that
the sons of the men for whom they
worked and prayed design to commem
orate their mother's part in the great
ALL MISSISSIPPI.
and Family Were Expelled
by Military Orders
term as governor expired. They walk
eduut of the governor's mansion af
ter"fi was taken possession of by Fed.
eral soldiers acting under the direc
tion of Gov. (?) Ames, the governor
wham we will remember as the carpet
bag governor of Mississippi, and who
resigned his office after a most cor
rupt regime to avoid being impeached
by the legislature in 1S7G."
An eye-witness of their expulsion
from the mansion writes me:
"The scorn Mrs. Humphreys felt for
these instruments of tyranny, as well
as for the tyrants themselves, 1 thought
1 could detect in the expression of her
face; but there was no demonstration,
no haughty toss of the head, no dra
matic sweeping by as she passed
through the doors, and while the out
rage must have touched her soul, she
gave r.o outward evidence of the tem
pest that must have been raging wlth-
i in. She and her distinguished hus
band walked out or the governor's
mansion between the files of United
States soldiers, and as they passed
the officer in command I distinctly re
member that he looked at the ground.
"I think I can sum the whole mat
ter up by saying that she demeaned
you. being a Mississlpplan, should
have desired the mistress of the gov
ernor's matisljn to da."
federate mothers, which shall point
coming generations to the grandest
women who ever graced God's foot
stool. They deserve it. They have
built hundreds to our heroes, and we
have never set cne brick on end to
honor them.
In doing this, first, we honor Missis
sippi in being leader. In this patriotic
and filial duty, and set the example
to our sister states which will extend
monuments into most of them. I
know you will delight to lend your in
fluence to It, and I feel sure there will
be no opposition In either house. So
please confer with Governor Lowry
and State Senator F. G. Barry and
press it to a successful finish. Money
is tight, to be sure, but this is a "debt
of honor" and must be paid. No leg
islature would desire or dare to refuse
it.
Thanking you In advance for the
assistance I know you will feel It an
honor and privilege to render, I am
Very sincerely your friend,
'.V. S. COLEMAN.
drama by some lasting monument
They give Go1-sneed to the paper, de
signed by General Walker, as a ve
hicle for carrying the story of Our
Women In the War to every part of
the South, and by the simple telling
awake a sense of gratitude that will
tjliow -lf bv its worVr the buililiug
ot monuments in each of the late Con
federate states In honor o? Confeder
ate women.
THANKS.
Thj editor wishes to express her
thanks to the whole body of V. D. C.
in the state and to the many indi
viduals who have given their work
for this number of the War Supple
ment eo willingly that the sense of
obligation seemed to be their own.
Especially are thanks due Mrs. Dai
sy McLaurln Stevens for her Inval
uable assistance in reaching the orig
inal daughters of the Confederacy, and
her wide influence in collecting data;
hardly less for her cheery words of
faith and encouragement. Her ardent
sympathy with the object of the paper
induces the hope that :ie ame feeling
will be everywhere met with. The
only regret connected- with the work
Is that space doe- not allow the print
ing of all the interesting and valuable
nianuscr'r sent In. The hardest of
all the work Is choosing a few where
all are desired. A volume might be
printed. Sincere and heartfelt thanks
to all the patriotic women who have
written our Mississippi Supplement
THE CONFEDERAL'
k
CONFE'1";
When the Daughter
I Cnnfi'-- t.
eracy are asked by t' A 1'oung sons
how it was possible that tlw Southern
States could have claimed t-ie right to
secede from the compact nude by the
original thirteen states and dissolve th Confederacy and daughters of vet
the Union that was meant to be per- t n..is, It is your part and duty to teach
petual, they can hardly do b?tter than the growing generation that the sol
to take for a short catechi.ui of their, dle.-s of the Confedertcy fought for
taith the address mode bj ihe silver- principles, md be sure to make them
tongued orator of Mississippi, ColoueJ nnde stand wr.-u those principles are.
C. E. Hooker, at the Atlanta reunion If yot teach that lesson well, we shall
of U. C. V. Adding for the long cate- j noy see any man o woman who be
chlsm the speech of the Hon. Johnj'ongi to a Confederate organization
Sharpe Williams deliveied at Vlcks-,
burg on the day President Koo-.evett
sK)ke there, a speech that even south
ern boy and girl should lotira by heart
and believe with all their hearts.
Colonel Hooker briefly, clearly and ,
convincingly shows how the differ-
ence of opinion as to wh.et.KT the gov-
eminent of the United States was cen-
tral and national or whtther it w;'J
federative, had existed fiom the ve
beginning, had been as hotly urgued
iu the convention that framed the con
stitution as in the campaign of 1S6'.
And then he proceeds:
"What was done by the Confederate
government was done in the open light
of day. Let It never be forgotten!
Let It be recorded in history as an
indisputable fact, that we surrendered
vvnh amis in our hands and on writ
terms of capitulation. A claus,
)ij the armistice agreed upon by Ou
er,t Grant and ?'-"! Le iro ik-e
be disturbed by the L'nif)! States au
thority eo long as they fl-ierve their
parole and the laws in forte where
they may reside.' The terms agreed
upon by General Sherman and General
Johnston are even more explicit.
These are not such terms as estab
lished governments mete out to trait
ors. When our great leader as made
to suffer for all our sins, seized,
shackled and confined in Fortress
Monroe, and indicted for treason In
the Federal court at Richmond, why
was he not tried? No other reason
can be given than that his enemies
knew that his alleginoe was due pri
marily to his state. When the war
euded the question of the rehabilita
tion of the seceded states had to be
solved. First the attempt was made
to rule by military satraps, next came
the reconstruction acts v. "ulvh did not
reconstruct at all. Then the supreme
i court of the United States decided
that while this was an Indissoluble
union it was composed of liidestructi
ble states. So It may om? to pass in
the future that all the state will unite
OUR WOMEN
God bless our Southern land,
God bless the South,
Make us harmonious, virtuous and
gilorlous,
Spread thy shield o'er us
, G:d bless the South. s
The sti'ry sot forth la t' pages
Is the true histojy of the :rt borne
by the women of Mississippi In tne
four terrible years ot battl and suf
fering from '61 to '65. Tn,e that Is,
and history, yet only one pae of what
in our state alone might be Multiplied
to volumes for It is oui; a small
fraction of the material gathered in a
few weeks by the editor. But from,
one page volumes may be constructed,
for it is not a story of isolated cases,
of pre-eminent devotion hi'a few! Ev
erywhere, always, in every family, it
Is the same. Women who had known
lives of ease, protected am! depend
ent, suddenly founi. laid upon them
the responsibility of feeding and cloth
ing the people, their children and ser
vants at home, their men in the field,
working In loneliness and wtt'a schiug
hearts and eyes blinded by tejtrs; In
terror of a savage enemy wtio warred
with torch as well as muskets, who re
joiced to see starving chiwtren and
mothers with no olace to (lay their
hea;'.s. Strange an I wonderful it was
how they grew in strength; aad re
course. How they uttered com
plaint, but ever encouraged ai;!d cheer
ed the soldiers and ministered to his
needs; no self-denial too harfd. no la-
bor too great, if a soldier 4i
llght be
ride and
se that
:er their
y cheer-
succored, and with It all a i
glory In their country's ca i
countenanced no sinking! A
labors seemed for ajght th
e'
STATES AND 111
- . , . ... ..
-OLORS:
. . " .: ' ! f
rate states for
! fc.un.ins t utw tlit-y fought for pre
iving what Mr. Calhoun declared
s the bret th of the nostrils of the
Vernment, the states, daughters of
adncate the making of laws by the
United States congress that properly
bel.ugs to the state power, nor toler
ate the idea that the courts may con
stne the constitution to enable the
executive to do anything (however
good and desirable the tnmg may Dei
I which, without that elastic construe-
ti;n, lie could not lawfully do. To us.
who have had so hard an experience
of the power of the United States gov
ernment, it is natural to think In all
important Issues thnt the nation
should decide. Such thinking is dan
gerous. "The Federal government is
being constantly called on to do what
it Is the duty of the states themselves
o accomplish. That veiy habit of Ig
noring the commonwealth In the pres
sure of difficulties is bad. It weak
ens the power of the state, it dlmm
lshi's its respect Its powers thus del
ei'ted are removed one step farther
'rum he people, whence they come,
' ' .' . I
u tii.e.stloK ot no ngiu mipjuaiioe
to the whole country, but most of all
to the south, who has contended even
unto death for the rights of the states.
Do not then allow our young citizens
to accept the name of rebel, for the
Confederate soldier. He fought for a
theory of government, the other side
did but the same; but still more, our
soldiers fought against the invader of
their country and to protect their
hemes and firesides, their wives and
little children, as their English ances
tors have ever done, as they were
i Lhuiid to do or lose the right to - be
called free men. Let us never forget
the lesson spoken last year in Rich
mond by the younger Robert E. Lee,
worthy son of noble sire. Refuse with
utmost indignation that excuse for
our Boldiers that trips so glibly from
northern lips when they wish to please
us: "They thought they were right."
Everywhere and always let us believe
now, as we believed then, they were
right! If they only tnought they were
right, disband your Confederate organ
izations, forget the past and inscribe
on all your monuments, "Poor fools."
IN THE WAR.
fully pecepted new terms of life and
faithfully went on with the duty of
doing all that in them lay to uphold
the men who labored to build up their
' country. Still through all the years of
ybitter poverty, humiliation and mili
tary despotism tbey guarded In the
fi'ltadel of their hearts the memory of
they organized memorial associations
to cttre for the soldiers' graves, and
as each spring returned to strew them
with flowers, teaching the little chil
dren the reason and meaning of the
deed. The first dawn of a more pros
perous era saw them all over the1
coultry, as by a common Inspiration,
banded together to build homes for
homeless veterans and hospitals for
the sick; to take care that true his
tory should be taught In the schools
that the children should learn always
to honor their fathers, to understand
and to glory in their fight for princi
ples and to preserve the tradition of
the Confederacy.
And in every state, in almost every
county, they have put up shafts of
everlasting bronze or granite to shew
forth the faith and love that Is In
tbem. Now we offer to you the story
of their work, so that when the last
eye-witness has gone from your sight
the memory of their suffering and
their labors may not be lost. Truly it
was the Inspiration of such women as
these that gave to the men of the
South the courage to dare and brave
the shot and shell and all the horrors
that war carries with It! It is to such
women the men of the South owe an
everlasting gratitude that no monu
m.nt of stone, though reaching to the
heavens, can ever repay.
nprff !
J. .' v- . 'a
it.'t a
f t C '- j-
ne f'i'l inarM the
o euiur.au
e l:i s;
virtue, valor and sacrifice ot the men
cf the d.i s of 61-65, but the Sons ana
Veterans have most lovingly ana m
tlnglv set to work to erect monuments
to the women of the Confederacy, a
woman nooo wuose iumi.
of her situation during the bloody
struggle pronounced Her seii-aeniai.
her fortitude and admiration in the
nnrt nf the sons, tells us that the char
acter of the ideal Southern woman lies
Patronize Adver
tisers The advertisers In this supplement
have made It possible to pay mis
tribute to Mississippi's noble and he
roic daughters and to aid in forever
perpetuating their splendid heroism
in the permanent monumen.s iu..
will be erected. All who treasure these
sacred memories can and will show
their appreciation of the patriotic lib
erality of the advertisers by giving
them, each in their respective busi
nesses, their patronage. We bespeak
this for the advertisers.
Acknowledgments
For cash contributions to the Mis
sissippi Supplement. "Our Women in
the ar.'.' acknowledgment is made to
t..e k'lijv.i,!. u:- ....ib..?-
kindly given to the great movement of
honoring the women of the Confeder
acy: P. M. Harding, $5; Louis Hoff
man,' $2; Sol Isenberg, $5; W. A. Ev
erman, $5; Captain William Winston,
$5; Captain W. H. Lee, $5; T. B
Franklin, $3.
FREE.
Though bards may te'.l of England's
fame,
And tune their harps to Scotia's name,
Thou poets of Italia sing,
And round her beauteous garland
fling;
Though history, stately, cold and calm
To northern arms awards the palm
Of high success we'll not despair,
But sing, a land as bright and fair
As Italy. We'll never weep.
But 'mid our blood-stained laurels
sleep,
And calmly wait till song and story
Shall crown our brow with wreaths
cf glory.
Ar.d though our laurels now may fade,
Though we may sleep 'mid night's
dark shade;
Chains, chains of iron, chains of gold
Around our limbs their llnklets fold
Yet hand has never forged the chain
To bind cur hearts, for the glad strain
Of glory, e'en though past, still floats
So witching sweet, 'mid funeral notes.
l; s'liil-ltup'riDg. thrilling waves,
Around our h-rnes' early graves
Should man s'.t dowa In sad repose?
Sh;uld woman weep each blighted
rose?
No! Southern men and women, rise;
Praise your cross to pitying skies,
Let friends and foes with wonder see
Though conquered you can still be
free.
Free! though your sands are bound
with chains.
Free! though your banner furled re
mains.
Free! for you'll take your burden up.
Free! for you'll drain the bitter cup.
VVIth hopeful sorrow bearing all.
Listening alone to honor's call
Throw off the fetters weighing 'down
Your hearts, and win a glorious crown.
Show that though conquered slaves ye
be,
Your spirlt3 and y:ur bouIs are free!
This poem was written by Eliza
Stockton Lord in the spring of 18G5.
She was at that time fifteen years old.
Her father. Dr. W. W. Lord, had been
rector of Christ church, Vicksburg;
had left there after the surrender of
the city and was rector of St. Paul's,
Charleston, until February, 1870, when
he returned to Vicksburg as rector of
Holy Trinity church. The poem In
sentiment and expression isi rea'.ly
wonderful to be tbs work of so young
a girl.
RECOGNITION1.
n,t',ii:p.l ia ;,:.:l,era hearts. TU
power auJ lisciuatiPB of our ideal
s-mtnern womanhood are attested by
this magnificent manifestation on the
part of our boys today, whose moth
ers these women were. We commend
their laudable efforts and give assur
ances of our most hearty co-operation,
wishing for them speedy success.
Faithfully,
DAISY M'LAURIN STEVENS.
President Mississippi Division U. D, C.
Capt Montgomery's Tribute to
tne Women of Warren County.
Mrs. Spotswood McClung, who was
Miss Pattie Booth, sitter of the '.Jon...
V. Booth, of Vicksburg, should be
remembered by the historian who
would perpetuate the names of true
and loyal Confederates. The old Booth
home, eight miles southeast of Vicks
burg, was made the happy gathering
place f:r Confederates by her lovely
voice and musical talent, added to her
many other attractions. 9. D. Lee and
his living officers can yet bear witness
of her patriotic Inspiration. Capt. W.
A. Montgomery, wh commanded the
scout corojny, rat was almost con-
tinuousi? aroucd tn the neighborhood"
of that hme, which was betweei the
two lines of Yanks and Confedr., will
hetif tewtrroy tTher e" e-rF- I.
Ir-io-J' rj- ;- i f ') Ho
nients of the Yanks whenever there
was danger of the capture of the Con
federates. And to her name should be added
those of Mrs. Sallle Collier (then Miss
Newman) and Mrs. Laura Banks her
sister, and none would forget Miss Vic
toria Batchelor, whose heart was full
of loving service to the Confederate
cause, and the mothers of all the above
will never be forgotten by the soldiers
of the Confederacy. Living between
the lines where the scouts from the
two armies were continuously meeting
each other, they have witnessed the
charges and counter charges of those
contending forces, the capture and re
capture of men on each side, the rac
ing in pursuit and then In flight of
these cavaliers.
Patriotism of Vicksburg Women.
By Henry S. Halbert, Montgomery, Ala.
The "Official War Records,- Serial
No. 119, page 776, states that In the
city of Vicksburg on Christmas day.
1863, during services in the Episcopal
church, at the point where prayer waa
made f:r "the president of the United
States and all others in authority,"
Misses Kate and Ella Barnett, Laura
Latham, Ellen Martin and Mrs. Moore
arose tint abruptly left the church. In
their exalted devotion to the. Confcd- .
erate cause it could not be expected.
that they remain and give a hypocr Il
eal assent to a prayer for the welfare
and success of the enemies of their
country, but Federal malignity took an
other view of the matter. Gen. James
B. McPherson was in command there.
and he had these ladles banished from
the city. He ordered them to leave the
Federal lines within forty-eight hours.
The names of these devoted Southern
women should be held In everlasting
remembrance by the people of the en
tire south.
Society in Vicksburg.
1
Society through the whofesotith was
forced into' many strange tonrulslona
by the war. A man's being a good sol
dier became a sufficient reason of it
self to recommend him to the notice
and acquaintance oi a lady, and the
gatherings that occurred about the
caves and In the parlors of the well
born dames of Vicksburg presented a
mixture that under other circum
stances would not have been allowed.
MRS MARIA L JOHNSTONE.
ii