The Ladies' Memorial Association of Montgomery, Alabama; its origin and organization, 1860-1870

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The Co:xfederate Monument, iMoNTGOMEKY, Ala.

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MONTGOMERY
ALABAMA PRINTING COMPANY

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^'Sonor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be
long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth theey

At a meetiug of the ' 'Ladies' Memorial Association of
Montgomery, Ala.," some ten or twelve years since,
there was quite a discussion as to what members would
be entitled to wear an Association badge. The Presi-
dent thought ''only those 'up' with their dues," and
an unhappy incident occurred, offending a good, enthu-
siastic, earnest member, by the Secretary telling her she
was not entitled to "a vote," as her dues were not paid.
Mrs. Mary Phelan Watt, my sister, felt this very keenly,
and with probably more emphasis than parliamentary
decorum, said: "Madam, hearts and hands are more
worth in a memorial association than fifty cents. I
have a right to speak, as I am a charter member of this
organization, and my mother one of the originators and
founders of it." To this latter statement Mrs. M, D.
Bibb, the President, from the chair made violent pro-
test, saying "her mother, Mrs. B. S. Bibb, was the sole
originator and founder of the Association."

Our family were grieved and astounded at such a
claim, but as it was only a statement that perished with
the breath that uttered it, decided to let it pass, feeling
that we could trust to its contradiction in the record of
the times. But, when upon a more recent occasion a
history was prepared under Mrs. M. D. Bibb's direction
for the "World's Fair, at Chicago ; later still, one pre-

5S7GS4

pared under the same direction, entitled, ''The Monu-
ment on Capitol Hill," and claiming to be authorized by
the Ladies' Memorial Association, making practically
these same claims, I felt that the truth of history should
be gathered and put in form.

Eeaders of the last named pamphlet will notice the
error in time in the effort to reconcile the General
Swayne incident, making the 16th of April, 1866, coin-
cide with three weeks after the surrender. I know little
of General Swayne, but I am glad I have lived long
enough to feel that there were brave and chivalrous
gentlemen among the officers and privates of the Federal
army, and he may have been one of them, but he was
at that time still a partisan with no patience with any
movement to revere the memory or build monuments to
Confederate soldiers, and it is preposterous to give him
credit for the foundation of the noble shaft which stands
on Capitol Hill.

They will, too, note the unjust impeachment of the
good, great, and patriotic Mrs. B. S. Bibb in the state-
ment that "during the war she often talked of her plans,
when the war was ended, for the formation of an asso-
ciation for the careful burial of Alabama Confederate
soldiers," etc., etc. Those familiar with those times
know, as I do, that no patriot, such as she, expected the
Confederate soldiers' remains to be cared for by private
associations, but felt that they would have the strong
and loving arms of a free Government thrown around
them. Mrs. Bibb needs no such claim to forever enshrine
her memory in the hearts of all men and women who
live, and will live to love and honor the memory of the
Confederate soldier. Selected as the President of the
Memorial Association because of maturer years and tried
executive ability, blessed with a long life — much longer

Pamphlata
[c Collectioa

3

than any of the women of its early days — she did as
much, probably more, than any man or woman who
lived to accomplish the success it achieved.

Thomas, Watkins, John and Ellis Phelan, when the
Confederacy needed soldiers, were found on the firing
line, or leading it in command. "Was it strange that,
when an association was to be formed to gather their
bones from the battlefields, their mother should likewise
be at the head of the column? I leave the recital of the
facts of those times to answer.

Sidney Harris Phelan.

Kjore-ivopci

In compiling the History of the Origin and Organiza-
tion of the Ladies' Memorial Association, I have not
been unmindful of the great responsibility of the engag-
ing task which I assumed. That all writing of history
should be undertaken as a sacred trust is a truth whose
seriousness has been with me through the many hours
and days of search for the facts as they are, facts which
no one would question, and at whose presentation no
one would cavil.

No important fact has been chronicled without going
to the prime sources for the first and best proof, and no
pains has been spared to verify the memory of those who
are living by a resort to written or printed records.
Where no record was made, and memory was the only

resource, statements based on any single recollection
have been omitted, only those being given a place where
several trustworthy individuals concurred in vouching
for the same fact. That some miuor mistakes will be
found is to be expected; I can only hope they may not
be so serious as to mar the work as a whole.

It was the earnest wish of the compiler to make men-
tion in condensed form of all who took a prominent part
in the formation of the Association. In some instances
this could not be done to the satisfaction of the writer,
because promised data, through the carelessness or for-
getfulness of friends did not come in time.

Ko attempt has been made to give the history of the
Association through all its eventful and useful years,
the scope of the work embracing only its origin, organ-
ization and early achievemeuts. To mention all who
have taken part gloriously in the Association's noble
work since those first heroic years, would extend the
volume far beyond the limit that was set.

The study of these old annals has been to me a melan-
choly pleasure. It has brought me face to face and
heart to heart with many noble men and women whose
unselfish and untiring patriotism, fortitude and courage
throughout those gloomy times has not been excelled in
all the history of the world.

Maeielou Armstrong Cory.

Montgomery, April, 1902.

rj/ie l^adles >^CemorlaL ^Association

of ymM^ontgomertj •Alabama

•^ 3^u.ll ^^iccounf of its Origin and Organixafion

In no period of time has the patriotic sentiment of the
people been so enlisted in the preservation of their his-
toric annals. Alabama has been slower in awakening
to this beautiful labor of state love than many of her
sisters, but her progress now bids fair to grow into the
old-time Confederate Quick-step.

Few states of the South are richer in their early his-
tory than Alabama, From the Alabama Historical
Society,* formed in Tuskaloosa, in 1850, has at last
been evolved this new impetus to the State's historical
niovement, and tlie future historian of Alabama will
find the State Department of Archives and Hi8tory,f

*The General Assembly of 1851-52 passed an act incorporat-
ing the Ahibama Historical Society. This was approved Feb-
ruary 5, 1852.

tThe General Assembly of Alabama, by act approved Decem-
ber 10th, 1898, provided for the appointment of an Alabama
History Commission of five members. Its creation grew out of
an enlightened public sentiment, and also a conviction on the
part of the law makers that there should be some legislative
action towards fostering historic interest and the preservation
of the records, archives and history of the State. Under the
authority conferred by the Act, the undersigned have been
appointed as members by his Excellency, Gov. Joseph F. John-
ston, President of the Alabama Historical Society. (Report of

6

formed by the Legislature of 1898-99, of inestimable
value in shortening his labors of research and supplying
the materials ready gathered and stored away.

The most reliable sources of information on all his-
torical subjects where the official records of State are
wanting are the files of the daily papers. For this
present summary of past events the writer has had
recourse to all these precious records now accessible,
though sometimes necessarily accepting the recollection
of persons taking part in the events of those wonderful
years. The newspai)er files have been given the prefer-
ence over personal recollections and personal letters,
which differ more widely and are by all historians
deemed the less trustworthy testimony. The old files
of the Montgomery Advertiser and the Daily Mail of
1865-66 have been systematically studied and copied.
Many volumes of the Advertiser prior to July, 1865,
are missing, owing to the loss by fire of some of these
most historic and valuable treasures during the vandal-
ism of Federal soldiers in April and May, 1865,*

All numbers since July, 1865, are well preserved. At

Alabama History Commission 1900, edited by Thios. M. Owen.)
Ttie uudersis^ned were Thos. M. Owen, Chairman; W. S.
Wyman, S. W. John, Peter J. Hamilton, Chas. C. Thach.

*It was thought by some that the missing files of the Adver-
tiser were taken, with other Alabama archives, to Augnsta,
Ga., and there lost or confiscated. It will be remembered that
on the approach of General James H. Wilson, with Federal
troops, there was some alarm felt for Montgomery archives and
the State officials sent some of them away to Eufaula, Ala.,
and Augusta, Ga., for preservation. Major W. W. Screws,
however, prefers to believe the statement of Mr. S. G. Reid,
then proprietor of The Advertiser, who affirmed that the lost
files were burned in the streets of Montgomery by Federal sol-
diers. This act of depredation was not by any command of
Federal officers, but through Federal vandalism. Official
notice, however, that The Advertiser should cease publication
was at that time posted on its doors.

that time Major W. W. Screws, with the honors of bat-
tle fresh upon him, laid down his sword and took up his
pen — assuming command of letters in lieu of men.*
Sufficient numbers of The Advertiser have been obtained
and studied to corroborate all statements taken from the
Daily Mail, the files of which, through the courtesy of
its then able proprietor. Major J. Carr Gibson,f have
been at the disposal of the writer. These papers — the
Montgomery Advertiser and Daily Mail — teem with rich
material for the history of those momentous times and
should be carefully guarded and preserved.

Whatsoever the movement, whether political or social,
whether of State or Church, or patriotic sentiment, each
must take shape from antecedent as well as present
environment. Public opinion is a great moulder, some-
times of character, yet oftener of great movements and
historic epochs. For the exact origin of this historic
association, then, it becomes necessary to look at Mont-
gomery before the existence or the need of her Memorial
Association and to study briefly the emotions and cir-
cumstance leading up to its sad necessity.

In 1860 no city in the world gave back a sunnier
smile in answer to the greetings of prosperity than
Montgomery. All went Mell. Her peoplp were rich
and growing richer. In the main, they looked back to

*The Advertiser at this time, July, 1865, was published and
edited by Mr. S. G. Reid and Major W. W. Screws. In 1868
Major Screws bought the interest of Mr. Reid and became sole
proprietor and editor.

flu 1865 Major J. Carr Gibson and Capt. John F. Whitfield
were publishers and editors of The Mail. In January of 1866
it came out under the management of J. Carr Gibson & Co., the
company being Captain John F. Whitfield and Colonel Joseph
Hodgson.

8

a proud ancestry in the older States, and they were
building here in Alabama another centre where the
graces of social life, the culture of mind and the stan-
dards of character were perpetuating the best traditions
of the old South. They were ambitious and they were
successful. They furnished to the drawing rooms of
two continents women whose beauty and intellect won
recognition everywhere. They supplied the noblest
minds and the loftiest purposes to the brilliant galaxy
of men who then guided the State and country. They
could boast of men who were equally at home in politics
and society and business, for among them were great
developers, builders of factories and railroads and com-
merce, as well as the subduers of the forests. The spirit
of help, of charity was everywhere. Want was un-
known, for to suspect its approach was to relieve it in
advance. Happiest of all were the slaves, whose
laughter-loving lives and easy days and devotion to the
whites are a Paradise Lost to many of their luckless de-
scendants.

Five years go by, five long revolutions of the earth,
the first amid high hopes and brave resolves, the echoes
of victory and the pride of triumph. Then specks ap-
pear on the sun, deepening to a shadow that grows into
chaos and black night.

The broad streets are still here, the mansions stand
stately as of old, the trees still house the birds and the
flowers fling their same sweet perfumes on the air.
Only the people are changed and many have not re-
turned. How silent is many a hall, how numerous the
vacant chairs! Where laughter had once its home, now
sighs and anxious communings and tuneless songs have
entered as unbidden guests. To wounded hearts was
added wounded pride, and the insult of insolence gave

9

a deeper sting to untried poverty. Mirth and music
had become as a story that is told.

This could not last. Manhood and womanhood were
the same. Chastened to a deeper seriousness and a
stouter purpose, one turned to the work of rescue, the
other to that of comfort and unselfish helpfulness. Side
by side and heart to heart the old chivalry and char-
acter and the old beauty and tenderness wrought a new
life out of sorrow and made a brighter day to follow the
darker night. But ever in sunshine and in shadow, in
rest and work, in failure and in triumph, memory was
busy in her treasure house. And the dearest jewel of
them all was and is, the brave deeds of those who died
and did not die in vain.

CHAPTER H.

During the war there were many societies among the
ladies of Montgomery for the alleviation of suffering,
among them being Ladies' Aid Societies, where the
good women met and plied their needles for love's sweet
sake. The President of one of the most prominent of
these was Mrs. Eliza Clitherall Moore,* who with her
able co-laborers worked night and day over the cutting
tables, with sewing needles and knitting needles, making
every needful thing for the soldiers in distant camps
and battle fields. Under her supervision were even the
bright faced school girls, who fled from books to this
blessed work as a pastime more glorious than play.

Prominent among these was the ^'Ladies' Hebrew
Sewing and Benevolent Society," with Mrs. J. C.
Hausmanf as President.

*Mrs. Eliza Inglis Moore was born in Charleston, S. C, June
2, 1803. Her father was Hon. George Campbell Clitherall, and
her mother Caroline Elizabeth (Burgwyn) Clitherall, connected
with the Pollocks and Devereauxs, distinguished families of
South Carolina. She was the sister of Judge A. B. Clitherall,
who, in 186J, was temporary Private Secretary to President
Davis, and Assistant Secretary of the Congress. Mrs. Thos.
Goode Jones, wife of Judge Thomas G. Jones, is the grand-
daughter of Mrs. Moore, and a daughter, Mrs. C. S. Bird, to-
gether with many other worthy descendants, still reside iu
Montgomery. Mrs. Eliza Clitherall Moore died on July 9,
1886. A more devoted Confederate never ministered to the
wounded and dying. Never did she waver until

" The warrior's banner Manged its flight
To greet the warrior's soul."

tCaroline J, Hausman was born in Saverne, France, on the
18th of August, 1832. Her parents, Alexander and Pauline
Kulman (nee Wile) moved from Saverne to Paris when their
children were still very young, iu order to give them the benefit

11

Still another Aid Society was presided over by such
spirits as Mrs. John A. Elmore, Mrs. William Yancey,
Mrs. G. W. Petrie, Mrs. William Eay, Mrs. Eambo,
Mrs. Bugbee, and others. While sewing for the absent
soldiers was the principal occupation of these societies,
other aid was constantly extended, as the following clip-
ping gives evidence :

''Patriotic Women.

"Happening, yesterday afternoon, to be at the office of our
kind friend. Major Harris, we found collected there a large
number of paroled prisoners -who were returning home from
Northern prisons. The bare fact of seeing these war-scarred
veterans returning home to freshen their spirits and bodies and

of a thorough education. As a very young girl slie became in-
terested in acts of benevolence and charit.y, which so naarkedly
characterized her latter years. Her father, as president of a
large congregation, and her mother associated with noble
women for the alleviation of the unfortunate poor, were the
models on which she planned her work. Her parents dreaded
conscription for their only son, Emile, so the brave young girl,
only 17, came with the boy to New York on a visit to her uncle.
While there she met Mr. Zacques Hausman, of Montgomery,
Ala. The following year they were married in Boston, Mass.,
at the home of relatives, where the young girl was visiting.
They returned to Montgomery and until her death, July 12,
1901, this city was her home. Two years of this time was
spent in France with relatives, to which country Mr. Hausman
was sent as commissiimer to the Paris Exposition. In 1861
she organized the Hebrew Ladies' Benevolent Society, and was
its first president, and co-operated with the W<nxian's Hos-
pital. She was a charter member and in subsequent years one
of the vice-presidents of the Memorial Association, and iden-
tified with all the charitable organizations of the city. The
Woman's Home, of which she was president for fifteen years,
was especially dear to her heart and her last visit was to that
institution, where she always carried help and encouragement
to the inmates.

12

to gird up anew their loins for another conflict with the enemy
until our independence shall be fully achieved, would have
given us the greatent pleasure, but this was increased and in-
tensified beyond measure when we saw the generous cheer
which had been furnished and served to them by our patriotic
women. We give below the names of such as were moat act-
ively engaged in this most acceptable, appropriate and praise-
worthy hospitality, in order that when the history of this war
shall be written, they may be inscribed on the roll of fame :

"Mesdames W. B. Bell, Pickett, Banks, H. Bell, Col. Powell,
Marks, Mathews, Holt, Browder, Woods, Freeman, McClure,
and the Misses Hastings, May, Barney, Stringfellow, Lizzie
Rutherford,* Sallie Rutherford and Bettie Bell, of the "Ladies'
Aid Society."

Pending this time came the need for a j)lace to tend
the sick and wounded soldiers, who were now falling all
too fast. For this purpose Mrs. Carnot Bellinger, wife
of Dr. Carnot Bellinger, gave two cottages on what is
now known as Bellinger Heights. The Cloverdale car
runs hard by this cottage, now enlarged and still stand-
ing on the crest of the hill. By a singular coincidence,
and all unknown to the ladies who selected it, this house
was chosen by the Alabama Division U. D. C. as a Sol-
diers' Home, when in 1898 they had almost comiileted
their plans for a refnge for needy old Confederates. f

*It is rather an interesting coincidence that this Miss Lizzie
Rutherford is the same lovely woman who later, in Colum-
bus, Ga., suggested the idea of Memorial Day, so beautifully
embodied by her friend. Mrs. Williams, in that famous letter
which resulted in the adoption throughout the South of our
sacred 26th of April. A more extended notice of all these cir-
cumstances will be fouud later, in which Mississippi's claims
to the origin of this custom also will be given.

tThis plan for a Confederate Home was reluctantly aban-
doned by the Daughters of the Confederacy of Alabama on
recommendation of prominent veterans, who deemed it inex-
pedient, thinking it best to send money direct to the needy vet-
erans through the State Division.

13

The following account of the origin of the first Sol-
diers' Home is contributed, on request, by one of the
good women who lent their young energies to this noble
work. It has been corroborated by others who took
part in that work, and is given in her own words:

''As requested, I send you some facts concerning the
Soldiers' Home on Bellinger Heights, which was really
the first in the Confederacy, and all others took their
names from this one, which a wounded soldier gave it
in writing to his mother. He said, 'Don't be anxious
about me; I am not in a hospital, but at a Soldiers' iZbme.'
This so pleased the ladies, who had been in a quandary
about what name was good enough for it, that one of
them seized a pen and opening a large Bible, wrote in

it, 'Donated to the Soldiers' Home by ' (I forget).

'iSTow,' she said, 'it is registered in the Bible and can't
be changed.' Now, for its origin. Soon after war was
declared the ladies of JMontgomery, as did others through-
out the Confederacy, formed themselves into a sewing
society to make clothes, sand-bags, haversacks, cover
canteens, knit socks of every hue, size and shape, as
well as some very shapeless ones. Many an encouraging
word was written and attached to these articles as they
were folded and boxed for the dear boys in grey, and
sometimes when defeat instead of victory perched upon
our banner, did these sacred garments and mottoes fall
into the hands of the 'boys in blue.' Many carpets were
cut up, washed clean, as well as damask curtains, and
fitted up as blankets and sent to our boys then sleeping
on the cold, bare ground. This work of love continued
for several months before a needy soldier was brought
face to face with these true-hearted women. Dr. Samuel
IS'orton, a kind-hearted physician of Montgomery, and
at that time a minister of a Protestant Methodist Church

14

in this city, called on the ladies of the Sewing Society
and asked what would they do with a wounded soldier?
After a volley of who's and whens and whys, they
became silent, not from want of hospitality but from
want of a hospital. Many cried out, 'I will take care
of him.' The Dr. replied, 'He is already taken care of,
but we must begin in time to provide for the balance
who will surely come. Now,' he said, 'I leave it with
you, and I know on whom I depend.' It w^as the sub-
ject of discussion, earnest and heartfelt, and when they
separated at noon, no conclusion had been reached. Dr.
Bellinger asked his wife, as he met her on her return
home : 'What has happened T Why are you so silent 1'
She told him of the quandary the ladies were in con-
cerning a house or rooms for any sick or wounded
soldiers, and that one case had been brought before
them. Dr. Bellinger then offered a house and servants
and provisions on the Hill, in a quiet, retired locality,
in the midst of a large fruit orchard. This was unan-
imously and instantly accepted by the ladies that after-
noon, though I cannot now recall the exact date. Now
these ladies, as was most natural, unanimously elected
Mrs. Bellinger* as their first President, on account of the

*Mrs. Sarah Bozier Bellinger, daughter of Robert Hails, and
Sarah (Bozier) Hails, was born June 10th, 1808, iu Columbia,
S. C. Her father, Capt. Robert Hails, fought in the Revolu-
tionary War, under Light Horse Harry Lee. She was married
in 1832 to Dr. Caruot Bellinger, who, on account of French
ancestry and inherited love of old France, was given the name
of Carnot, in honor of the ancestor of the late President Carnot
of France. In the good old ante-bellum days, when South Car-
olinians, for summer recreation, drove through the country in
theirstately 'coaches-and-four," Mrs.Bellinger — then MissHails
— while enjoying an outing with friends, stopped the night with
strangers, whose doors were thus ever open to such travelers. A

15

Home having been supplied by her husband. It was but a
short while before rooms were comfortably fitted up in a
home-like manner and ready for use, with as lovely a
Christian character as one ever meets as a matron, Mrs.
Walton, a Scotch woman, small and delicate, apparently
unfitted for so arduous a position, but brave, true-
hearted and untiring. In addition to her numerous
duties as matron she was always assuming that of kind-
hearted, sympathetic nurse. Thus, overtaxing herself,
she succumbed to typhoid fever and died. Her place
could never be filled though many efi'orts were made,
and the ladies had to form themselves into committees
to do Mrs. Walton's work, with what they could furnish
or hire, for in those days we knew not the name of
trained nurse in the South . The names of the ladies who
worked at this Home were many. Mrs. J. C. Hausman,
a Hebrew lady, who only died a few months ago, was
most prominent in good deeds and charities to the sol-
diers. Mrs. William Bell, who died long after the war,
was very prominent in the good works. Mrs. James
Ware, now living, was another, and was the second
Manager of the Home. Mrs. John Elmore* was enthu-

courtly old gentleman, that uight a guest at this same home,
asked Miss Haila her father's name. "Capt. Robert Hails,"
she proudly replied. "Yes," said the old cavalier, "and I could
have courtmartialed that same Captain." Then he told the
daughter the story of how the impetuous youug Captain, on
first meeting the Tories, wanted the Colonel to claarge immedi-
ately, and being refused each time, the youug Captain replied :
"Then, by the Lord, I shall charge myself." But never a sol-
dier followed. The courtly old gentleman then introduced
himself— (he chanced to be uo less a personage than Light
Horse Harry Lee himself) — and said that he would interpret
the blush on the young daughter's face to be one of pride, for
such it should be.

*Mrs. John A. Elmore was the daughter of Hon. William D.
Martin, the famous Suuth Carolina jurist, sou of John Martin
and Elizabeth (Terry) Martin. Her mother was Henrietta

16

siastic and constant, so also Mrs. William Knox, Mrs.
William Pollard, Mrs. S. B. Bibb, Mrs. E. C. Hannon
and Mrs. Mays, Mrs. William H. Smith, Mrs. Mont-
gomery, the Taylors, and Mastins and Phillips, Mrs.
William Yancey, Mrs. Eliza Moore, Mrs. John D. Phe-
lan, and so many others."

When the cottage proved inadequate to the ever-
increasing demand, the building on the corner of Bibb
and Commerce streets was fitted up for the Woman's
Hospital and the ladies of the Home took charge there.
Here Mrs. B. S. Bibb, who afterwards won and wore
the beloved name of ''Aunt Sophie," was elected Presi-
dent of the Woman's Hospital Association, and many
ladies who, on account of distance from the city, were
deprived of going often to the Home, did faithful ser-
vice at the hospital in the city. After moving into the
city the Woman's Hospital came under the direct super-
vision of the Confederate Army Hospital Department.

Under the Confederate Army Hospital supervision
were three hospitals in the heart of the city. The La-
dies' Hospital was at the corner of Commerce and Bibb,
now (1902) occupied by Clancey's Hotel and McDonald's
Theatre, where Dr. Duncan was the surgeon in charge.

Williamson, daughter of Dr. Peter W. and Eliza (White) Wil-
liamson, of Randolph County, North Carolina. Her maternal
grandfather, Dr. Peter W. Williamson, was a surgeon
in the Revolutionary War, and her paternal grand-
father, one of the seven Martin brothers of the Revolu-
tion. Miss Laura Martin married Capt. John A. Elmore, son
of General John A. Elmore, who was a soldier in the Colonial
struggle of 1776; while the Captain saw service during the
Creek troubles of 1836. A long list of distinguished descendants
of these still honor and grace the State of Alabama. The name
of Mrs. Laura Elmore was synonymous with all deeds of char-
ity, but especially did she serve this Home with untiring devo-
tion, Mrs. Elmore was the third First Vice-President of the
Ladies' Memorial Association.

17

Mrs. B. S. Bibb, President of the Association, and Mrs.
William Bell, General Manager.

Among the daily faithful here was Mrs. Herron,*who
knelt in prayer by the bedside of the wounded and
dying, spoke the tender love of the pitying Christ,
taught the poor quivering lips to say "Thy will be done,"
and heard in the place of "mother" that last sad time
the soldier's ";N"ow, I lay me down to sleep."

Here, indeed, worked faithfully and long as lovely a
set of women as ever ministered to the victims of the
cruel god of battle. Many of their names have already
been mentioned, and though many may now escape the
memories of men, yet are they recorded upon hearts
that bled, and better still, in the Life Book of the God
of Love.

Just across the way from Commerce to Coosa street,
where are now the Merchants' Hotel, Standard Club,
etc., was the general hospital, afterwards called St.
Mary's, in honor of some devout Sisters of Charity who
gave their time and gentle work to the soldiers there.

Here the surgeon in charge was Dr. Green, and one of
the most prominent and zealous workers, Mrs. William
Knox.f

*Mr8. Sarah Herron was the daughter of Robert Parker and
Catherine (Thoriugton) Parker. Her mother was a sister of
Capt. Jack Thorington, the able lawyer aud associate of Judge
William P. Chilton. She married Mr. Johu Herrou, of Ala-
bama, and has left the impress of a long, useful aud beautiful
life.

fMrs. William Knox, Sr., was born in Nashville, Tenn., Jan-
uary 9, 1809. Her father was Col. Joseph Joel Lewis, aud her
mother was Miss Mariam Eastham. Her mother was a niece
of Lord Fairfax, aud her father an officer in the Revolutionary
War. She married Mr. William Knox, in Winchester, Tenn.,
and later moved to Montgomery, Ala. Here they made their

18

It is interesting at this point to note that Mr. George
F. McDonald, the genial manager of McDonald's The-
atre, still adheres to the same spot where, in that stirr-
ing era, he worked in a different calling. He was th«n
druggist of this hospital, while another brave Confed-
erate soldier, Mr. W. W. Norris, was business manager
— stewards they M^ere called in those days.

Again, where is now Nachman & Meertief's store,
once the famous Concert and Estelle Halls, on the corner
of Perry street and Dexter avenue, was still another hos-
pital, the surgeon being Dr. William Holt. Here also
the ladies worked valiantly under the direct leadership
of Mrs. Eliza Clitherall Moore. Thus, irrespective of
sect or creed, of age or station, "sewing while they wept"
and weeping while they softened the sorrows of others,
these noble women of Montgomery wrought better than
they knew and made names more enduring than marble
— names that must not perish while there is history
to tell.

Some of the letters received by the dear women from
grateful soldiers whom they had nursed back to health

home in what is now the old Confederate White House, where
many of their children were boru. Among the notable women
of Alabama Mrs. Kuox has left a record unsurpassed for char-
ity and deeds of mercy to all in distress or waut, without regard
to race, nationality or creed. During a term of thirty years
Mrs. Kuox taught a class in Sunday School for negroes, while
she was a member of Court Street Methodist Church, this city.
In her elegant home on Perry street, she entertained President
Davis, Mr. Alexander Stevens, General Lee, Admiral Semmes
and all the noted officers of the Confederate Army and Navy.
Mra. Knox gave two brave sons, William and Robert, to the
Confederate Army. At the age of 82 years she died on the 14th
of June, 1890, in the city of Montgomery. The first dollar
that was ever put in the treasury of the Confederate States was
the naoney to buy food and blankets for the soldiers. This
money was borrowed from Mr. Knox, president of the Central
Bank of Alabama, by H. D. Capers, and paid Mr. Capers in
gold on the 26th of February, 1861. (Vide books of the bank).

19

and strength, are not only touching but valuable histori-
cally. Only a few have survived the vicissitudes of the
years and are already yellowing with time stains. Ex-
tracts from these are given, as follows :

Atlanta, Ga., Julv 1, 1866.
Mks. W. B. Bell :

My Dear Mrs. Bell* — It would be impossible for me to ex-
press in adequate terms my sense of the debt of gratitude which
I owe you for the care aud attention with which you watched
over me, aud ministered to my sufferings whilst I was wounded,
in your beautiful city. If I am never able to repay you for
your unwearied devotion to me except by my thanks, I feel
that you are more than repaid already by the consciousness of
having done so much for the cause of our down-trodden and
oppressed country, and also for the cause of suffering
humanity.

I feel that I owe my life and what service I was afterwards
enabled to render my country to the kind care aud atter.tion of
yourself and the other noble ladies of Montgomery. So long as
I may be permitted to live I will never forget you. Our cause
is lost, our country is prostrate, but we can at least cherish the

*Mary Jarrett (Thweatt) Bell was born in Sparta, Ga., Novem-
ber 30, 1831. She was the daughter of Peterson Thweatt and
Elizabeth Williamson Thweatt, whose sister, iNIary Jarrett Wil-
liamson, was the mother of the illustrious John A. Campbell.
Mrs. Bell's forebears, both paternal aud maternal, are a herit-
age of which the most exacting dames, Colonial or Revolu-
tionary,would be proud. Micajah Williamson, her grandfather,
was a colonel in the Revolutionary War, and had a son four-
teen years old shot down before his eyes by the enemy. In a
stout leather-backed prayer book, yellowed with the usage of
108 years, and bearing the date mdccxciv (1794) in English
script, were found the names of many noted ancestors. Mrs.
Thweatt died when little Mary Jarrett was only four years old.
Her aunt, Mrs. Charles Tait, wife of Judge Charles Tait,
brought her to Claiborne, Ala. Here she lived until she mar-
ried William Brown Bell, of Falmouth, Va., who, a few years
before, had removed to Montgomery, Ala. The famed hospi-

20

memory of those who nobly fell iu her defense, and honor
those, whether male or female, who did their whole duty in
the struggle. I was wounded a second time, but only slightly;
was with Forest when he captured Murfreesboro, and in his
subsequent operations in Tennessee and Kentucky. After
Bragg's Kentucky campaign I was promoted to the command
of a select company of Texans and placed immediately under
the command of the lamented Gen'l. Polk for "secret and spe-
cial service." My business was to operate in the rear and on
the flanks of the Yankee army. Whilst in this service I had
many thrilling adventures and hair-breadth escapes, and flatter
myself that I did my country' some service. After Gen'l. Polk
was killed I served a part of the time on the stafT, part in my
old regiment of Texas Rangers. I was with my regiment in
the battle of Benton ville, N. C, and the last one fought by the
Western army. There was never a truer, braver or more patri-
otic body of men than the regiment which was brought out
from Texas by the brave, the chivalric and martyred hero —
Terry. Only a few of them lived to get back to Texas. Their
bones lie bleaching on every battlefield from North Carolina to
the Mississippi. I am proud of Texas, that noble state.

My youngest brother, who belonged to Hood's old regiment,
the 4th Texas, was killed in the seven days fight around Rich-
mond.

Please pardon me for the length of this letter. I had intended

tality of the Bells' spacious home and their acts of benevolence
and charity began long before the war. In 1853, '54 and '55,
during the dreadful scourge of yellow fever, they sent their
children to the country and were angels of mercy to the stricken
of Montgomery, nursing and alleviating suffering wherever
found. During the war Mrs. Bell's sweet face and tender
mother-hands brought comfort to many a dying and wounded
soldier, for her willing feet walked ever beside the soldier's cot.
Her oldest son, William Peterson Bell, was a brave Confeder-
ate soldier. Mrs. Bell not only gave of her time and her store
to the hospital, but furnished it with one of her own servants.
And when the dear cause was lost and the sick and wounded
boys in gray were thrown into the hands of the Government,
she continued to watch even closer than ever by their bed-
sides.

21

only to write you a few lines to show to you that your kind-
ness to me when in distress is still cherished and remembered.
Please give my love to those kind ladies who manifested so
deep an interest in my welfare whilst I was wounded.
With deepest gratitude,

Yours truly,

Marcus L. G.

Another letter, written twenty years later, is inter-
esting not so much for historic value as for the delicate
sentiment and sad story of love which it tells.

November 22, 1884.
Mrs. M. J. Bei.l:

My Dear Madam — I have never forgotten your kindness to
nae while sick at your house,* twenty years ago, and while the
world has gone well with me, I, like yourself, have had many
and sore trials. Still there is much for us to be thankful for,
especially at this time, in a political way, and to the end that
you may bear me in mind on Thursday next I send a mite.
You will receive it in the same spirit in which it is sent, for was
I not "one of your boys?" and surely there can be no impro-
priety in accepting from one's own. I send this through my
friend. Col. Pollard, to insure its safe delivery, fearing I may
not have the proper address.

I never see anything about my old nurse "Nancy. "f Is she

*It was the custom to take the convalescent soldiers from the
hospitals to the homes of the first families of Montgomery,
where they were tenderly cared for until able to return to battle
or home to their loved ones. No remuneration for these beau-
tiful services would have been tolerated by these generous
Southern aristocrats, and the doors of almost every home in
the city and surrounding country were wide open to the con-
valescent soldier.

fNancy, the nurse, and Mammy Judy, the cook, both deserve
notice for their service to the soldiers. They were faithful
slaves in the Bell home. Mammy Judy never saw a Confed-
erate soldier that she didn't make him come in and "take a
bite." "I'm gwine feed 'em all, honey, case ever time I feeds
one, somebody else gwine feed Buddie." Buddie was the be-
loved son and young master, Wm. Peterson Bell, then in the

22

again with you ? I am all alone in a large house, having no
wife, no children. I was so unfortunate as to lose my wife two
years ago — a j ure, sweet and beautiful woman. Two years ago
to-morrow we laid her away in our beautiful cemetery, there
to await the resurrection morn. A beautiful statue marks the
place. Besides her name and date are the following lines on
the tablet:

"There's not an hour of daj' or dreaming night,

But I am with thee;
There's not a flower that sleeps beneath the moon

But tells some tale of thee."

The past week has been one of mournful memories softened
by time and I remember how true and kind she was, and then
a troop of others flitted by, those from whom I had in the long
past received so many acts of kindness, among them your dear
remembered face, and having heard that you Mere not now
situated so fortunately as in the days gone by, it occurred to me
that you would like to hear from me, and that the assurance
that your kindness had never been forgotten would be gratify-
ing; hence this letter. Remember me kindly to the Holts,
your co-workers.

Hoping you are well, and that a kind providence will always
watch, guard and protect you, I remain, my dear Mrs. Bell,
Sincerely yours,

W. E. McC.

Alas, how the old letters bring us face to face with
the sorrows of those dead days! How they tell us, with
a simple eloquence more touching than any flights of
fancy, all the good our glorious Southern women

army. Other faithful slaves whose names will ever be remem-
bered by grateful soldiers were Jupiter, head cook, whose ser-
vices were given by Mrs. Carnot Bellinger; Horace Edwards, a
likely youth, services given the hospital by Mrs. W.B.Bell;
Mary Ann, one of the faithful nurses, by Mrs. Charles T. Pol-
lard; and Ellen, services given by Mrs. James A. Ware. The
last named nurses were invaluable and their strong black arms
lifted with faithful tenderness many a suflering soldier, giving
sweet visions of the loving mammy watching by the firesides
of home and mother far away.

23

wrought, and what a breath of tender chivalry they
breathe of the soldiers the South gave to her dear cause!
It is matter of regret that more letters could not have
been procured from others of those great-souled women
who toiled within these hospital wards. Hoping that
Mrs. Martha D. Bibb might possess some letters written
by soldiers to her mother, Mrs. B, S. Bibb, every effort
was made to obtain them for these pages. The forms of
the printer were even held back with the hope that in
the end they might be procured. The illness of Mrs. M. D.
Bibb at this time (1902) prevented the search among
her historic treasures for these letters. Although dili-
gent quest through files of the ''Veteran" for such let-
ters was also unsuccessful, the following very interest-
ing note from the pen of the able editor of that journal,
Mr. S. A. Cunningham, was found, bearing loving tes-
timony of one already mentioned, Mrs. Herron, whose
name is linked with golden deeds to that busy time of
the hospitals :

"The Veteran's tribute to the work of Montgomery women
would be so incomplete without reference to the late Sarah
Herrou, that brief editorial meution is supplemented.

"It seems improbable that but for her the writer would have
survived an illness during which he was carried from a railway
train into the ladies' hospital utterly unconscious from raging
fever. The presence of that gentle, intelligent Christian woman
after several days reminded him of home and mother. There
began that day the most beautiful friendly devotion the writer
has ever experienced. Mrs. Heiron's letters were such a
treat that they were common property in the army, and at sight
of the familiar handwriting, Company B, Forty-lirst Tennessee
Regiment would assemble to hear the reading as soon as
opened. Her letters were mellow with Christian counsel and
rich with wit and humor. That "mother number two " was
faithful until called home to heaven March 10, 1899. Her mind
was ever clear toward mankind, and her relation to Omniscience
was most intimate. It was well to have known her."

24

But when the war was ended and there was no more
need for such service — ^when their own came home to ten-
derer hands or were left in unmarked graves — with their
fortunes gone, their homes devastated, their noble hus-
bands and sons no more — these women who during the
time of need, knew neither fatigue nor hunger nor heart-
break, now that the need was gone, they fell themselves
by the wayside: weary, stunned! For not one but had
believed the loved banner of the South would flaunt its
bars and stars victorious forever from the old dome on
Capitol Hill.

Thus it is with woman ever! I^o matter how dark
the hour, if she see the need of her, there is no power
under heaven to daunt. But take away that necessity,
and the frail arms fall, the soft, white hands lie clasped
and still. Call but one blast through the trumpet of
need, and like the fine war horse of the cavalrj^ story,
she will rise though wounded, goiug swift to the battle.
And thus it was, as we soon shall see, with the women
of Montgomery.

CHAPTER III.

^ovr when the ashes of war had scarcely cooled, the
men of our State, already bending under the burdens
placed upon them, arose to the necessity of a new asso-
ciation. A few months after the war, on November 23,
1865, a number of gentlemen met informally at the State
Capitol and agreed to form ''The Historical and Monu-
mental Association of Alabama.* At this conference
organization was agreed upon and a committee appoint-
ed. Public notice of the meeting for permanent organ-
ization on November 24, was duly given. The Mont-
gomery Advertiser of November 24 contains the fol-
lowing :

"Historical Society.

"A meeting was held at the Capitol on yesterday at 12 o'clock
M., to take steps towards organizing a society to collect the facts
relating to the part Alabama played in the late war and to erect

*The "Historical and Monumental Association" is confound-
ed by many with the "Alabama Historical Society." As has
been before showu, the Alabama Historical Society was
formed in Tuskaloosa on July 8, 1850. To quote Mr. Thomas
M. Owen: "It's constitution was prepared by Dr. Basil Manly,
the chief promoter in the formation of the Society. It's first
officials were: President, Alexander Bowie; First Vice Presi-
dent, A. J. Pickett; Second Vice President, E. D. King; Treas-
urer, Washington Moody; Secretary, Dr. Joshua Hill Foster ;
Executive Committee, J. J. Ormond, Dr. Basil Mauly, Michael
Tuomey, L. C. Garland and Bishop N. H. Cobbs." The His-
torical and Monumental Association was fouuded in Novem-
ber, 1865, in the city of Montgomery, and was brought about
solely through the undreamed-of disastrous results of the war.

26

a monument to her heroic dead. Colonel Thomas B. Cooper
was called to the chair, and Colonel J. Hodgson appointed Sec-
retary. Judge B. F. Porter stated the object of the meeting in
a few brief and touching remarks. A committee was to report
permanent officers and a meeting called for at the Capitol at 7
o'clock this evening. Speeches were made by Judge Clitherall,
Mr. McCaa of Marengo, and Mr. Cox of Lowndes. A card
fromi Colonel H., secretary of meeting, will be found elsewhere.
This society appeals to the heart of every Alabamiau, and we
hope its labors will be entirely successful."

The paper of the same date contains the following :

"Notice. — At a preliminary meeting of citizens held yester-
day at the Capitol, [ was instructed to inform the public that
to-night at 7 o'clock a meeting of all interested in the subject
will take place in the Representative hall of the Capitol for the
purpose of organizing an association to preserve the historical
facts in relation to the late war and to build a monument to
the dead of Alabama. All who take interest in the objects of
the meeting, ladies and gentlemen, are invited to be present.
The sacred duty of preserving the memory of our gallant dead
is one which will command the devotion of all who lament
misfortune and applaud virtue. Let the meeting to-night
be so attended as to prove that the people of Alabama are will-
ing to leave their deeds to the vindication of history and their
memory to posterity. J. H.,

"Secretary."

Montgomery Advertiser, Nov. 24, 1865.

On that date also, in the House of Eepresentatives,
the following resolution offered by F. L. Goodwin, Esq.,
of Franklin county, was adopted :

"Resolved, That the use of the hall of the House of Repre-
sentatives be tendered for this evening to the citizens of Ala-
bama, who desire to form an Historical Association to perpet-
uate the memory of Alabamians who have died in the service
of the country." — (House Journal, 1865-66, p. 41).

27

The Montgomery Advertiser of [Kovember 26 contains
this notice of that memorable meeting :*

Pursuant to notice, the Historical Association of Alabama
met at 7 p. M., November 24, I860, in the Representative Hall
of the Capitol, Colonel Thomas B. Cooper in the chair. The
meeting being called to order, the committee upon organiza-
tion made the following report through its chairman, B. F.
Porter,t of Butler:

REPORT.

The committee to which was referred a resolution directing a
nomination of permanent officers of the Historical Association
of Alabama have discharged their duty and respectfully
report —

The committee deem it necessary to say that the proposition

*In searching for data of the formation of the Historical and
Monumental Association, only the preceding notices and all
subsequent ones could be found, the organization proceedings
being the important missing links. In atallv with Mr. Thomas
M. Owen on the .'subject, he spoke of having copied from the
Selma Messenger this missing link and kindly turned it over
to the writer, together with the resolutions passed by the House
of Representatives above quoted. Subsequently the files of
the Montgomery Advertiser of November, 1865, were found
containing the original proceedings from which the Selma
paper had copied them.

tBenjamin F. Porter, of Alabama, was born on Sullivan's
Island, a summer resort for (Charleston, S. C, in 1808. Losing
his father when a mere lad, he was forced to begin the battle
of life with limited education which he improved by self-cul-
ture to one of great breadth and scope. A checkered career was
his fate through a romantic and useful life. Besides his duties
as statesman he was indefatigable with his pen and was both
author and poet. Judge Porter's achievements for his State are
too numerous for this short sketch and are of untold value. At
the first signs of war between the States he opposed secession,
believing in mutual concessions instead of armed conflict. Yet,
when Alabama seceded, there was no more faithful confeder-
ate and he gave his first born to his State. He died in 1868,

28

to organize the Association cannot too strongly appeal to the
sympathies of the people of the State.

The mere call strikes a string whose key is the human heart.
Next to the return of our dead sous to the hearthstones are the
memories of their lives and deaths; and from many a home,
amidst renewed tears and lamentations, Rachels mourning for
their children, will be heard the cry of "Let us hasten to per-
petuate their memory."

The committee finds it unnecessary, too, to mix with the
griefs and duties of the occasion the slightest allusion to the
origin of the struggle in which so many have found graves.
We wish to preserve the recollection of our heroic dead, un-
mixed with bitterness.

We desire a pall dropped upon the past except so far as their
patriotic devotion is to be recorded. The grave of a hero is
sacred everywhere — the impulses which prompt to its venera-
tion are indifferent to neither friend nor foe. The Englishman,
full of the thrills which accompany the memory of Waterloo,
bows in reverence to the tomb in which reposes the ashes of
Napoleon. The child reads on the monument which marks
the resting place of WolfT and Montgomery lessons which
inspire to public virtue and self-sacrifice in the cause of his
country.

In this sense we desire to record the memory of our sons, and
erect a cenotaph which shall at once be sacred to their names
and battlefields. Nor will it be said by the invidious critic
that this pious task is aflected by unfaithfulness to our now
common country. The Union and Constitution of that coun-
try owe their origin to no principle at variance with the love of
our birth places which, beginning in the family circle, is the
germ of love of country, and which gradually expanding takes
in all naankind in its generous grasp of bevolence and patri-
otism. We say, therefore, let there come up from every moun-
tain and valley a fervent response to this movement. Let us
all unite in erecting a pillar for the dead of Alabama in the

while Judge of the twelfth judicial circuit. He married early
in life Miss Eliza Taylor Kidd, whose deeds of love to the
wounded and dying soldiers, at their home in Greenville, were
similar to those of Montgomery's illustrious women.

29

solemnity and manliness of a yet free people. Let it record
only of her sons what the traveler reads of the gallant Spartans
who fell at Thermopylae : "We lie here in obedience to the
laws of our country." Benj. F. Porter,

Chairman.

ORGANIZATION.

The committee to which was referred a resolution authorizing
the nomination of permanent offlcers of the Association have
considered the subject and have instructed me to report the
following names for offlcers and recommend their selection :

For President, Hon. Thos. H. Watts; for Vice Presidents,
first circuit, Dr. J. T. Reese; second circuit, Hon. Thomas M.
"Williams; third circuit, Alberto Martin, Esq.; fourth circuit,
Hon. A. M. Gibson; sixth circuit, Col. S. J. Murphy; seventh
circuit, L. C. Lanier; eighth circuit. Dr. A. N. Worthy; ninth
circuit, Col. Richard Powell; tenth circuit. Gen. W. H. Forney;
eleventh circuit, R. R. Dawson, Esq.; Secretary, Col. Joseph
Hodgson; Assistant Secretary, Col. W. H. Fowler.

B. F. Porter, Chairman.

The report being adopted, on motion the Chairman
api)ointed a committee of three, consisting of Hon. B. F.
Porter, Judge A. B. Clitherall and Col. K. H. Powell,
to wait upon Governor Watts and inform him of his
election.

Upon taking the chair Governor Watts* returned his
thanks in a few appropriate remarks.

On motion of Mr. McCaa, of Marengo, it was

Resolved, That an executive committee consisting of three
shall be appointed by the Chair.

^'Governor Thomas H. Watts was born in Butler County Jan-
uary, 1819, near Butler Springs. His mother was a daughter of
Thomas Hill, one of the first legislators from Conecuh County
(how Butler); his father was for many years a well known plan-
ter of west Butler. His career was one succession of brilliant
achievements to 1862. When, at Corinth, as Colonel of the
17th Alabama Infantry, March, 1862, he was appointed to the
cabinet of Jefferson Davis as Attorney-General of the Confed-
erate States. This he resigned in 1863 to accept the position of
Governor, to which he had been elected. His able administra-

30

Messrs. McCaa of Marengo, and Goodwin of Franklin, made
earnest and eloquent appeals in behalf of the objects of the
Association.

On motion. Resolved, That Hon. ]J. F. Porter, of Butler, be
appointed Corresponding Secretary of this Societj*.

On motion, the following resolutions, offered by Mr.
Thompkins, of Mobile, were referred to the Executive
Committee :

Ist. Resolved, That the Legislature of the State be memori-
alized by a standing committee of three persons to be appoint-
ed by the President of this meeting, to approj^riate the sum of
five thousand dollars (5:5,000) out of any moneys in the State
treasury not otherwise appropriated, as a basis of capital upon
which to begin the erection of a monument on the Capitol
grounds, with the inscription : "Alabama honors her sons
who died in her service."

2nd. Resolved, That the outside of said monument shall
be built of solid marble, and under the supervision and after
the plan hereafter to be agreed upon, by said standing commit-
tee referred to in the first of these resolutions.

3rd. Resolved, That a committee be appointed by the
President of this meeting to consist of not less than one nor
n\ore than four persons from each county within the State of
Alabama, each committee to embrace as its chairman the Pro-
bate Judge of the respective counties; said committee to solicit

tion as Governor during this trying period (1863 to 1865), when
the State was under control of Federal armies, gave him the
honored title of "War Governor," Among the priceless relics
of the State Capitol is now the handsome book case used by
him in those days. It is the property of the Cradle of the
Confederacy Chapter, U. D. C, having been presented to them
by members of the Governor's family. A noted soldier, in
speaking of him, recently said with emphasis and enthusiasm :
"He was a great man; he had few peers and no superior." His
large fortune was confiscated by the Federal soldiers. Un-
murmuring he took up his profession of law until his death.
His son, Hon. Thomas H. Watts, is one of the foremost law-
yers of Alabama, and was a conspicuous and valued member
of the recent Constitutional Convention. Another son, John
W. Watts, Esq., and two daughters, Mrs. Alexander Troy and
Mrs. Robert Collins, still reside in Montgomery.

31

subscriptions to promote the object of these resokitions, aud to
report monthly on the sanae until such time as the standing
committee to be appointed under resolution the first shall dis-
charge them and declare the work completed.

4th. Resolved, That the committees appointed under the
third of these resolutions be instructed to gather data and a
correct list of those who have died in battle or otherwise, while
a member of any military company, raised within the State of
Alabama between the first day of January 1861, and the first
day of May, 1865. Said data, memoranda or list as aforesaid,
shall be forwarded to the standing committee provided for in
the first of these resolutions, and ten thousand copies of the
same shall be printed for general distribution, one hundred of
which shall be filed in the archives of the State.

On motion of General James H. Clanton, Resolved, That a
committee of five be appointed by the President to draft and
report a Constitution and By-Laws for the government of this
Society, and that said committee be requested to report at our
next meeting.

The President appointed as this committee General Clantou,
Captain Goodwin, Captain Richardson, Judge Phelan aud Mr.
Tompkins.

On motion of Judge Porter, Resolved, That a committee of
five be appointed by the President, whose duty it shall be to
prepare an address to the people of Alabama in reference to
the object of this Association and solicit their earnest co-opera-
tion.

Resolved, That every man, woman and child of the State
who authorize the Secretary to record their names shall be
considered a member of this Association.

On motion of Mr. McCaa, that the Executive Committee be
instructed to apply to the Legislature for an act for the incor-
poration of the Association.

In support of the object of the meeting eloquent remarks
were made by Judge A. B. Clitherall, Col. John W. A. Sanford
and Gen. James H. Clanton, in response to calls from the
Association.*

^General John W. A. Sanford is the only one of this brilliant
trio now living. A mutual friend tells the following amusing
incident of the occasion of those speeches : At that time Judge

3S

Colonels Joseph Hodgson and V. S. Murphy excused them-
selves OD account of the lateness of the hour, and on motion
the Association adjourned to meet at the Representative hall
of Capitol at 7 p, m.. on Wednesday, November 2.

Joseph Hodgson, Secretary.

The next mention of the Alabama Historical and Mon-
umental Society was found in The Daily Mail, of Mont-
gomery, December 9, 1865, as follows:

"Ex-Governor Watts, President of Alabama Historical and
Monumental Association, has appointed Hon. B. F. Porter,
Col. V. S. Murphy, Dr. William J. Holt, Colonel Boiling Hall,
Jr., and Captain Elmore J. Fitzpatrick a committee to memori-
alize the Legislature in behalf of the objects of the Associa-
tion."

In December, 1865, we find in The Mail the next
mention :

"Historical Society. — The com^mittee of Alabama Monu-
mental and Historical Society, of which Hon. B. F. Porter, of
Greenville, is chairman, was appointed to prepare an address
to the people of this State in behalf of the objects of the Asso-
ciation and not to the Legislature, as was at first published."

A most rigid search of all files of the papers of the
city or of State documents fails to find anything else on
this subject until March, 1866. Colonel Porter, the
Corresponding Secretary, however, to quote another,
''made earnest appeals in behalf of its objects in the
press and by circulars. He did not meet with the suc-
cess commensurate with his efforts. No record of his
work has been preserved."

Clitherall and Colonel Sanford were opposing each other for
Attorney-General. General Sanford had not been present at
the initial meeting of that morning. Friends meeting the
General twitted hina on his absence and told him that Judge
Clitherall had made a most eloquent speech and was getting
ahead of him. It is needless to say that the General was on
hand that night and covered himself with glory. General San-
ford's reply is that it was this speech which helped to gain for
him the victory.

CHAPTER IV.

The next mention of any association is found in The
Mail of January 4, 1866, which speaks favorably of the
''Ladies' Southern Aid Association, formed by Missis-
sippi, a branch of which is established in each of the late
Confederate States. The principal object is to raise
funds that will place the wife and children of Jefferson
Davis above possibility of want or dependence upon
charity of friends." The following reply of Mrs. Davis,
which was published a few days later, is so tenderly
beautiful, so noble, yet so pathetic, that it is worthy a
place in the hearts of all true Southerners, as well as in
the history of our States. The Daily Mail heads it "A
Message of Love From Prison Gates."

Mill View, Ga., December 4, 1865.
T. B. Clark, Esq., Sect'y and Agent L. S. A. Association :

My Dear Sir— I am in receipt of your very kind letter in
the name of the Ladies' Southern Aid Association, having for
its object the purpose of placing me and family in circumstances
somewhat commensurate with their estimates of me and mine,
and begging that I will at my earliest convenience designate
a place to which the means so collected may be conveyed, so
that they may safely and satisfactorily reach me.

From our desolated and impoverished friends I scarcely
expected such an expression of material sympathy, though my
powers of gratitude have been almost daily taxed to thank
those who have with so much heart-eloquence plead with the
President for him who, though unsuccessful, has given you all
he could — his best energies — and whose only hope of future
happiness lies in the sweet trust, often expressed, that he has
not lost your confidence and love. Ignorant of all which his
own people have done for him in his painful captivity, his de-

34

votion is unabated. "The unfortunate have always been
deserted and betrayed, but did ever one have less to complain
of when he had lost the power to serve ? The multitude are silent
— why should they speak save to Him who hears best the words
most secretly uttered ? My own heart tells me the sympathy
exists; that the prayers from the lamily hearth are not hushed.
Be loving and confiding still to those from whom I have re-
ceived so much more than I deserve — far more ofiieial honors
than I ever desired. Those for whose cause I suflfer are not
unworthy of the devotion of all which I had to give." This is
the message of love which is sent through prison gates to our
own people. I say our own people because both of us have
been brought up with you. One was born in Mississippi, the
other came to it in infancy.* These are my own people, and it
is a privilege of which no change can deprive me. To the
accepted prayers of tmr widows and orphans, our sutfering but
heroic women, our brave and true men, our innocent little
children, I look for the restoration to my little children of their
agonized but Christian father. If a merciful Providence so
ordain it we hope to live and die among you, mutually consol-
ing and bearing each others burdens. I pray God we may not
be driven from the home of our childhood, "for how can we
sing our own song in a strange land?" We would not have
our dear friends betrayed by their sympathy into offering for
our use too much from their own "basket and store." landmine
have so far been miraculously cared for and shielded from want.
We seem ever environed by the love which is reflected upon us
from that which lighted my husband in his dungeon, softened

*Only a few days since Mrs. Davis visited her beloved Missis-
sippi. Parts of the Capitol of that State were to ba remod-
eled, and the Legislature wished to greet once more the beloved
wife of our martyred hero within the historic old hall made
sacred by his one-time presence. One of the saddest trials of
Mrs. Davis' life has been that the state of her health and the
necessities of life compelled her to leave hor people. He it said
to the eternal glory of the South that one of her sorrowful re-
grets shall ever be that a cruel fate compelled such renunciation
on the part of both the beloved widow and our sainted Winnie.

The meeting in the old hall for that last time, Mrs. Davis'
tender reception by the General Assembly of Mississippi, and
her loving, heartbroken response are a pathetic picture which
will live in the Southern heart forever.

35

his priHon walls with sunny pictures of loviug eyes and out-
stretched arms.

Grief and gratitude seem to impose upon me silence. I would
but can not say more. I will enclose within this note the
names and directions of gentlemen to whom the contributions
of which you speak may be enclosed. And instead of the elo-
quent voice which so often has poured forth his love to his
dear people, now mute, I offer a wife's and mother's and a
countrj'woman's gratitude to you and those you represent. I
have the honor to be very gratefully and sincerely yours,

Vabina Davis.

On January 19 we find notice that the ladies of )Selma,
Ala., are raising funds to erect a monument to Eev. A.
M. Small, who fell in defense of that city. On March
3, 1860, there came this call to the women of Alabama,
through an editorial in The Mail, as follows:

"an appeal for the dead."

"We have received a letter from Colonel T. B. Roy, late chief
of stafJ to General Hardee, inclosing a circular from ladies of
Winchester, Va., asking for contributions to aid in collecting
the remains of our brave soldiers who lie buried around that
place. It is proposed by the noble Virginia ladies to prepare a
cemetery at Winchester for the reception of those remains
which are not removed by friends. The plough-share is now
passing over their graves and soon the places which once knew
of their gallant devotion on the banks of the Shenandoah will
know them no more forever, unless the hand of pious affection
collects their ashes and marks their resting place in some conse-
crated ground. Very many of the thousands of hillocks which
furrow the banks of the Shenandoah cover the remains of gallant
Alabamians. Let the daughters of Alabama assist their sis-
ters of Virginia in this pious undertaking. A small amount of
money from each community will be sufficient. Our friends
who desire to assist in this matter are respectfully informed
that Colonel Roy, of Selma, will act as agent for the State.
Several ladies have kindly consented to receive and forward
subscriptions from Montgomery. Any contributions left with
the editors of The Mail will be handed to the lady agents."

36

The Mail of same date also chronicles the following :

"The ball given on Thursday night at Leman's Hall by the
Hebrew Ladies' Sewing and Benevolent Society was largely
attended, and we are pleased to learn that a handsome amount
was realized to assist in charitable purposes. Dancing was
kept up and at 12 o'clock a magnificent supper was served."

In the March 9th issue of the Mail we read :

Col. T. B. Roy, of Selma, has been requested by the ladies of
Virginia to act as agent for the State of Alabama Col. Roy
has addressed us a note in which he says: "Impressed with
the belief that ladies are more successful in such enterprises,
and with the importance of selecting suitable persons to act as
agents, I beg that you will fix upon some ladies in Montgomery
of public spirit and extended acquaintance to act as agents for
that place and do whatever else you may have it in your
power, editorially or otherwise, in aid of this good work."
Mrs. A. G. McGehee* and Miss Goldthwaite,t of Montgomery,

*Mr8. Albert Gallatin McGehee, nee Agnes Catherine Ven-
able, was born November, 1817, at Lougwood, the family home
near Farmville, Va. She was the daughter of Nathaniel E.
and Mary E. Venable, of Prince Edward County, Va. Mrs.
McGehee was one of the most patriotic and broad-minded
women of the South, and as soon as Virginia, her beloved
native state, seceded, she embraced the Southern cause with
all the zeal of her great heart and served her country faithfully
through all the trying years of the civil war. When the end.
came she accepted the inevitable with the same greatness of
soul that was ever her characteristic strength, and energetically
answered the first call made to the women of Alabama for the
proper burial of Alabama dead on the battlefields.

fMrs, Annie Goldthwaite Seibles, who, as Miss Goldthwaite,
answered with Mrs. McGehee the first appeal to procure means
for the proper burial of Alabama soldiers, is a native Mont-
gomerian. Her father was Judge Geo. Goldthwaite, whose
long career on the bench "established his reputation as a pro-
found jurist with no eccentricities or vagaries to alloy the wis-
dom and dignity of his official deportment." Her mother was
Miss Waliach, a sister of the one time Mayor Wallach of
Washington, D. C. She is also the niece of Judge Jno. A.
Campbell. Capt. R. W. Goldthwaite, who so long commanded
Semple's battery, is a brother of Mrs. Seibles, while Mrs. Eliza
Arrington, the distinguished wife of Judge Thomas N. Arring-

have kindly consented to receive and forward contributions in
aid of ttie ladies of Winchester. We are pleased to know that
a considerable sum has already been raised by their exertions
to assist in collecting w ithin consecrated grounds the remains
of sons of Alabama, who sleep their long sleep on the banks of
the Shenandoah. Let not a tomb be wanting to their ashes
nor memory to their virtues.

On March 10th, '66, there is a notice of a pamphlet
entitled ''Honor to the Dead — A Ti'ibute of Eespect to
the Memory of Her Fallen Heroes by St. John's M. E.
Sunday School, of Augusta, Ga." — which contained
eulogies pronounced by Messrs. M. N. Calvin and H. W.
Hilliard. The next issue, March 11th, gave the oration
of Hon. H. W. Hilliard. What wonder, then, that
after such appeals and at such a time the Monumental
and Historical Association should take on new life and
vigor through its Executive Committee, of which Judge
John D. Phelan was (chairman ? The notice as published
on March 14th, was :

"Ex-Governor Watts, President Alabama Historical and
Monumental Society, has appointed the following gentlemen
an Executive Committee, whose duty, under the Constitution
of the Society, will be to carry out the objects had in view:
Hon. J. D. Phelan, Gen. J. H. Clanton, Dr. J. B. Gaston, Col.
David F. Blatey, Kev. Dr. I. T. Tichenor. It is to be hoped
that a meeting of the Executive Committee will take place as
soon as possible for the purpose of making a movement towards
the consummation so ardently desired by every citizen of the
State. A society of this kind, if managed with proper spirit,
should be productive of incalculable good. The collection of a
Historical Library for the preservation and perpetuation of
military and civil records is hardly of less beneiit to the State
than the erection of monuments by which the virtues of the

ton, is her sister. Both of these ladies still reside in Mont-
gomery, honored members of the Memorial Association, whose
first work Mrs. Seibles anticipated some weeks before its form-
ation.

3S

fathers may be kept before the eyes of the children for genera-
tions to come. In time, when the means of the Society increases,
the field of labor might also increase. It might take under its
fostering care the guardianship of the orphans of soldiers and
of maimed destitute. The establishment of a single Soldiers'
Home or a single orphans' school would be the planting of a
single grain from which a bountiful harvest might be reaped
in time."

On the same date in the Mail touching the subject is
a fling at the tardiness and lack of interest in the Legis-
lature of Alabama, headed : ''The Legislatiu-e Forgot !"
Continuing, it says:

"A gentleman vested with authority from the Georgia Legis-
lature has gone to Virginia with the intention of disinterring
and removing to the former state the remains of the Georgians
who fell in Virginia in the late war. Did the Legislature of
Alabama forget to provide proper burial for the gallant dead of
our State? We hear of no commission or agent being sent to
the battlefields to remove the remains of our beloved sons from
the desecration of the ploughshare. Other states are rendering
to their dead the pious rites which their remains should receive,
but Alabama is permitting the graves of those who laid down
their lives for her to be lost forever under the ploughed soil."

The next day came this call from Judge Phelan for a
meeting of the Executive Committee :

"historical society.

The Executive Committee of Alabama Historical and Monu-
mental Society will meet at the editorial office of the Mail on
Saturday evening, 17th inst., at 8 o'clock, to attend to import-
ant business. Joseph Hodoson,

(Mail, March 15.) Cor. Sec."

In another place, same date, under the heading,
''A Noble Task," is another appeal to the ladies:

"We see from the papers that ladies of several Southern
cities are engaged in the sad but sacred duty of ornamenting
and improving that portion of the city burial ground in which

39

repose the remains of our noble Confederate dead. A visit to
our cemetery will at once reveal to the visitor a sorro\f ful sight.
Many of the graves of the Southern soldiers are in a wretched
condition, without head or foot boards or railiug to mark
where lie those gallaut fellows; they are neglected and no notice
whatever seems to be taken of the spot. Nearly every Southern
State is represented by its dead in our cemetery. We trust this
sacred matter will receive that prompt attention which it
deserves and we invite the ladies to take it under consideration.
A lady correspondent of the Columbus (Ga.) Sun very truth-
fully remarks that 'we cannot raise monumental shaft and
inscribe thereon their many deeds of heroism, but we can keep
alive the memory of the debt we owe them by at least dedicat-
ing one day in each year to embellishing their humble graves
with flowers.' "

Two days after this the Executive Committee which
had been previously called by Judge Phelan, met with
the following result :

"ALABAMA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COMMITTEE MEETING.

The Executive Committee of the Alabama Historical and
Monumental Society met at the Mail office Saturday evening,
March 17th, Judge Phelan presiding. The following resolution
was offered by Gen. James H. Clanton* and adopted:

Whereas, the Legislature of Georgia, at the recent session,
appointed a commissioner to Proceed to the battlefields of Vir-

*Gen'l. James H. Clanton was born in Cohimbia county, Ga.,
January 8th, 1827, coming with his father to Alabama at the
age of nine years. Hia father was Nathaniel H. Clanton, then
an opulent planter of Macon county, Ala. Gen. Clanton was
first a soldier in the Mexican war under Capt. Rush Elmore,
leaving the University of Alabama to enlist. As a Confederate
soldier he rose each year of the war, being in 1864 Major-
General, and at the battle of Shiloh, Chief of Cavalry. During
the reconstruction days his hopeful presence and fearless
determination were a tower of strength to his city and state.
His tragic death occurred on September 27, 1871, in Knoxvilie,
Teun., where, as agent of Alabama, Gen. Clanton was atteud-
iug the United States Court in the case of the Alabama-Chatta-
noocra R. R. In a dispute over a trivial matter with Col. Davis
M. Nelson, an officer of the Federal army, the latter shot down
with buckshot one of the most courageous Coeur de Lions of the

40

ginia and other States to collect and protect from desecration
the remains of her gallant dead; therefore, be it

Resolved, That this committee recommend the appoint-
ment of a Commissioner by the President of the Society to act
in concert with said Commissioner, whose expenses shall be
advanced by the Society until the mieeting of the next General
Assembly of this State.

On motion of Dr. J, B. Gaston,* it was resolved that the
Chairman of the Executive Committee, with the President of
the Society, appoint without delay Vice-Presidents in each
county of the State in accordance with the Constitutional pro-
visions. In offering this resolution he explained the urgent
necessity of raising funds in order to carry into effect the reso-
lution of General Clanton. If Vice-Presidents were appointed
for each county immediately, under their auspices the ladies of
the State would prepare Bazaars or Fairs upon the first day of
May and raise money enough to give the remains of our dead
decent burial. Even our own cemetery in Montgomery, which

South. The Legislature of Alabama being in session, Hon.
Wm. M. Lowe, Chairman of a special committee suggested by
Governor Lindsaj', presented resolutions which called forth
many brilliant and heartfelt eulogies of the deceased soldier
from that distinguished body. Gen'l. Clanton was one of the
most enthusiastic members of the Executive Committee of the
Historical and Monumental Association.

*Dr. John Brown Gaston was born in Chester county, S. C,
on January 4, 1884. His father was John Brown Gaston, Sr.,
of distinguished Huguenot ancestry, who married Mary Buford
McFadden, a native of South Carolina of Scotch descent. Dr.
J. B. Gaston's grandfather was Joseph Gaston, youngest son
of John Gaston, whose nine sous were actively engaged in the
Revolutionary war, three of whom were killed in the battle of
Hanging Rock, while one, a Lieutenant, died of smallpox dur-
ing Sumter's retreat from Wright's Bluff. Joseph Gaston,
then a lad of sixteen, was wounded at Hanging Rock. Dr.
John B. Gaston is one of five brothers in the Confederate army,
three of whom died in the service. He was a distinguished
surgeon throughout the war, participating in all the hard
fought battles. After the surrender he returned to Montgomery
and resumed the practice of mediciue, which profession is
indebted to him for many services both to state and science.
In 1857 Dr. Gaston was married to Miss Sallie J. Torrence, of
North Carolina. They still reside in Montgomery, an honor to
their State and county.

41

contains the remains of hundreds of soldiers, is sadly neglected.
We should take this matter in hand without delay.

On motion of General Clanton, the following resolution was
adopted :

Resolved, That the Corresponding Secretary' of the Society
be instructed to devise a plan for the establishment at the city
of Montgomery of a Public Historical Library for the collection
of historical records and to further carry out the object of the
Society in the preservation of the records of the late war, and
that he be instructed to report such plan to the next meetmg of
the committee for its consideration.

On motion, adjourned until Saturday, 24th, 3:30 p. m.

Joseph HoDasox,

(Mail, March 18th, 1866.) Cor. Sec."

The following was still another appeal to the ladies
of Montgomery to carry out the plan proposed by the
Executive Committee to have fairs, etc., to assist iu
this great work: "It is proposed that on the first day
of May the ladies of every city, town and village through-
out the State, by means of fairs or concerts, contribute
their quota towards defraying the expenses necessary
for the prosecution of this purpose. There can be no
doubt that the necessarj'^ amount will be collected with-
out imposing a tax upon anyone. The late appeal of
the ladies of Winchester for assistance to a similar labor
of love has been answered throughout the State without
delay. Montgomery has furnished $200.00. Kot only
are the ladies of Winchester in need of funds, but
appeals have come to us from Franklin, Perryvilie and
other places where great battles were fought. It may
be impossible to answer every call made upon us, but
it would be disgraceful not to answer some of them.
Will not the ladies of Montgomery have a fair upon the
first day of May for the benefit of this pious duty! We
know that the question is only to be asked to receive
an affirmative answer, for the ladies of Montgomery

42

have never been weary of labors imposed by benevolence
since the unhappy commencement of our troubles."

(Daily Mail, March 20th, '66.)

No further notice of the subject under discussion
appears in print until April 3, '66; but from all over the
South such pleas as well as appeals for the destitute and
suffering were going up for similar holy causes. Witness
the files from the 20th of March on:

From LaGrange, Ga.:

A concert was given hy young ladies of LaGrange on Wednes-
day night for the purpose of raising funds with which to
enclose and beautify the soldiers' grave-yard at that place. —
(March 25, '66).

(March 28, '66, Daily Mail):

The Selma Messenger of the 25tb acknowledges the following
receipts to Winchester Cemetery Fund for the week:

From Miss Belle Woodruff, agent at Tuscaloosa $192 50

From Miss , Marengo County 25 00

From Mrs. N. H. R. Dawson, Selma (second remit-
tance) 60 00

From Mrs. McGehee, Montgomery (second remit-
tance) 31 00

Another note of interest, under date April 3, '66,
says:
Miss Augusta J. Evans* has consented to take the lead in the

*Augusta Evans Wilson is so familiar a household name in
her beloved Southland that almost any sketch would fceem
supererogation. A few local notes not heretofore generally
kuown will, however, be of interest. Mrs. Augusta Evans Wil-
son was a native Georgian, her mother being a Miss Howard,
of Columbus. Her girlhood was spent in Texas, where, as
Augusta Evans, she wrote her first novel, "Inez." Before pub-
lishing it her family moved to Mobile, Ala. A friend of her
father, believing in her future and fearing that her father
might not be able to get out the book at once, himself bad it
published. In one of her subsequent works, Miss Evans shows
her appreciation of this act of kindness by naming one of her

43

good work of colleetiug luuda to repair and protect the graves
of the soldiers of Mobile, and then consult with her sisters of
the State on the time and manner of commemorating our
worthy dead.

A much later notice, May 19, says:

We are happy to be able to state that Colonel Ingersol, the
President of the committee, having informed Miss Evans that
she could proceed to purchase or contract for a monumeut to
our dead, this gifted young lady purchased yesterday a fine
marble mausoleum, which had been imported in Mobile from
the North before the war. The monumeut is of white marble
and of exquisite proportions, and application will be made to
the City Board for leave to raise it on the mound in the centre
of Bienville square, and the request will no doubt be granted,
— (Mobile Register).

Then there appeared in The Mail the notable letter of
"Augustus," who is supposed to have been Colonel Gus
Baldwin, for twenty-two years Attorney-General of the
State of Alabama.*

noblest characters fi)r this gentleman. Montgomerians will be
glad to know that this Mas the late Hon.Wm.Phiun Hammond,
whose family now reside in this city. In later years, it is said of
Mrs. Wilson that she prefers to date her books from "Beulah,"
instead of her girlhood novel, "Inez." This brilliant and good
woman, since the death of her husband, has left the beautiful
suburban home on Spring Hill Road, and now reddes in the
city, on Government Street, Mobile. At this time (1866) two
continents were thrilled and enthusiastic over this new star,
but she found time amid her pleasurable literary work to serve
her country in this noble philanthropy. Under her leadership
the ladies of Mobile responded gladly to the call of Virginia
ladies, through Colonel Roy, Alabama State Agent, and with
the assistance of the Mobile Register and the loyal citizens, over
$1,500 went out from Mobile to this one appeal alone.

*Since the above was written it has been ascertained that
Colonel Gus Baldwin died in August, 1865, therefore making
it impossible for him to have been the author of the letter. His
often-expressed interest in the Confederate dead lead many to
believe it to have been written by him. Some thought it
might have sprung from Colonel John W. A. Sanford, but the
Colonel is very positive that he is not the author. Others suggest-

44

Editors Mail: Sunday 1 paid a visit to our city cemetery
aud blushed to see the graves of some of my brave comrades so
much neglected. I have lately seen two or three articles in
your paper calling upon the ladies to raise money to defray the
expenses of the removal of the remains of Confederate soldiers
from battlefields in Virginia and elsewhere. While I heartily
approve of this, I would respectfully ask that some attention
be paid to the graves of Confederate soldiers in our own city
cemetery. If more care is not taken of them, in a few months
it will be impossible to designate the grave of one soldier from
another. Every State of the late Confederacy is represented
here and it is a duty we owe to our sister States as well as to
the brave men who perished in the performance of what they
believed to be their duty, to keep their graves in order. I have
visited the cemetery three or four times recently and while I
see crowds of ladies and gentlemen in it, I seldom see a single
person near the graves of dead Confederates, and this, too, in a
city that has professed so much love for them. A few dollars
placed at the disposal of some responsible persons, or a few
hours' work, will place these graves in a respectable condition.
Will not the ladies of Montgomery attend to this? If they will
not, I, as one of their comrades in arms, will call upon those
soldiers who were fortunate enough to have their lives spared,
to furnish the means which it will require to do the work. The
ladies of our neighboriug city, Columbus, intend to dedicate
the 9th of April (anniversary of General Lee's surrender) to the
repairing of soldiers' graves in their eemeterj' or ornamenting
them with flowers. Let our ladies do likewise and they can
be assured that Heaven will smile upon them with prosperity.

Augustus.

April 3, 1866.

On April 5 we find copied in The Mail from the Sel-
ma Messenger somewhat of touching historic interest:

ed that the article emanated from the pen of Colonel Alexander
Troy, The present Hon. Alexander Troy, when approached,
protested, smiling, and declared that as he was passing for
only forty summers or thereabouts, he could not father the let-
ter. Possibly it may have come from his uncle, the brave Col,
I). S. Troy, of the 60th Alabama. From whomever it came, it
was noble aud timely aud did much to arouse interest in the
movements then being formulated.

45

ANNIVEKSARY OF SELMA'S STRUGGLE TO BE COMMEMORATED.

As to the number who fell in the action, we have so many
different estimates that we are left in uncertainty. The Federal
dead have all been removed from the field, we believe, and are
properly interred in the city cemetery, with their graves properly
marked. This is as it should be, aud it only remains to disin-
ter the Confederate killed who were left on the field and in the
possession of the victors (and of course buried there), aud to
give them the rites of Christian sepulture. To-morrow (April 2)
has been selected as the day appropriate for this work — being
the anniversary of the battle.

April 6, 1866 :

The funeral services of the soldiers who fell in defense of Sel-
ma on the 2ud of April last, were largely attended by our citi-
zens. The stores were closed at 4 o'clock by order of the Mayor,
aud all the bells of the churches tolled. The remains of the
deceased were deposited in neatly made coffius and laid in four
squares around a beautiful oak just patting out its new foliage.
The burial service was read by Rev. Mr. Tichenor, according to
the impressive forms of the Church of England. Most of the
bodies were in a good state of preservation and some of thena
almost perfect. A deep and solenm feeling pervaded tbe audi-
ence and their minds were irresistibly carried back to the days
when these patriots fell. Nevertheless, when the petition was
offered, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive thof-e M'ho
trespass against us," there was not one heart that did not re-
spond to the prayer. — (Selma Messenger).

Then, on April 11th, came that beautiful and memor-
able appeal to the ladies of Montgomery from Chairman
Phelan of the Executive Committee of the Historical
aud Monumental Society. The call was as follows:

"to the ladies of MONTGOMERY.

The harp that once thro' Tara's halls

The soul of music shed,
Now hangs as mute on Tara's walls

As though that soul were fled.

It was your pious duty in the day of battle to nurse the sick.

46

feed the hungry, prepare bandages for the wounded, cheer the
living to victory, weep over the dead, applaud the brave and
rebuke the laggard. This duty you performed constantly and
nobly. You were actuated by the impulse of a heart which
beat only for the cause in which your emotional natures were
enlisted. That heart was appealed to from the battlelield, the
camp and the hospital, and it answered every appeal with the
devotion which in former days induced the matrons and maid-
ens of a beleaguered city to cut off their tresses for bow-strings.

The people of Alabama have not forgotten the ministering
angels who bore half the brunt of battle, whose smiles garlanded
the brows of victory, and whose words of encouragement
healed the wounds of defeat. The people of Alabama will
never forget the debt of gratitude they owe you, and when their
children grow to years of accountability they will say to them
"Honor the Creed of your Mother."

The battle is over, but the dead are unburied. They are lying
where they fell in the valleys of Virginia and Tennessee. Their
bones are bleaching beneath the sun and the storm beside those
of the beasts of burden. The ploughshare is striking them from
the soil which their blood sanctified. It is true that a single
hand here and there is extended to gather their ashes into con-
secrated ground, where the pious pilgrim may read in a single
line the melancholy history of their glory. But a single hand
is unequal to the task. To you, daughters of Alabama, comes
once more an appeal to help us bury our dead! The Executive
Committee, presided over by Judge Phelau, asks you to devote
the first evenings of the coming month of May to a fair or festi-
val by which money can be made for this pious purpose. They
ask you to set an example to be followed throughout the State.
That which will be a labor of love for you will prove the bright-
est jewel which glitters from your crown of immortality. With
your aid, daughters of Montgomery, the mecca of Alabama
will be the cemeteries of her soldiers. To collect their remains
within church-yards which look out upon the fields of battle,
and to decorate them with the simple emblems of purity and
holiness, will adorn the abyss of ruin with a splendor as endur-
ing as that of the eternal rainbow which spans the precipice of
Niagara. Then in coming years when the world witnesses our
pious devotion to the memory of those who laid down their

47

lives for us, it will be said that the lost star of the Pleiades was
the most glorious of the constellation."
(Daily Mail, April 11th, 1866.)

With such words as these ringing in their ears and
the direct and pathetic cry — "To you, daughters of
Alabama, comes once more an appeal to help us bury
our dead" — it is no wonder that the women of Mont-
gomery, in answer to this call, filled the sacred halls of
the old Court Street Methodist Church on that beautiful
Monday morning on the sixteenth day of April, eighteen
hundred and sixty-six !

"With your aid, daughters of Montgomery, the mecca
of Alabama will be the cemeteries of her soldiers."
How exquisitely true these prophetic words of this noble
Executive Committee have proven, the ever historic
Ladies' Memorial Association of Montgomery, Ala,, is
beautiful evidence! For in answer to this last appeal
came the familiar —

"NOTICE TO THE LADIES.

A general attendance of the ladies of Montgomery is expected
at the Methodist Episcopal Church ou Monday morning at
10 o'clock to ]jrepare for a festival in aid of the Alabama Monu-
mental and Historical Society, which Society i« desirous of
taking immediate steps to bury the Alabama soldiers in a
decent and becomiug manner. All are invited to be present.
The article which we publish on the first page of the Mail with
reference to the remains of our dead heroes at Shiloh and
Corinth, should arouse to exertion in this matter."
—(Mail, April 14th.)

And 80, at last, the hearts of the crushed and sorrow-
ing women of Montgomery were touched to action ; the
blast had sounded through the trumpet of need!

But while all these appeals were being made to the
ladies of Montgomery, it must not be thought that they

48

were mere idle listeners. Back of all this were the
women themselves. The call of Judge Phelan, Chair-
man of the Executive Committee, was due largely to his
devoted wife's interest in these affairs, which naturally
lay nearest her heart and his, since grief for two of her
noble boys, then sleeping the last sleep out on the battle-
fields far away, was ever tugging at her mother-heart.
It was at this time that the following incident occurred
at the home of the gentleman whom the illustrious War
Governor had made Chairman of the Executive Com-
mittee of the Historical and Monumental Society :

Mrs. Phelan, whose boys were still on the far off bat-
tlefields, devoured everything pertaining to the subject
in the papers and elsewhere. She found one day the
letter of Mrs. Mary Aune Williams, of Columbus, Ga.,
and did not rest until plans were on foot to form an
association. The original letter, which is as follows, is
in the possession of Mrs. J. D. Beale, youngest daughter
of Mrs. Phelan,* and has been kept sacredly by the
family among other valuable historic records :

*Mrs. J. D. Beale has inherited her mother's energetic patri-
otism, aud her love of couutry and state pride have already
been marked by some noble mile-stones. She is now Chairman
of the White House Committee, Alabama Division U. D. C,
baviug been thus appointed by Miss Sallie Joues, of Camden,
the first President of the Division aud Honorary Life President
of the same. Through Mrs. Beale's unflagging interest the
most valuable relics now in the State of Alabama have been
procured from Beauvoir — the bed-room furniture and personal
effects of Jefferson Davis, entrusted into the perpetual keeping
of Mrs. Beale, her committee, aud the State of Alabama by
Mrs. Varina Anne Davis. Mrs. Beale is also Regent of the
White House Association, Daughters of the Confederacy, formed
later to assist the committee in the laudable work of preserving
the First White House of the Confederacy, which, when
accomplished, shall be to Montgomery as Mt. Vernon to Wash-
ington, a legacy of tangible history — an object lesson worth
many books of written history. Since her return to this the

49

Columbus, Ga., March 12, 1866.
Messrs. Editors : The ladies are now, and have been for
several days, engaged in the sad but pleasant duty of orna-
menting and improving that portion of the cemetery eacred to
the memory of our gallant Confederate dead, but we feel it is
an unfinished work unless a day be set apart annually for its
especial attention. We can keep alive the memory of the debt
we owe by dedicating at least one day in the year to embellish-
ing their humble graves with flowers. Therefore, we beg the
assistance of the press and the ladies throughout the South to
aid us in the eflbrt to set apart a certain day to be observed
from the Potomac to the Rio Grande, and be handed down
through time as a religious custom of the South to wreathe the
graves of our martyred dead with flowers, and we propose the
26th of April as the day. Let every city, town and village join
in the pleasant duty. Let all alike be remembered, from the
heroes of Manassas to those who expired amid the death-throes
of our hallowed cause. We'll crown alike the honored resting
places of the immortal Jackson in Virginia, Johnston at Shi-
loh, Cleburne in Tennessee, and the host of gallant privates
who adorned our ranks. All did their duty, and to all we owe
our gratitude. Let the soldiers' graves, at least for that day, be
the Southern mecca to whose shrine her sorrowing women, like
pilgrims, may annually bring their grateful hearts and floral
offerings. And when we remember the thousands who were
buried 'with their martial cloaks around them' without Chris-
tian ceremony of interment, we would invoke the aid of the
most thrilling eloquence throughout the land to inaugurate
this custom, by delivering on the appointed day this year, a
eulogy on the unburied dead of our glorious Southern army.
They died for their country ! Whether their country had or
had not the right to demand the sacrifice is no longer a ques-
tion of discussion. We leave that for nations to decide in
future. That it was demanded — that they fought nobly and

state of her birth, Mrs. Beale has been a prominent member of
the Memorial Association of Montgomery.

(The writer feels impelled here to state that the foregoing
mention has been given with(jut the consent or knowledge of
Mrs. Beale or her brother, Mr. Phelan. They are important
facts of history and a noble record which should be preserved.)

50

fell holy sacrifices upon their country's altar, aud are entitled
to their country's gratitude, none will deny.

The proud banner under which they rallied in defense of the
holiest and noblest cause for which heroes fought or trusting
women prayed, has been furled forever. The country for which
they suffered and died has now no name or place among the
nations of the earth. Legislative enactment may not be made
to do honor to their memories, but the veriest radical that ever
traced his genealogy back to the deck of the Mayflower, could
not refuse us the simple privilege of paying honor to those who
died defending the life, honor and happiness of the Southern
women.

Mrs. Phelan read the letter aloud to her family, and
there about the hearthstone, with the shadows of her
dead trembling about her heart, the mother urged her
husband to take some steps toward immediate action in
his Executive Committee. Her daughter, Mrs. Priscilla
P. Williamson, now of Tennessee, in speakiug of that
time, says :

''The facts in connection with that patriotic and sad,
though glorious time, are as fresh in my mind as though
it happened yesterday. I remember how impatient my
dear mother was for the morrow. She went at once (I
was with her) to see her loved friend, Mrs. Dr. Baldwin,
whose heart was heavy with the loss of her own soldier
son, Willie, and told her of the letter and the plans.
Mrs. Baldwin co-operated with her body and soul —
they together went to see Mrs. Judge Bibb — dear 'Aunt
Sophie' — whom they knew to be the heart of every
good deed, and she, too, was enthusiastic."

This statement has been verified by several members
of the family, then present at the home circle, who were
old enough to remember, namely, Mrs. Priscilla Wil-
liamson, Mrs. Mary P. Watt, Mrs. Anna King Derby
and Mr. Sidney Harris Phelan. The last named says :

51

"Eemember it? While life lasts I can not forget.
I can see my brave, heartbroken mother now as
plainly as I see to-day the faces around me. I remem-
ber her very words as she argued the plans there at
home. For days and nights, even before this incident,
these topics so near to our hearts were the subject of
earnest discussions. Since that time they have been a
constant theme in our families. I was supposed to be a
boy then — perhaps so in years — but we had no boys in
the South — our boys were men before their time."

Doubtless many a bereaved mother, sister and sweet-
heart were also discussing the same subject, of which all
the papers were full, and with a oneness of heart had
determined then and there to take the beautiful sugges-
tion from Georgia and respond at once to the call so
feelingly and earnestly made by the gentlemen of Ala-
bama, who had already formed themselves into the Mon-
umental and Historical Association, and whose Executive
Committee was now formulating plans for recovering
the scattered bones and unburied bodies of our noble
heroes. Mrs. M. D. Bibb, wearing worthily the mantle
of her sainted mother, tells in glowing words how her
mother, too, talked daily of this need of the hour, while
many others testify that the same was true about their
own hearth-stones. As one of the ladies said, with the
light of other days in her eyes : ''It was as though a
mighty cloud of determination broke into a simultaneous
Btorm !"

It was immediately after the touching incident in
Judge Phelan's home that he gave the call for the Ex-
ecutive Committee meeting of the 17th of March, and
reference to the report as has already been given shows
that the matter was there discussed. Following close
on these came the Executive Committee's direcc appeal

52

to the ladies, and on April 14th the official notice to the
ladies, all of which has been herein given. Thus it will
be seen that the Memorial Association is the outcome of
the Historical and IMonumental Association, and not of
the Ladies' Hospital Association, as has often been
thought. The fact that so many of the ladies who were
actively engaged in the hospital work were also charter
members of the Memorial Association, probably gave
rise to this idea.

Promptly at ten on the morning of April 16, in answer
to the call of the lith, the streets were bright with a
crowd of the loveliest ladies and the most chivalric gen-
tlemen the world has ever known, wending their way to
the sacred old building known as the Court Street Meth-
odist Church. The old church stands to-day, rich with
every sacred memory of peace and war, of plighted
troth and sacred vow, of joy and sorrow, hope and
heart-ache.* That morning the old doors opened to an

*Court Street Methodist Church is one of the historic land-
marks of Montgomery. The simple frame structure which
gave way for the present building was the first church ever
built in Montgomery, and stood side by side in historic value
with the old court house, theu occupying the space a block
below, where now gleams the fountain. Court street and
Church street took their uames from these two buildings,
though the old court house antedated the church by some years.
This court house has been erroneously supposed by some to
have been at one time the Capitol — that it answered almost
every known purpose is matter of history. Before the old
church was built every denomination in the city held services
in the court house. It is somewhat of pleasing local interest to
know that Rev. James King, the grandfather of Revs. James
K., William H. and Thomas Armstrong, D. D., was the first
licensed preacher whose voice ever echoed through the hearts
of Montgomerians. In the early days of 1819, just before New
Philadelphia and Alabama Town became Montgomery,
"Grandfather King," as he was lovingly called in later years,
came to Montgomery County from Wilmington, N. C, where,
in 1806, he was ordained by Bishop McKendree — the first ordi-
nation ever performed in that city. Rev. James King was one

53

earnest throng — hopeful but not buoyant, for the mem-
ory of happier days, and the heavy burdens of recent
dark hours were too nearly blended to briug aught save
hope to such brave hearts as even these.

The following report of this historic meeting is taken
from the Mail of April 17th, 1866 :

"the ladies' meeting.

The assemblage of ladies at the Methodist Episcopal (church
MoMday morning was large and great interest and determina-
tion was manifested in the laudable objects which called them
together. The meeting was harmonious in the extreme and
the Society was permanently organized, oflflcers elected and
appropriate committees appointed. We submit the following
proceedings below which fully set forth the objects and aims of
this noble Society, kindly furnished us by Mrs. Jennie Hilliard*
for publication:

At a meeting of the ladies of Montgomery held pursuant to
notice at the Methodist Episcopal Church on Monday, the 16th
day of April, 1866, to devise ways and means for raising funds
to have the remains of Alabama soldiers, now lying scattered
over the various battlefields of the war, collected and deposited
in public burial grounds, or elsewhere, where they may be

of the remarkable men of his day. His unusual gifts of ora-
tory have been a rich legacy fully inherited through three
generations.

*Mrs. Jennie Hilliard is the daughter of Hon. John Whiting,
the noted financier, who was President of the South *fe North
Railroad and Commissioner and Trustee of the Banks — follow-
ing with credit Hon. Francis S. Lyon, the great Secretary and
President of the Senate who subsequently made famous this
important office of Sole Commissioner and Trustee of Banks.
Mrs. Hilliard's motlier was Elizabeth Bell, sister of Mr. W. B.
Bell. As Miss Jennie Whiting she married Wm. Preston
Hilliard, son of Hon. Henry W. Hilliard, the orator, writer and
statesman. She resides now in Knoxville, Tenn. Her services
to the Memorial Association began with its first meeting. She
furnished notices to the press of its inaugural meetings and her
pen was constantly wielded for the cause, as will be found
among the files of those days as well as more recent numbers.
She was the second Secretary of the Memorial Association,
which position she ably filled until her departure to Tennessee.

54

saved from ueglect, Mrs. Judge Bibb was requested to preside
over the meetiug and Mrs. Dr. Baldwin requested to act as
Secretary.

The object of the meeting was explained by the Chair, and
on motion of Mrs. Dr. Baldwin, a committee of five was
appointed by the Chair to consider and report some plan that
might best promote the objects of the meeting, and to recom-
mend the names of suitable persons as permanent officers of
this Society. The Chair appointed on this committee Mrs. Dr.
Baldwin, Chairman; Mrs. Wm. Johnston,* Mrs. Judge Rice,
Mrs. Dr. Holt and Mrs. Dr. James Ware, who retired, and after
consultation suggested the following names as permanent offi-
cers, and on motion of Mrs, Wm. Pollard, f they were unani-

*Mrfl. Wm. Johnston, the only surviving member of this
committee, was Mary Anne Holt, daughter of Wm. White
Holt and Mary Ariuton Ware, of Augusta, Ga. She was born
in Augusta in 1826. Her father was an otlicer in the war of 1812,
and Judge for nineteen years of the Middle District of Georgia.
Her Grandfather was Dr. Wm. Holt, of Virginia, a brave revo-
lutionary soldier. She was married in 1853 to Wm. JoLnstou,
who was the son of Archibald Simpson Johnston, Kort, Glas-
gow, Scotland, and Agues Bolton Ewiug, of Charleston, S. C.
In 1858 they moved to Alabama and lived on their fine planta-
tion, ten miles from Montgomery, near McGehee's Switch.
Immediately after the war they moved to Montgomery and
resided in the house which was then next to the Jeilersou Davis
Home, to-day known as the First White House of the Confed-
eracy. She now resides in Montgomery at Highland Park in
her picturesque, artistic home, "The Pines." Mrs. Johnston
is a sister of Mrs. W. W. Screws, of this city.

Mrs. Judge Rice was Miss Amanda Pearson, of South Caro-
lina, a brilliant as well as philanthropic woman. She was the
wife of Judge Samuel Rice, the famous wit and jurist.

Mrs. Dr. Holt was Miss Laura Hall, sister of Hou. Boiling
Hall, the noted statesman who gave many brave sous lo the
Confederate army. Mrs. Laura Pickett, of this city, is her
daughter. Her husband, Dr. S, Holt, was the first mayor of
Montgomery.

Mrs. James Ware was a Miss Ware, of Columbus, Ga., sister
of Mrs. Jaue Martin, a noted Confederate worker in the Aid
Societies of Georgia. Mrs. Ware's husband. Dr. James Ware,
was for a long time an honored druggist of Montgomery.

tMrs. Wm. Pollard was a Miss Webb, of Virginia, a noted
social favorite who gave much of her time and talents to the
hospitals and the Memorial Association of Montgomery. Her
husbaud was a brother of Mr. Chas. T. Pollard, President of
the first ralJroad in Alabama.

55

mously elected: Mrs. Judge Bibb, President; Mrs. Judge
Phelau, Vice-President; Mrs. Dr. Baldwin, Secretary; Mrs.
E. V. Hannon, Treasurer.

Tliis committee, after suggesting permanent officers, reported
ttie following resolutions, which were unanimously adopted :

1. Resolved, That it is the sacred duty of the people of the
South to preserve from desecration and neglect the mortal
remains of the brave men who fell in her cause, to cherish a
grateful recollection of their heroic sacrifices and to perpetuate
their memories.

2. Resolved, That we earnestly request our countrywomen
to unite with us in our eflTorts to contribute all necessary means
to provide a suitable resting place and burial for our noble and
heroic dead; that we will not rest our labors until this sacred
duty is performed.

3. Resolved, That in order to raise funds to carry out the
objects expressed in the foregoing resolutions, we constitute
ourselves a Society to be styled "The Ladies' Society for the
Burial of Deceased Alabama Soldiers," and that we solicit vol-
untary contributions for the same ; and that we will hold in
this city on Tuesday, the first day of May next, and annually
on the first day of May thereafter, and oftener if deemed expe-
dient, exhibitions consisting of concerts, tableaux, juvenile
recitations, songs, suppers, etc., to be regulated and determined
by committees to be appointed for that purpose.

4. Resolved, That to carry out these plans an Executive
Committee shall be appointed, which shall have authority to
appoint sub-committees and agents at their discretion.

5. Resolved, That the President of this Society, together
with the present resident ministers in charge of the difTerent
churches of this city and their successors in office, shall consti-
tute a committee for the purpose of keeping and making proper
application of the funds raised by this Society.

6. Resolved, That any lady can become a meaiber of this
Society by registering her name and by paying into the treas-
ury an annual assessment of one dollar.

7. Resolved, That all clergymen or ministers of the gospel
shall be considered honorarj-^ members of this Society.

On motion of Mrs. Dr. Baldwin, the Chair was authorized to
appoint an Executive Committee consisting of ten, whereupon
the Chair appointed the following ladies: Mrt;. Dr. Rambo,

56

Chairman; Mrs. Jno. Elmore, Mrs. Wm. Pollard, Mrs. Dr
Wilsou, Mrs. W. J. Bibb, Mrs. Hausman, Mrs. Mount, Mrs.
Bugbee, Mrs. W. B. Bell, Mrs. Fort Hargrove and Mrs. James
Ware.*

On motion, the Society adjourned to meet whenever requested
by the President.

Thus was formed the Ladies' Society for the Burial
of deceased Alabama Soldiers — the direct outcome of
the Alabama Historical and Monumental Association —
through its active Executive Committee, as has been
clearly and systematically shown from authentic records
of the time.

The foregoing Constitution and Resolutions as repro-
duced in The Mail, will also be found in the record
books of the Memorial Association, which have been
kept by its Secretaries since its beginning.

The following report of the Treasurer, Mrs. E. C. Han-
non being the first given immediately after the forma-
tion of the ''Ladies' Society for the burial of deceased

*It was the earnest desire that a more extended sketch of
each member of the nominating and executive committees
should be given. The data promised by friends has not arrived
at the hour of going to press, and the sketches are reluctantly
omitted.

Mrs. James A. Ware is the only one of the original Executive
Committee now living in Montgomery. She was the daughter
of Judge Wm. S. Stokes, of Georgia. Her mother was Miss
Eliza Smith, of Virginia. Her father was originally from Vir-
ginia and her ancestors on both sides fought in the Revolu-
tionary war. She was born September 11th, 1822. Miss Stokes
married Col. James A. Ware, of Montgoraer.v, and resided on
property three miles from the city. This land has been in
possession of the family for almost one hundred .years, the
deeds to the property being written on parchment. Col. J. A.
Ware's mother was Miss Judith Anthony, daughter of Mark
Anthony, and saw the battle of Gilford's Courthouse. Dur-
ing the war the home of Mrs. Ware was constantly filled with
convalescent soldiers and she was a daily visitor to the hospital.
She is now almost eighty years old, though one who is privi-
leged to hold delightful converse with this charming white-
haired grandmother would never believe it.

57

Alabama Soldiers, " is of deep interest, since it shows
that the first money paid into the Association was that
received from its charter members. It is as follows :

"The Treasurer, on April 23, reported $164.50 received from
members. Amount of donations, ?138.00."

Another interesting item of information concerning
the first money ever tnrned into this treasury is taken
also from the Secretary's book of date April 26, only
three days later :

"The Society met with the President, Mrs. Bibb, and a dona-
tion of $167.50 was handed in by Mrs. Taber, from the Hebrew
Society."

These are the only official records of the first money
paid into the treasury and show that the nucleus of the
Memorial Association's funds was that paid into this
sacred treasury by the loving, loyal hands of its char-
ter members.

Another proof that the first money of the Memorial
Association was that of its charter members, lies in the
fact that many who were that day present testify that
their initiation fees had been previously decided upon
and were taken with them and paid at the initial meet-
ing, April 16, 1866.

Of the lovely women who composed the nominating
committee, only one is now living, Mrs. William John-
ston, of whom a short sketch has already been given.
The hand of time has touched lightly the beautiful face
of this mother of the Confederacy. One would not
think, to look into the bright eyes and see the tender
smile and hear the sweet voice, that seventy-six summers
were hers to remember. She talks most interestingly
of those days and particularly of the first meeting at the
church and of the women whom they that day noniinat-

58

ed. "I think," she said, '-'we chose our oflQcers wisely.
Mrs. B. S. Bibb was an ideal woman for the President,
having natural executive ability, augmented by recent
experience in the Hospital Association; she was gentle,
M'ise and just; was possessed of wealth and influence
and proved herself worthy of so honored a trust.

''Thatwe should have chosen Mrs. Phelau for First Vice
President was most natural. IS'o woman worked
harder for the formation of the Memorial Association.
It seemed that her whole mind, heart and soul were
centered in this undertaking. Mrs. Phelan was a
remarkable woman — her energy and patriotism and her
strength of purpose knew no impediment, and then, too,
you must remember, she was the only one of us with
two boys still sleeping out on the battlefields.

"Mrs. Baldwin? — Ah, yes, Mrs. Baldwin Avas indeed
lovelj^, both in i)erson and character. She was talented
and broad-minded and worked zealously for the forma-
tion of the Association. She, too, had lost a loved son
in battle, and though his remains had been removed
from the battlefield to our cemetery, it had not stayed
the heartache, and, so remembering, she worked for
others.

"Then our Treasurer, Mrs. Hannon, was another of
God's loveliest. She also had suffered anguish during
the battles, for, though she lost none then, yet she
had three sons in the war, and for very thankfulness
she worked, weeping with the less fortunate whose sous
and husbands came not back.

"They were four noble women we chose for our officers
that day, and in looking back over those mournful
years I can see that the 'Ladies' Society for the Burial
of Deceased Alabama Soldiers' made no mistake in the
choosing.

59

''I hare not enjoyed anything so much in a long, long
time as this little trip back to that eventful year ; the
figures flit before me clear and distinct, and almost I
feel I have been in the sweet presence of the loved of
'auld langsyne.' "

These words of Mrs. Johnston are almost a repetition
of words used by Mrs. J. C. Hausman before her death,
and. practically the same things have been said by
others who were that day present, among them being
Mrs. James A. Ware of the Executive Committee, and
Miss Bettie Bell and Mrs. William Ware.

The name of the Society was soon changed from "The
Ladies' Society for the Burial of Deceased Alabama Sol-
diers," to one more expressive of its purposes, and cer-
tainly more in sympathy with the rules of Euphony —
"The Ladies' Memorial Association."

The exact date at which the name of the Association
was changed is not given. Unfortunately, some of the
records of the Society have been lost. That the books
of the Secretaries have been as systematically kept and
preserved as they are is cause for wonder. In those
days little attention was given to minute details, and
the methodical club woman, with her jjarliamentary
methods, was undreamed of, and our blessed mothers of
the Confederacy, mindful of weightier things, knew not
the glorious history they were making.

The first use of the wordn "Memorial Association,"
which attracted the attention of chis Society, came
through the press of the city in a letter from General
Lee to the Virginia "Ladies' Memorial Association for
Confederate Dead," as follows :

STONEWALL JACKSON.

On the 10th inst. the third anniversary of the death of Vir-
ginia's illustrious son, Stonewall Jucksou, was observed by the

GO

people of Richmond, in commemoration of the dead warriors
of the noble Army of Northern Virginia. In honor of the occa-
sion, there was a very general suspension of business, and the
streets wore a Sabbath aspect. Troops of ladies and children
and men might have been seen during the early morning
having wreaths and baskets of flowers, wending their way on
foot to the cemeteries, and all the available vehicles were bus-
ily engaged carrying heavy crowds of citizens to the same des-
tination. General R. E. Lee, having been invited to attend
and participate in the ceremonies of the day, not being able to
be present, the following simple but beautiful letter from the
great Captain of the Confederate hosts, was read by Rev. Mr.
Price :

Lexington, May 5, 1866.
Mrs. Wm. Coulling :

Dear Madam — I am very much obliged to the ladies of the
"Menaorial Association for Confederate Dead" for the invita-
tion to attend the inaugural celebration of their Society, on the
10th iust. It would be most grateful to my feelings to unite in
the Society formed for so noble an object, but it will be impos-
sible for me to do so. The graves of Confederate dead will
always be green in my recollection. With great respect,

Your obedient sen^ant,

Robert E. Lee.

The words were next brought to the Society's notice
through a letter of Mrs. Meem, of Virginia, in regard
to Alabama's dead in Virginia, which was presented to
the ''Committee for Proper Application of Funds," on
June 8th.

The first use of the name "Memorial Association" in
connection with Montgomery's Society was found Decem-
ber 22nd, '66. This came through The Mail from Dr.
Samuel K. Cox, in an article headed ''Ladies' Memo-
rial Association" (of Montgomery), which gave an
account of how certain funds had been expended.
However, no change of the name is recorded in the
books of the Secretary until 1874.

61

All things point to its having been changed about
December 22nd, 1866, the time of Dr. Cox's report from
the Society's "Committee for proper application of
funds," of which he was corresponding Secretary.

The daj^ after the formation of this Society, April 17th,
there appeared another important notice in the papers :

The 26th of April has been mentioned by many of the news-
papers as a day to be set apart as the sad anniversary for our
Confederate dead. It is suggested by some of the ladies of
Montgomery that it be observed with appropriate ceremonies
here ; that the ladies upon that day decorate with evergreens
and flowers the last resting places of the Confederates who
sleep in our city cemetery, and celebrate it as the all souls' day
of the South. This will accord with a general movement —
principally of the ladies — throughout the Southern States, and
will meet with the cordial approval and hearty co-operation of
all patriotic hearts of Montgomery. Who will suggest a defin-
ite plan of proceedings? Act at once, that our observance of
the day may be worthy of the occasion and inaugurate an anni-
versary that will live through coming ages. Let us prove to
the world that those who so nobly gave up their lives for us,
did not die all in vain ; that their names and deeds are ever
dear, their memories ever sacred.

— Montgomery Advertiser, April 17, '66.

The Mail, on April 21st, gives also a very important
notice to the ladies :

"the ladies at the cemetery,

"The ladies of the city, in concert with the ladies of many of
the Southern cities, will meet at our cemetery on the 26th iust.
for the purpose of decorating the graves and perpetuating the
memory of our fallen braves who are there interred.

"The ladies are requested to assemble at the city cemetery
this morning and to have with them utensils for improving
and repairing the graves of the Confederate soldiers. We learn
that it is estimated that we have buried in our cemetery about
1,000 (one thousand) soldiers, and that every Southern State is
there represented."

62

The Advertiser gave a similar notice for the ladies, in
which the word ''utensils" was also used. Miss Bettie
Bell, whose mother, Mrs. W. B. Bell, was appointed on
the Executive Committee when the Society was formed,
gives a most amusing account of the consternation of
the ladies when they saw, "and have with them uten-
sils for improving and repairing the graves." Somehow
these ladies of the old regime seemed to think that the
noble editors should have been more fastidious in the
selection of words for the insertion of their sacred
notice.

So busy were the ladies with preparations for the
May Day celebration that very few answered this call
— the only ones "bringing their utensils with them"
being Ellis Phelan, Miss Bettie Bell* and Misses Mary
and Priscilla Phelan. The next meeting at the ceme-
tery was more fruitful of "utensils" and results.

*Auy history of the first years of the Memorial Association
would be incomplete without especial mention of Miss Bettie
Bell. Miss Bell is descended from a long liue of illustrious
ancestors, some of whom have been mentioned in the preced-
ing sketch of her mother, Mrs. W. B. Bell. Although a school
girl during the war, Miss Bettie was one of the most enthusi-
astic workers at the sewing circles, the hospital, and later the
Memorial Association. She is the only living member of her
immediate family, though many close relatives still reside in
Montgomery. She lives still in the home of her childhood.
The home is smaller now, for part of it has been removed and
sold, with some of the grounds ; but to JNliss Bettie, as she aits
there alone and dreams of the beautiful sad past, when the
chivalry and beauty of this Southern city flitted through its
portals, when the wounded soldiers passed in and out to love
and to bless the names of those within, the old house is still
the same. Interesting and thrilling are Miss Bettie's remin-
iscences of those days, and most remarkable is the correctness
of her memory. In verifying dates, initials and statements of
friends whose memory has been consulted, her exactness has
been marvelous. Miss Bell was the third Secretary of the Mem-
orial Association, having taken the place of Mrs. Hilliard, who
left for another State.

63

Meanwhile the preparations for May Day Festival
grew in interest and enthusiasm. On April 18th the
President of the Society, Mrs. Judge Bibb, through the
Society's able Secretary, Mrs. Dr. Baldwin,* published
a circular letter. The Mail's copy is as follows :

MoNTGMERY, Ala., April 16, 1866.

Dear Madam : As President of the Ladies' Society for the
burial of Alabama Soldiers, I write to request your aid aud
assistance in a May-day ofleriug for deceased Alabama soldiers,
who are now lying on the various battlefields of the war. We
wish to raise funds with which to give suitable Christian burial
to our brave, noble aud lamented martyrs, and to effect Ibis we
propose to have an "offering" on the lirst day of May next
from the children, young ladies and matrons consisting of reci-
tations, songs, music, etc., suitable to the occasion, and at
night a concert and supper, which you are respectfully
requested to attend, and to which you are earnestly invited to
contribute. We believe that every woman in Alabama will
feel it not only her duty but her privilege to lend a helping
hand to the success of this sacred cause, the removal from dese-
cration and neglect of the mortal remains of those who so
heroically fought and died for them. Articles such as hams,
fresh meat, fowls, cream, butter, eggs, vegetables, fruit, etc.,
will be thankfully received and faithfully appropriated. Such
articles as may be sent by the Montgomery & West Point
K. R. may be addressed to the care of W. H. Pollard, Esq.;
those sent by the Alabama & Florida R. R. may be addressed
to the care of S. G. Jones, Esq.; and those sent to the city in
wagons may be delivered at the dry goods store of Ware &

*Apologies are here made to the school of critics who
protest against such liberties with the Queen's English as
"Mrs. Judge", "Mrn. Dr.," etc. This form of designation
for distinguished ladies of that date seems to have been uni-
versal— in all the pa])ers was it used to such an extent that
Mrs. Judge Bibb, Mrs. Dr. Baldwin and Mrs. Judge Phelan
would scarcely have been known by their initials. It is Obe
of tbe peculiarities of the epoch, as interesting as the use of the
word "pious," so prevalent among all writers of that period.

64

Gowan, on Market street, and at the grocery store of Price,
Francis & Co., Commerce street.

Mrs. S. Bibb,
Mrs. Dr. Baldwin, President.

Secretary.

That every body was busy aud enthusiastic, witness
the following interesting notices from newspaper files:

"THE DEAD OFFERING.

"The ladies of the city hold daily meetings and are systemat-
ically perfecting their arrangements, etc., for the grand May
day 'offering' to the Alabama dead. Preparations on a
gigantic scale are being made in each department, and we
have no doubt of the complete success of the ladies in their
sacred endeavors."— (Mail, April 21, 1866.)

"The ladies of Montgomery who have in preparation the
May Day Festival and Concert for the proper burial of Alabama
soldiers desire to return thanks to Messrs. Diaz and Gillett for
their ofTer of theatre for the concert and tableaux, to Mr.
George Sayre for his offer of halls for use of children's festival,
to Mr. Cram for oflTer of lights, to Mr. Giovanni and Mr. Bene-
dict for confectioneries. The spirit of those gentlemen will
doubtless be emulated by others whose hearts are enlisted in
the benevolent project, etc."— (Mail, April 21, 1866.)

"COMMENDABLE.

"We notice ihat many of our exchanges from this and adjoin-
ing states are urging upon the people of their respective coun-
ties to follow the example of the ladies of our city in their noble
efforts to provide a more appropriate burial for our fallen
heroes. We doubt not the approaching May day 'offering' of
the ladies of Montgomery will live for years, not only in the
history of the times, but in the hearts of all lovers of the heroic
and humane."— (Mail, April 22, 1866.)

"the ladies' may day OFFERING.

"Every lady who is willing to contribute to the 'May Day
OdPering' for the burial of the Alabama dead is respectfully
and earnestly requested to register at once her contributions to
either one oT the fi^llowing ladies who constitute the special

65

committee for dinner and supper. It is impossible to call on
every family in the city, and as time is so short it is very
important that the amount of supplies should be known :
Mesdames Smythe, Gerald, Yancy, McGehee, Dr. Hill, Wm.
Ray, Murphy, Watt, Peter Mastin, Garrisou, Myree, Weil,
Watts, Dr. Tom Taylor, Purifoy, Whiting, James Terry, W. C.
Eibb, Kiuuy, Hopper, Mieou, Ponder, Troy, Arriugton,
Petrie, Harrell, Henry Lee, J. D. Campbell.

"The Executive Committee and ladies of the Society for the
burial of Alabama dead return thanks through Misses Jones
and Fraser to the young men of the 'Literary Club' for the
kind tender of their services. The ladies will be very glad to
have their assistance at the halls on Monday and Tuesday.
Mrs. Dr. Semple,* Chairman of Decorating Committee, will
be very much obliged for all help rendered her by the young
gentlemen of the city not connected with the Club. The
Decorating Committee meet at Estelle and Concert Halls every
morniug at 9 o'clock, commencing Monday morning, the 23d.
The ladies of the Society return thanks to Mr. T. J. Shaw
and accept with pleasure his services for the sale of tickets
and management of the front part of theatre." — (Mail, Ai)rii
22, 1866.)

"OFFERING.

"The ladies are busily engaged in their various departments
making extensive and complete arrangements for their grand
May daj' offering to the Alabama dead. The halls are being

^'Mrs. Dr. Semple was the daughter of Joel White and Sarah
Hopkins. Her maternal grandparents were Steven Hopkins
and Bettie Mayhew, of Nova Scotia, Halifax. Her father,
Hon. Joel White, was born in Rutland, Vermont, January 11,
1808. At the age of nineteen he went to New York city and
there met Miss Sarah Hopkins, of Nova Scotia, Halifax, whom
he subsequently married. In 1881 they came South to Tuska-
loosa, where Mrs. Semple (Irene White) was born. In 1847
Mr. White brought his family to Montgomery, where he con-
tinued his famous book store. Miss Irene Wliite here married
Dr. Edward A. Semple, who was the honored Surgeon of Third
Alabama during the war. T)r. Semple died in 1875, Mrs. Sem-
ple surviving until only a few months since. She was one of
the most prominent and energetic workers of the May Day
Festival and the Memorial Association.

66

beautifully decorated aud the amateurs are rehearsing for the
concert and tableaux." — (Mall, April 24.)

"notice to the ladies' hebeew congregation kahl
montgomery.

"The ladies of the above named congregation are requested to
meet this (Tuesday) afternoon at 5 p. m. at Synagogue for the
purpose of taking measures to render their aid in behalf of the
approaching May offering. Full attendance is requested."
—(Mail, April 24, 1866.)

It is pleasing here to see that the living poor were not
forgotten. An editorial in The Mail of the 26th says,
in part :

"Nor are we unmindful of the duties we owe to the living.
The cries of suffering humanity have aroused in our breasts the
deepest sympathy. Our citizens have already answered the
fearful cry for bread by giving daily to the poor. Not many
days since a fund of $5,000 was raised at Montgomery for the
poor of DeKalb and Marshall. JJesides this sum our merchants
have responded to the individual appeal of the needy. The
Freedmen's Bureau, ably assisted by Colonel Cruikshank, has
extended aid in all cases where the county officers have made
proper return. In addition to this, the Legislature has author-
ized the issue of bonds the proceeds of sales of which are in-
tended for distribution among poor of each county in propor-
tion to their necessities. We have assurance that these bonds
will be taken up by citizens and by men of means of Mont-
gomery. The cities of the North-west are also responding most
liberally to the appeals of Judge Wyeth. As much as f>20,000
have been collected by the exertions of that gentleman alone.
The Baltimore F'air has just closed aud deposited in bank
$150,000 to be distributed among the poor of the Southern
States. Thus we find exerted for the relief of the living, pri-
vate contributions, merchants and other public appeals from
benevolent gentlemen, which have been met by princely
answers, beyond the State, Baltimore Fair, State bonds and
Government aid. All of these sources, if properly directed,
will accomplish much good. Still, we must not remit our
labors until the harvest is over. In addition to what is done

67

for the living, we are now endeavoring, by means of tlae ladies'
May Day offering to respond in a becoming manner to the ap-
peals of Colonel McGavock of Franklin, of Mrs. Dr. Boyd and
and the ladies of Winchester, and of others to come up and
bury our dead. The strong arm of the Federal Government
has been extended to prevent the plough-share from destro^'ing
the graves of the Federal soldiers, but there is no arm except
that of afi'eetiou to prevent the places which once knew the
Confederate hero from knowing him no more forever."

The following pathetic incideut of the Baltimore Fair
mentioned in the above as having contributed $150,000
to the destitute of the South, shows with what zeal the
fair women of that city worked, many of whom, de-
prived of other means to help, took their diamonds and
other precious jewels and laid them on the altar of love:

'•The brightest page in the history of the Monumental City
has been written, and the curtain has fallen on the grandest
and noblest charity of the age; but in many a hamlet, town
and city of the South and in the holiest depths of the Southern
heart the fair women of Baltimore are blessed and enshrined.
Their noble endeavors will ever be linked with their flowing
gratitude and cherished recollections of our people. Unprece-
dented and grand as was the great Fair and its results, it is
sad to know that it has given more precious oflerings still to
the cause of the suffering and distressed. Two of the fairest
and loveliest of her daughters. Misses Hoffman and Myers, for-
getting that there are limits to the indulgence of the highest
of human impulses, have died from the effects of exposure and
incessant exertion. On the morning after the Fair one was
found dead in bed. Their sad but glorious death furnishes a
silent but eloquent rebuke to those who, engrossed with more
selfish cares, heed not the appeals of the hungry and distressed.
They have done their maker's work and have gone to receive
from His hands Heaven's recompense to the 'cheerful giver.' "

On April 27 the precise object of the May Day offer-
ing is explained in these words :

"We find that a misapprehension exists in some quarters as

68

to the precise object of the May Day ofTeriug. It is thought by
some that the intention is to bring home all the Alabama dead
and bury them in Alabama and raise a monument over them.
This is not the object. Such an undertaking would be impracti-
cable and is not contemplated. The precise object is this : To
raise the necessary funds to have the remains of our dead sol-
diers (Alabama's dead) collected together either in public burial
grounds contiguous to the several great battlefields where they
now lie scattered and neglected and where all traces of them
will soon be lost ; to provide by donation and otherwise a
small plot of ground and make a specific burial place for Ala-
bama's dead on or near the battlefields and there bury them."

—Mail, April 27, 1866.

Then came notices of our first Memorial Day, thirty -
five years ago :

"tribute to our dead.

"Yesterday the ladies of our city met at the cemetery to
strew flowers over the graves of our Confederate dead. The
day was set apart in many of our sister cities for this purpose
and the occasion was certainly a most sacred and interesting
one. Here in Montgomery those sepulchres number by the
hundreds. The Augusta Constitutionalist truly remarks that
side by side they are ranged in rows like a line of battle, for
just as these men stood in action do they now repose in death.
From the East and from tlie West, by the stroke of battle and
by the ravage of disease, they have been gathered one by one
to the last array they shall ever present— that long, that grim,
that terrible outstretching line of mounds, that in sunshine or
in shade — whether the snows come or the spring dews twinkle
— is never to be broken till the roll-call of the Resurrection
brings all humanity in review before the God of Battles."

—Mail, 27th April, '66.

"LADIES AND THE 26TH OF APRIL.

"It becomes our pleasing duty to-day to record the touching
act of the devotion of the ladies of Montgomery to the lamented
dead who lie asleep within the limits of our city cemetery. On
yesterday they gathered in numbers, according to previous ap-
pointment, at the cemetery, re-touched and re-decorated the

69

grave of every soldier therein iDterred, planted and strewed
them with flowers and performed such other offices as their
fancies suggested, or as seemed necessary. This was in accord
with a suggestion coming first, we believe, from the sister
State of Georgia, and quickly and heartily seconded by the
ladies not only of Montgomery, but of the South generally."*
Montgomery Advertiser, April 27, '66.

"not forgotten.

"While the large number of ladies were engaged on the 26th
inst. in strewing the honored graves of the Confederate dead
with flowers in our cemetery, the unpretending slab which
covers the immortal remains of William L. Yanceyf was not

*Here naore than half a column in the files of the Advertiser
has been cut out. The culprit who so ruthlessly destroyed so
important a record should himself have the misfortune to some
day try his hand at history and find valuable data destroyed.
Being told that files of The Advertiser of 1866 could be found at
the court house, search was made for this missing part there,
but that date was not on file. Another attempt was made to
get the papers of that date from private persons, but alas! the
very date most needed was not there. Perhaps some one read-
ing these pages may have among old papers the date — April
27, I860. If so, he would do his country's history a kindness
by taking it to The Advertiser office.

fA beautiful granite cenotaph now marks this last resting
place of the South's most illustrious orator; yet more beautiful
are the words and sentiment chiseled into the stone, as indeed
they were chiseled into his life.
The inscription reads :

Sacred

To the Memory

of

Wm. Lowndes Yancey,

Born at Shoals of Ogeechee, Warren Co., Ga.,

August 10th, 1814,
Died Near Montgomery, Ala., July 27th, 1863.

On one side is what might be termed his political creed :

"Called to public life
In the most critical hour of his country's fortune,
He was a man whose love of truth.
Devotion to right, simple integrity
And reverence for manly honor,
Made him a leader among men.

70

forgotten by our fair friends, and his tablet was beautifully
decorated with sweet bouquets, wreaths, chaplets, etc. Gener-
ations to come will recall with emotions of pride the noble and
pleasing task performed by the ladies of Montgomery, on the
26th of April, 1866. Verily, actions speak louder when words
are silent."— (Mail, April 28, '66.)

The thrilling efiitorial on '^The 26th of April," by
Major W. W. Screws,"^ in the Advertiser of the 25th

Virtue gave him strength.

Courage upheld his convictions,

Heroism inspired him with fearlessness.

His sense of responsibility

Never consulted popularity,

Nor did his high position claim homage

Save on the ground of worth.

Justified in all his deeds.

For his country's sake

He loved the South;

For the sake of the South

He loved his countiy."

On the other side is his religious creed :

Believing in God,

He trusted in Christ;

And the fervent prayer

Of his life

Growing to its fuller yearg

Ever was,

That Faith, Hope and Charity,

Humanly three,

Divinely One,

Might have his heart

As their

Hallowed Home.

*The name of Major William Wallace Screws has been iden-
tified with all that is noble, great and good in the city of Mont-
gomery since that day in his young manhood when he cast
his fortunes with this people. He has never failed to lend to
every good cause his earnest help and many a noble undertak-
ing owes to him its success. His father, Benjamin Screws, was
born in North Carolina on November 8th, 1811. His mother
was a Miss Drake, who was also born in North Carolina, the
date of her birth being December 1st, 1818. Genealogy shows
that among her ancestors was Sir Francis Drake. Her father,
James Drake, was killed in the Texan war of independence,
fighting gallantly under Sam Houston. Though now in her

71

of April, is so replete with historic facts that it is given
in full :

"Tomorrow one year ago the formal surrender of the last organ-
ized army of the Confederate States took place. With hearts
full of gloomy forebodings for the future the veterans of the grand
old Army of Northern Virginia bade adieu to their beloved chief-
tain on the 9th of the same month and turned their faces home-
ward after a career of glory (unsuccessful though it was) that
will be recorded in glowing terms by the impartial historian of
the future. That the scarcely less glorious army of General
Johnston would have to follow its example was rendered
certain inasmuch as the combined forces of Grant and Sherman
were marching against it. With that surrender went out all
hope of a successful termination of the war on the part of the
South, and all desire for further resistance to the authority of the
United States disappeared. The Southern soldier, with honor
unstained, took his parole and it has been faithfully observed
from that time until the present moment. Tlie 26th of April may
justly be considered the grave of the Southern Confederacy,
and without attachiug to it any political significance, the
women of the South have formed the beautiful idea of making
it the 'all souls' day,' and decking with flowers the graves of
those who fell in our long and bloody struggle. The idea is
worth J' of those whose pure hearts and unflagging devotion
prompted it. That heart must be dead to all the feelings of
humanity that would object to the ladies of the South showing
by this simple and touching act that they venerate the mem-
ory of their fathers, husbands, brothers and friends, who gave
up their lives in a cause we all believe just. It is one of the
striking passages in the history of the Saviour, that Mary and

eighty-fifth year, Mrs. Benjamin Screws, Sr., is still hale and
hearty, the life and light of her family. She lives in Clayton,
Ala., with her daughter, Mrs. Jere N. Williams. Major
Screws was himself a gallant oflicer in the war between the
States, participating in the great struggles of the Army of
Northern Virginia. Captain Beujamin H. Screws, of Mont-
gomery, is a younger brother of Major Screws. He was a
brave officer in the war and now modestly wears the palm of
oratory as the most eloquent of all Alabamians left to celebrate
the courage and sacriflce of their comrades.

72

Martha were the last at the cross and the first at the sepulchre
— and this unconquered sympathy for misfortune and devotion
in adversity is still a marked characteristic of female character.
It will be exhibited to-morrow when the fair ones of the land
will repair to the different burial grounds where lie the Confed-
erate dead and pay this beautiful tribute to their memory.
There are many voids in the households of the South ; many a
gallant youth is buried far from home and kindred, and how
pleasing the thought to absent friends that

'When the flowers bloom in gladness,
And spring birds rejoice,'

fair stranger hands with fresh garlands will pay them a last
sad tribute of afTection. Every State in the South is probably
represented in the cemetery of this city, and it is but meet and
proper to devote one day in the year to the memory of those
who gave up all for the defense of a principle dear to every
Southern heart. On ever3' field of strife have fallen the Con-
federate braves, and those near to us should be treated with a
maternal tenderness. The proposition to observe the 26th day
of this month is a sublimely beautiful and touching thought
and in keeping with that which has won the women of the
South so bright a page in tlie annals of history. No matter
what may have been the differences of opinion produced by the
late conflict, no one can doubt the purity of the motives by
which the Confederate soldier was actuated, nor the unpar-
alleled heroism with which he contended so long as there
was a ray of hope. They failed, 'tis true; but as 'night wrapped
her sable mantle around them, fate pinned it with a bright
star;' and it was written of ancient Rome, 'thy fall was
worthy of thy greatness.' In paying honor to the dead there
can be no disloyalty, and w^e are glad that the ladies are about
to inaugurate a custom so appropriate. Visit their graves in
the beautiful spring time, shed tears of remembrance and strew
their graves with evergreens and flowers — else will

'A thousand glorious actions that might claim
Triumphant laurels and immortal fame,
Confused in clouds of glorious actions lie.
And troops of heroes undistinguished die.' "

No further mention of April 26th, or of the proceed-

73

ings in Montgomery of this day, are given in the press,
but the frequent mention in the papers that no ^^disloy-
alty should be attached to this idea," that it was a
movement ^'principally by the ladies of the South," and
''that heart must be dead to all the feelings of humanity
which would object to the ladies of the South showing
by this simple act that they venerate the memory of
their fathers, brothers and friends,'' shows that some
trepidation did exist in the minds of the thoughtful.
In fact, the press chronicled later several insults to the
ladies of Southern cities on those first memorial days.
One at our very door in our sister State, Georgia,
created some trouble and no end of unfavorable com-
ment both ]N"orth and South. As the South was misrep-
resented in many northern papers regarding this inci-
dent, the following from one of the leading dailies relat-
ing the facts is of real value :

"When the negroes of Richmond at the enggestiou, doubt-
less, of the agents of the Freedman's Bureau, stole the flowers
that the loving hands of the Confederate womeu had strewed
upon the graves of their honored dead and transferred them to
the graves of the Northern soldiers, many Republican journals
published the fact, not only without censure, but with an
implication of praise, as though it were upon the whole a
rather clever performance. And when the attempt of a parcel
of Northern school-mistresses at Augusta, Ga., who inspired a
motley crowd of negroes and mulattos to travesty the oblation
to the Confederate dead in the cemetery of that city, was put
down by the civil authorities, Republican journals raised a
howl of pious and patriotic indignation over Southern insults
to the graves of Union soldiers. Even the Tribune swells the
canting chorus of these pseudo-humanitarians and denounces
Generals Brannau and Tillsou because these ofiticera of the
Federal army refused to over-ride the civil authorities and pub-
lic decency in behalf of the vagaries of the school mistresses
and their black pets. Did it not occur to the Tribune that if
officers so high in position as Generals Brannon and Tillson

74

discountenanced the enterprise of these Northern women, there
must have been something objectionable in it? And is there
not abundant material in the letter of the Tribune's corres-
pondent to sustain the officers? The facts as published by the
Tribune itself are simply these: A set of Northern women,
who have gone down to Augusta to teach the negroes there,
and to insult the vanquished, got up a procession, avowedly
to do honor to the graves of the Federal soldiers who are buried
in that city, but really to mock the Southern women, who had
been decorating the graves of their own kindred and heroic
defenders two days before. This procession was composed of
these Northern women, the negroes and the agents and hangers-
on of the Freedmau's Bureau. Tbe people of Augusta knowing
the object of the movement, and keenly feeling the insult and
wrong that was being put upon them, appealed to the civil
authorities to prevent these people as far as the law would
permit from desecrating the graves of the Confederate soldiers.
The means for doing this were furnished by a rule of the ceme-
tery which forbids colored persons from entering its precincts
except as servants. The Mayor, with the sanction of Generals
Braunan and Tiilson, mildly enforced this rule by declaring to
the procession that every white person was at liberty to enter
and to do honor to the graves of the Uiiited States soldiers, but
that no negro should enter except as a servant bearing flowers
with which to decorate graves. Learning that this was the
determination of the Mayor, and that he was supported by the
United States military authorities, the whites in the procession,
rather than submit to the exclusion of any one of their colored
friends, marched away with these from the cemetery, and so
the affair was ended. There was neither rioting nor bloodshed
nor violence; no dishonor to a Federal soldier nor any disrespect
to the flag of the Union. And yet the Tribune makes this
affair the subject of violent denunciation and the Commercial
Advertiser, of coarse and unfeeling jesting. Now, it is all very
well to talk about paying tributes of respect to the memory of
the Federal dead and all that; but no one knows better than
the Tribune that reverence for the soldiers whose graves they
proposed to decorate was not in the hearts of the organizers of
the movement. Their object was to ridicule the women and
insult the entire white population of Augusta. One word in

75

conclusiDn. The women of the South were under no obliga-
tion whatever to decorate the graves of the Federal soldiers.
These men were not their kindred nor of their blood; they were
not friends, but enemies; they had gone to their graves reeking
with the blood of Southern men, slain in defence of their lib-
erty aud their honor, their wives and firesides. But for all
that, the Southern women did decorate the graves of the Fed-
eral dead. Unlike the Radicals, their animosity did not seek
to pass beyond the grave. In the awful presence of death they
recognized the claims of a common humanity, and they strewed
with flowers the graves of the men who had come among them
only to desolate and destroy. It was an act of magnanimity
too lofty to be appreciated by the small-souled detractors of the
women of the South, but it will be another leaf in the crown of
that noble army of martyrs."

It is a matter of history, too, that in North Carolina
some of the Memorial Associations had to use much
prudence and diplomacy in order to carry out their
plans for decorating the graves of Confederate soldiers.

"In Raleigh, N. C, when the ladies first sought to decorate
the soldiers' graves, they were warned not to go in a body else
they would be fired upon. Hence, singly and flower-laden
they went to the cemetery, and at the end of the day set aside
for the work a floral tribute rested on the grave of each fallen
hero."

An amusing incident which occurred at our own
cemetery here in Montgomery those first days of the
26th of April illustrates how very careful the South
needs must be at that crucial time. The incident is
given on request by Mrs. Mary P. Watt, who from her
girlhood was one of the most enthusiastic workers at
the Sewing Societies and the Ladies' Memorial Associa-
tion. The short narration is given as contributed in
her own words :

''In that spring Montgomery was yet a United States
garrison, with camps of Yankee soldiers, infantry and

76

cavalry in every direction, and seen at every turn in
control of our dear town. On the 26th of April of that
year the skies were sun -kissed and the flowers made to
blossom with unusual splendor and beauty. At our
home they seemed never to have been so perfect or
lovely nor in such endless variety. In my youthful
ardor for the day's decoration I selected from them the
pure white rose — Lamarque — and the red, red rose — the
Giant of Battle — the straggling violets here and there,
and the star-shaped blossoms of the White Spirea, and
made them into a flower— Confederate — flag about twelve
inches long and eight inches wide, with staff of green,
making the bars of the red and white roses, the field of
the blue violets and stars ot White Spirea. It was a
perfect representation in spring's sweet flowers of our
'furled banner.' Not dreaming I was doing anything
amiss or imprudent or disloyal in making a boquet that
would fade before the morrow, I placed it upon the
grass mound — a thing of beauty. But lo and behold!
several Yankees in uniform on gaily caparisoned horses
dashed up and with lowering looks of threatening trou-
ble at so lawless an act as displaying the hated flag of a
fallen foe, sent terror and dismay to the older people
there.

''Judge Bibb, Mr. E. C. Hannon and others went to
my father and said, 'Your daughter has been reckless
enough to display a Confederate flag.' He and my
dear mother came to me in deep concern and distress.
'Oh, my child, why did you do it?' I said in my
wrath and indignation, 'It is absurd to be accused of
treason for making a boquet of flowers that will perish
and fade before to-morrow's sun.' My reason could
not accept such an over-strained sense of prudence.
But alas ! the last I saw of my dear flag of flowers, it

77

was shrouded in Judge Bibb's white handkerchief and
laid away in a close carriage. I was indignant.

^'We have much to be thankful for in our re-united
country, when men's minds are free from passion and
prejudice, that at the present time we can display any
or all of the three different Confederate flags on any
public occasion without treason and the fear of arrest."

These incidents are given not to break afresh the
healing wound, but to show a most interesting phase of
our country's history. Sad chronicles of facts they are,
but we should, and do, at this hour bear in mind that
only a few of the nobler element of our enemy were with
us then; nor surely did even they dream the truth, nor
did they understand.

As a great sun-burst from behind the clouds, as some
spiced balm of healing, come to us now the words of
President Wm. McKinley, when in Atlanta he urged
that the graves of Confederate as well as Northern sol-
diers be the care of our re-united government.

So, "forgetting those things which are behind and
reaching forth unto those things which are before," we
go back with lighter hearts to the beautiful story of
eighteen hundred and sixty-six. For meanwhile the
May Day Festival hour grew near and expectation ran
high.

CHAPTER V.

Several days beforehand the full program of the Fes-
tival was published. The following is the exact copy:

THEATRE.
The Ladies' Offering to Buby the Alabama Dead.

Two May Day Festivals on the
1st and 2nd Days of May.

Programme.

Matinee, Tuesday, May 1st, 11 o'clock a. m.— "Children's
Offering," consisting of Concert and Tableaux.

Tuesday Night at 8 o'clock, Ladies' Grand Tableaux.

GRAND concert.

Wednesday night, Ladies' Grand Concert, assisted by Mad.
Balini and Prof. Gnospelius.

AT CONCERT AND ESTELLE HALLS.

Lunch will be set at ('oncert Hall on Tuesday from 11 a. m.

to 3 p. m.

Tickets, ?^1.00. Strawberries, Ices and Coffee Extra.

The Performance each evening to commence at 8 o'clock.

Sale of secured seats for Concert and Tableaux combined will
commence on Friday, April 29th, at 9 o'clock a. m., at Shaw's
Soulheru Photograph Gallery (Market Street). Secured seats
for the single Festival can only be secured on the day of the
performance. Tickets purchased from auy member of the com-
mittee will be received for secured seats as cash.

79

Price of admission to all parts of the house, $1.00. Reserved
seats, fifty cents extra. Children admitted to each exhibition
for fifty cents each. Each concert ticket sold will be received
at the door for either matinee or concert.

G. T. Shaw, Manager.

The following gentlemen are requested to act as managers to
assist the ladies in their May Day OfTering on the 1st and 2nd
prox. Badges will be found at Concert Hall on Tuesday, May
1st, at 9 o'clock: Judge Geo. Goldthwaite, Judge B. S. Bibb,
Dr. Wm. O. Baldwin, Dr. J. G. W. Steedman; J. Hausman,
Esq.; J. Faber, Esq.; Col. Joseph Hodgson, Col. Jack Thoring-
ton; G. L. Mount, Esq.; Dr. Jas. L. Ware; General J. H. Clan-
ton; General J. T. Holtzclaw; Dr. E. A. Sample; Wm. H. Pol-
lard, Esq.; Ex-Governor T. H. Watts; H. Strassburger, Esq.;
H. West, Esq.; D. T. Troy, Esq.

Found also in this date was the following entertaining
and deserved compliment to our Hebrew citizens:

It is with unfeigned pleasure and admiration that M'e hear
of the generous enthusiasm with which this large class of use-
ful citizens are co-operating with our ladies in their highly
praiseworthy efforts to raise funds for the purpose as set forth
in the approaching May Day Festival. The ladies w^ere
cordially invited to join the organization, to which they
promptly responded and have gone to work with a vim which is
an earnest of their high appreciation of the noble objects in
contemplation. We learn that the ladies have been divided
into committees, and each are moving in the discharge of their
respective duties with such energy, industry and zeal that com-
mands our highest admiration. Money, provisions and delica-
cies of every variety are being accumulated in such profusion
as to prove them an indispensable auxiliary in the patriotic
work in which all our ladies are so intensely engaged in its
successful accomplishment.

It might be deemed invidious to mention any names more
prominent than others, but we can not forego the pleasure of

giving to the public the names of two, Mesdames F and

R , who, upon receiving their commissions to operate in

the "greenback" dejDartment, sallied forth with the nitention
of making a "raid" upon the strong boxes of their liegelords

80

and male friends generally, and such was the vigor of their
assault that all were forced to capitulate and disgorge upon
such terms as the ladies prescribed, which we learn was to fork
over the lion's share of the "cash on hand," the defeated
begging as a condition of the surrender that their visits might
in future more closely assimilate to those of angels — few and
far between.

May the future of these worthy ladies be prosperous and
happy, and to the male portion of our Jewish friends the thanks
of all the friends of the cause are due. This highly respectable
class of our community is ever ready to bestow liberally on all ;

worthy objects."— (Mail, April 28th, 1866.) |

On the morning of May Ist these papers gave the
ladies conducting the Festival a last glowing advertise-
ment, the Mail ending as follows :

"This memiorial oflering is for a practical purpose, not for
something visionary. It is for Alabama to do for her sons
what other states are doing for theirs. The following from the
Nashville Union will show what is being done upon one battle-
field, and what may be done upon other fields :

"We had the satisfaction a few days since of visiting the
beautiful grounds near our neighboring town of Franklin so
generously donated by Col. McGavock as a cemetery for the
Confederate dead who fell in the sanguinary and ever memorable
battle near that place on the 29th day of November, 1864. The
beauty of the conception as shown in the arrangement and
design is only equalled by the elevated sentiment and gener-
osity of spirit which prompted Col. McGavock to the work in
which, with the co-operation of others, he was so zealously
engaged. Distanced about one mile from the village of Frank-
lin, this cemetery, when completed, will afford a pleasant
drive or walk from that place to the numberless persons who,
through years to come, will seek as pilgrim shrines these graves
of departed heroes, kindred friends, who, in defense of what
they and we regard as the cause of liberty, died as nobly as
ever naen died and whose names have ever been perpetuated in
history and cherished in song. Passing from the town in a
southeasterly direction the road leads through a large and
beautiful grove of stately trees, fit sentiuels for the approach of

81

this sacred place. The cemetery of Coufederate dead adjoins
the private burial grounds of the resideut family and is within
short distance of the large and handsome mansion of the pro-
prietor of the place. Instead of separate graves they are mar-
shalled in the order somewhat of platoons, fifteen in each row,
with their respective head and foot boards nicely finished and
lettered. These rows extend for some distance on either hand
with an avenue between of sufficient width to afford convenient
walk or drive. The interments have been so arranged as to
bring the respective dead of each state together, thereby height-
ening interest of general plan as well as adding to the conven-
ience of those who may come in search of the precise spot
where repose the remains of some special object of aflection.
Between the ground of the dead of different states, squares have
been reserved for monumental or such other purposes as kindred
and friends at some future time may consider appropriate in
commemorating their virtues and in attesting the respect that
is due their memory. The whole is to be handsomely orna-
mented with evergreens and flowers and placed under a suitable
enclosure. The work of re-interment, though far advanced, is
not completed. Upwards of 700 have been removed. Of this
number 71 were from Arkansas, 92 from Texas, 129 from Mis-
souri, 166 from Tennessee, and 240 from Mississippi."

"It will be observed that not one is from Alabama. The
reason is, that Alabama has heretofore done nothing to assist
Col. McGavock in his work of love. The ladies of Montgomery
hope to-day to remedy the neglect." — (Mail.)

It was about this time that the following, in this con-
nection, appeared in the Advertiser:

"Through the kindness of that noble gentleman. Col. Jno.
McGavock, of Franklin, who without waiting to be prompted
but anticipating all that under such trying circumstances a
parent would naturally desire to have performed, the remains
of Lieut. Jno. Porter, eldest son of Judge B. F. Porter, who
fell leading Company N, 29th Mississippi Volunteers over the
entrenchments at Franklin, were identified, exhumed and for-
warded to Greenville, Ala., where they were buried on Sunday,
April 1st. The funeral was attended by a large concourse of
citizens, and a most eloquent and impressive sermon preached

82

by the pastor of the Baptist church, the Rev. Mr. Hawthorn.
It is due Col. McGavock to say that the parents and friends of
the noble and patriotic young men who died at Franklin owe
him a lasting debt of gratitude for his generous action in collect-
ing and giving a burial place in his cemetery to the bone? of
of the victims of that battlefield which have not been removed
to their homes. With the recollection of their fate will be
associated the liberal and magnanimous conduct of this gener-
ous Tennessean."

CHAPTER VI.

At last the long-Iooked-for hour arrived, the great
May Day Festival began . Such an outpouring of enthusi-
astic and patriotic love surely had never before been
witnessed at any time or in any clime. The refined and
cultured, the chivalric and brave, the once rich, the now
poor; wives and mothers, yesterday proud in the great
lore of noble husbands and gallant sons, to-day widowed
and alone; once strong and brilliant men, now maimed
and helpless; innocent little children, their young hearts
sorrow-laden; fair young maidens whose gay lips belied
the unconfessed heart-break— yet see them! From
devastated plantations and farms, from suburbs and
from city homes they came bringing their all and laying
it on the altar of Southern bravery. What nation under
Heaven ever gave so grand a picture to lure the magic
brush of art or charm the living eyes of love? But the
story of that gift of sacrificial love is best told by the
patriotic pens of the day:

"The Ladies' Offering— First Day.

The Living Remember the Dead. Scenes, Incidents, etc.
"The ladies of ftFontgonaery yesterday, iu their offering to
Alabama's dead soldiers, added one really Ijright page to the
history of the times, and by their heartfelt devotion and inde-
fatigable endeavors in their "labor of love" they have encircled
their fair brows with an undying wreath of memory and good-
ness. In years to come, when they who so nobly labored iu
this offering shall be no more, it will be a pleasure to those
little raisses and masters who so admirably performed their
parts in the tableaux, to revert to the 1st aud 2ud days of May,
1866, and to continue to perpetuate aad cherish the doings on
these eventful and never-to-be-forgotten days. We feel that it

84

is utterly impossible to describe tlie scenes of yesterday, for a
similar offering and silent, sincere token of esteem to one's
country's dead heroes seldom, if ever, falls to the lot of man to
witness. The object appears too sacred to be discussed, much
less described.

At an early hour in the morning the doors of Concert and
Estelle Halls and the Theatre were thrown open. The day
was propitious, bright, genial and balmy, as if Heaven was
smiling on the sacred and noble work of our women. Every-
thing was admirably arranged and the halls were gaily decked
with garlands and mottoes. Edibles of every description, con-
sisting of substantials, delicacies and luxuries, were in great
abundance, and the atmosphere was redolent with perfumes of
sweet flowers and the scene waa enlivened by the bright smiles
of our self-sacrificing women. During the entire day the halls
were thronged with visitors and the utmost harmony and happi-
ness prevailed. About 11 o'clock A. M. the Theatre began to
fill with a beautiful and orderly though very large assemblage to
witness the recitations, songs and tableaux of the children. All
acquitted themselves handsomely and the large assemblage,
notwithstanding the warm weather, evinced the deepest inter-
est and evident satisfaction in all things. This performance
was arranged and managed by Mrs. G. Montgomery,* a lady

*Mrs. James Montgomery was born in that portion of this
city now known as a suburb — Oakley, being the eighteenth
child of her parents. Her grandfather, Samuel Goode, of
Whitby, England, located at a farm near Kichmond, Va., now
known as Whitby. Her father, Samuel Watkins Goode, lived
in Washington county, Georgia, and moved to Montgomery
in 1830, to Oakley. Her mother was a, Miss Douglass, from
Middlebury, Vermont, descended from the famous Presbyte-
rian ministers and professors of Edinburg, Scotland. An
uncle, Orson Douglass, was fouuder of the Mariners' Church
and Home, in Philadelphia. Mrs. Montgomery is one of the
most interesting and talented of women, being by nature both
an artist and a musician. Her talents have been fully given to
the cause of her loved Southland. The first concert ever given
in Dixie for the benefit of the boys in gray was presented in
this city by Mrs. Montgomery, assisted by Mrs. Warren Brown,
Miss Estelle Williams, Mrs. Whitfield,"^ Mr. Glacmyer, Wm.
Harrington, Prof. Baum. Her daughter, Mrs. Ella Montgom-
ery Smith, residing in this city with her mother, was the
'•Little Ella" so often spoken of in the papers of '66 as the
bright and wonderful little sprite who charmed with her songs
and recitations the critics of that day.

85

of genius and great managerial talent, assisted by several of her
friends. We have not the space to give the program, and can
only give the eloquent opening address, delivered most feelingly,
of Master Thomas Martin, as it fully set forth the object and
aims of the offering. The following was the opening address :

Ladies and Gentlemen :* We have met here to-day to pay
a tribute to the memory of our gallant dead — those noble heroes
who, when the conflict of council was over, stood forward in
that of arms. The war is over and peace has spread her broad
wings over our conquered country. Although 'tis not the kind
of peace we all ardently desired and for which our heroes died
— a peace with an independent nationality — yet still the fact is
upon us in all its reality, and we must acknowledge it and
submit to the inexorable decrees of fate. The ultima ratio has
been tried. With what suffering and agonies of despair my
hearers all know too well. New duties are upon us, and 'tis
our only course to submit to the results of the war, still inscrib-
ing on our banner that good old motto, "Onward ! Forever
onward in the path of duty." Let us still show to the world
that as we fought to the last, in a contest in which our honor
was at stake, now though defeated, our honor will still demand
that we all be true again to the government which has subdued
us and to which we have rendered our allegiance. While these
are the facts before us, and no one can now have any doubt as
to the course our policy and duty would dictate, still it cannot
be expected that we can ever forget the past— the glorious past
of the last four bloody years of suffering and sorrow of sublim-
ity and woe, of agonj- and subjugation. Tell us, ye who would
have us forget, where can we find that fabled lethe's stream to

*In a letter from Hon. J. Thomas Martin on this subject, he
states that Col, Jack Phehm, who was then teaching in Mont-
gomery, wrote this address and took deepest interest in teach-
ing him to deliver it. At that time Master J. Thomas Martin
was one of the brightest pupils in Capt. Jack Phelan's school.
Hon. J. Thomas Martin is now one of the leading lawyers of
Calhoun county, living in Jacksonville, Alabama. At the late
Constitutic<nal Convention he was an honored and influential
member. He is the nephew of Judge A. J. Walker, who was
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama. Mr. Martin
was boarding here with his uncle when he delivered, with
such ability, the address of this grand occasion.

86

blot out with its waters of forgetfulness, all remembrauce of
the past. Bid Greece forget her Aristides aud Leonidas; Rome
her Cinciniiatiis and her Scipios, and all the hemes aud patri-
ots whose praises have been the theme of the poets and histo-
rians. Bid them bury their glorious deeds in oblivion, as soon
as tell us to forget the heroes of Manassas, Shiloh, Richmond
and Chickamauga. These glorious names can never be for-
gotten. Their glories have reached the shores of the old world
and have extorted from even her proud races the confession
that they are bright and noble indeed. No! We can never for-
get our distinguished and noble heroes who freely died —

Their country to save!
No, we can never, no never forget

How gushed the life-blood of our brave
Upon the soil they died to save!

Forget them! Palsied be the tongue that would dare to utter
a sneer over their honored graves! No I Scattered, as they
are, all over our land, on our hilltops and in our green valleys,
let us, in token of love and appreciation of their virtues, strive
with an unceasing toil, regardless of trouble and expense, to
collect their bleached bones and bring them all, yes, all, to
their own beloved Alabama and here let them rest forever!
Let us bury here in Montgomery all the dead sons of our
mothers and build up a gratid monument to their memor.y,
that its towering height shall kiss with its lofty top our own
azure skies; let the radiant beams of the morning sun greet it
with its glory, and the last rays of evening waft back a smile
on its summit. Let us have a sacred spot in which to lay our
dead, to be called, for ages to come, the Macphelah of our South-
land. Let us decorate it with flowers and shady trees, and let
the vine and the laurel entwine it; and the free song of our
own uncaged birds, which speak of liberty and freedom, at
last float over them; and let us annually, as time rolls on,
meet to celebrate scenes like these of to-day!

Let old men and mothers, young men and maidens, and
gladsome children, in all time to come, meet, all over our State,
on the first of May and let it be sacred to the memory of our
gallant dead. Would ye men of the South avert the scorn aud
indignation of the world; would ye deserve the respect and

S7

love of yoiir maimed sons who remain; would ye show to the
world that ye fought for principle, that honor and virtue are
not gone from our land? Go and preserve as a noble treasure,
more glorious than all else besides, the sacred and honored
dusts of your fallen braves. Go gather the wild flowers, the
white rose and the evergreen, and spread them over their hal-
lowed dust! For these are truly emblematical of them. The
wild flowers speak of freedom for which they fought and died,
the white rose of their pure and noble spirits, and the laurels,
the cedar and the ivy green, of their undying fame.

Daughters of Alabama, weep,

On this our celebration day;
Your fathers, husbands, brothers sleep

On the distant fields away.

Oh! gently close the eye

That loved to look on you;
Oh! seal the lip whose earliest sign,

Whose latest breath was true.

With knots of sweetest flowers,

Their winding sheets perfume;
And wash their wounds with true love showers.

And dress them for the tomb.

For beautiful in death

The warrior's corse appears;
Embalmed by fond affection's breath,

And bathed in woman's tears.

Give me the death of those

Who tor their country die;
And oh! be mine like their repose,

W^heu cold and low they lie.

Their loveliest mother earth

Enshrines the fallen brave;
In her sweet lap who gave them birth

They find their tranquil grave.

The day's exercises were closed with the Ladies' Grand Tab-
leaux at the Theatre last night, which was witnessed by a tre-
mendous crowd. The scenes and siietches were truh' beautiful
and were received with great applause. To-night the grand
concert of the season will close the ladies' ofTering to Alabama's
dead soldiers. During to day the halls will be opened for vis-

88

itors and all are invited to come aud partake of all that is good
to eat and driuk, renaembering that the proceeds are to be
appropriated to a noble purpose." — (Mail, May 2nd, 1866).

"Second Day— Ladies' Offering.

"The May-Day Offering closed last evening with the concert
and supper. Estelle Hall and Concert Hall were the scenes of
an attraction yesterday similar to that of the day before. Dur-
ing the day the dining and refreshment rooms were crowded,
not only with citizens of Montgomery, but also with many
from the surrounding country. The concert, like the tableaux
of the night before, was a brilliant success, reflecting great
credit upon the industry, good taste and accomplisbment of
the young ladies and gentlemen who consented to appear upon
the stage in behalf of the enterprise, and upon the large audi-
ence which was present, as much to enjoy the entertainment
as to aid the cause. Seldom, if ever in the history of Mont-
gomery, have ladies and gentlemen exhibited such devotion to
a purpose. The result has been commensurate with their
labors, the amount of money realized being probably larger
than has ever been realized heretofore for any single charitable
or pious purpose. It would be difficult to mention the namea
of those who have been the most prominent in this good work
where all have been exerting themselves to the best of their
abilities. Indeed, we hardly think that special thanks should
be awarded to any, since those who did less than others did so
from want of opportunity, not of inclination. Durijig the con-
cert, recitations and tableaux, many allusions called back to
us the melancholy past. 'In Memoriam,' which hung above
the stage; the sleeping soldier dreaming of peace; the children
throwing flowers upon a tomb (one of the most touching scenes)
all stirred the deep fountain of memory in every breath.

"These things are pitiful to recall, but not without a benefit.
The benefit consists in educating the children of the South to
consecrate the first day of May to the memory of their fathers,
to redeem their monuments from the hands of time and oblo-
quy, and to say to the world that though others may peek to
blast their fame to all time, yet will they endeavor to make
the remotest ages ring with the truth of Southern hearts, as
they will ring with the glories of Southern arms.

89

"Having endeavored to the best of our poor ability to set this
naovement on foot,* we thank the ladies of Montgomery for
having done so much more than we thought it possible to be
done; and we know that we will be expressing the voice of the
living soldiers when we thank them for their holy sympathy
for the remains of those who died by our side."

Thus ended the grand May Day Festival suggested
first by the Executive Committee of the Monumental
and Historical Association, and successfully carried
through by the ^'Ladies' Memorial Association," nobly
assisted by the press of the city and the gallant sons of
this glorious commonwealth. Certainly the most mar-
velous record of loving tribute to the dead heroes of a
lost cause ever chronicled!

It is pleasant to see that visitors from other States
were no less delighted than our own journalists. The
following bright bit from "Ariel," the correspondent
of the New Orleans Picayune, lends additional color to
the scene:

"It is impossible to describe the zeal manifested by the ladies
on the occasion. The arrangements were in excellent taste;
the walls were adorned with wreaths and appropriate mottoes;
the atmosphere was redolent with the perfume of innumerable
bouquets, and the bright smiles of the ladies at the tables would

*This is truly spoken. Colonel Hodgson, one of the editors
of the "Mail," was the Secretary of the Monumental and His-
torical Society' at its formation, and later both Recording and
Correspouding Secretary. He UBed his pen in advancing this
movement as fearlessly as he bad used his sword in defense
of his country. Captain Whitfield, the other editor and soldier,
was also deeply interested, especially in the May-Day Festival.
Captain Whitfield is now dead; his widow still resides in Mont-
gomery an enthusiastic member of the Memorial Association.
Major Gibson, the proprietor and publisher, now residing at
his picturesque home in Verbena, the life and wit of the town,
was also enthusiastic for this cause.

90

have been sufficieut to extract the loose change from the gen-
tlemeu's pockets."

Another interesting pleasantry from the Press to the
ladies was the following when calling on the gentlemen
of Montgomery to complete the Central Eailroad link,
which serves a double purpose, by showing also the
financial success of the Festival :

"If the men cannot be aroused to this work, we will have to
call upon the ladies to start it. If $6,000 can be realized by the
ladies from a May Day Oflering, cannot $250,000 be raised for
public State improvement, which will double the population
and wealth of the city in ten \ears?" — May 11th, '66.

And here, while the women of Montgomery are rest-
ing on their laurels, we pause to take a glimpse of four
of these heroines who, as the officers of the Memorial
Association, worked unremittingly for this success.

MRS. B. S. BIBB, PRESIDENT.

Mrs. Sophia Bibb was descended from a long line of
illustrious and wealthy ancestors. She was born in
Oglethorpe county, Georgia, March 10th, 1801, and was
the daughter of Thomas M. Gilmer and Elizabeth
(Lewis) Gilmer. The Lewises, her mother's ancestors,
were originally from France, leaving France for Ireland
on account of religious persecutions. Here John Lewis,
having difficulties in Ireland with the Lords under
whom he held his freehold lease, came over from Ire-
land to America — this famed land of the free and home
of the brave. Here he settled in Virginia, in Augusta
county, being the first white settler of that county. The
Gilmers were descended from the Scotch physician. Dr.
George Gilmer, who was born near Edinburgh, Scot-
land, for many years practicing medicine in that old
city. Coming to America, he settled in Williamsburg,

9i

Virginia, the capital of the colony. Thomas M. Gilmer,
the father of Mrs. Bibb, subsequently brought his
family to Georgia, and settled on the west side of Broad
river, in Wilkes county, then known as Oglethorpe.
The ancestor of the Bibb family came from France to
America in the seventeenth century. He located in
Hanover county, Virginia, and there died, leaving three
sons — William, James and Thomas. William Bibb, in
1789, removed to Elbert county, Georgia, and died in
1796. Xot long after the removal of the Gilmers from
Virginia, Capt. William Bibb came with his young fam-
ily from Virginia and settled on the east side of the
river in Elbert county. Here their son, Benajah S.
Bibb, wooed and won the daughter of his neighbor,
Thomas M. Gilmer. So in 1819 Sophia Gilmer was mar-
ried to Benajah Smith Bibb, sixth son of Capt. William
Bibb. They removed to Alabama in 1822, when he
located in Montgomery county on a rich estate, becom-
ing a wealthy planter and wielding a large influence.
For twelve years he was County Judge, and in 1864
Judge of the Criminal Court for Montgomery City
and County. Too old to enter the army. Judge Bibb
gave the Confederate cause his pecuniary aid and his
great moral influence and support. Mrs. Bibb was a
faithful, loyal servant of her State. Her works during
the war are too well known for repetition. As Presi-
dent of the Hospital Association, she proved herself a
skilled leader and manager, and was greatly beloved and
respected. Possessed of wealth and all the accessories
it brings in its wake, her spacious home was ever open
to brilliant officers and needy soldiers. When the war
was over and she became President of the Memorial
Association, she labored with the same earnestness and
zeal which had characterized her other works of benev-

w

^-

olence. Mrs. Bibb was the mother of five children, only
two of whom now survive lier — Mrs. S. E. Hutcheson
anfl Mrs. M. D. Bibb, whose husband, Col. Joseph B.
Bibb, the gallant officer of the 23rd Eegiment of Ala-
bama, survived the war only a few years. Mrs. Sophia
Bibb's eventful married life covered a period of sixty-
five years, Judge Bibb dying in 1884. She was a lead-
ing member of the Protestant Methodist church, which
she served with the Christian zeal of her forefathers.
The years of her widowhood were spent in works of
love and charity and benevolence. Up to the hour of
her last illness she was a dear, familiar figure, having
been blessed with wonderful heall"h, and strength, and
activity. At the old home on Moulton street she passed
quietly and peacefully away January 9th, 1887. She
was buried with every honor in Oakwood Cemetery, the
historic God's Acre of Montgomery, side by side with
the boys in gray and those other wonderful women who
fought with her the ''bra vest battle ever fought."

MRS. J. D. PHELAN, FIRST VICE PRESIDENT.

Mrs. Mary Anne Phelan was born in Winchester,
Tenn., on the 26th day of April, 1816. She w^as the
daughter of General Thomas Kent Harris, who at the
time of her birth was candidate for re-election as Con-
gressman from White county, Tenn. He was a man
determined in all principles, both political and moral.
To maintain these rights and principles in that day of
recklessness in our country's historj^, he became neces-
sarily involved in a duel. In consequence of that duel
he was shot and died from the wounds when this daugh-
ter was only two weeks old, leaving two other children,
Caroline Harris (Mrs. Wm. Hayes) and Dr. Algernon
Sidney Harris, who gave his only son to the Confederate

93

Army. General Harris was descended from a distin-
guished and powerful family who came to Virginia from
Wales in the seventeenth century, with a land grant
from the Crown of England, to what is now known as
Eichmond, Va. They were a people who feared nothing
but wrong in themselves, always battling for the right.
After a course at the University of Virginia, General
Harris came to Tennessee. Mrs. Phelan's mother was
a Miss Mary Anne Moore, of Virginia, daughter of one
of the first divines of that State, a man revered and hon-
ored until his death at the venerable age of ninety-two
years. Mary Anne Harris married in 1836, near Hunts-
ville, Ala., Jno. D. Phelan, a young lawyer who in sub-
sequent years was Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives, Judge of the Circuit Court for fifteen years, twice
Judge of the Supreme Court, and at all times a cultured
Christian gentleman. 'No man in all the South gave
more of heart and brain to the Confederate cause, nor
braver soldiers at the time of need.

Mrs. Phelan was the mother of twelve children, and
gave four sons to her country. Her life was always one
of helpful activity, public spirit and patriotism. In
church, charity or state she was among the first, realiz-
ing that one's duties were essential at home, but not to
end there. During the war it was a daily labor with her
to help the sick in hospitals and manage to get such
things as her large family at home and her sons in the
army needed. At the news of every battle in Tennes-
see or Virginia her heart beat with anxiety lest one of
these boys was wounded or dying. This fear was often
realized — at the battle of Gaines' Mills, when Captain
Thomas Phelan was instantly killed; at the battle of
Fredericksburg, when Captain Watkins Phelan was
dangerously wounded; at the battles of Eesacca and At-

94

lanta, when Captains John and Ellis Phelan were again
both severely wounded, and at last at the battle of
Petersburg, when Captain Watkins Phelan was mortally
wounded, dying April 5th, four days before our brave
though overpowered army surrendered at Appomattox.
On May 22, 1870, at her home in Montgomery, Mrs.
Phelan's tired heart gave its last drum-beat in the battle
of life, and sweetly and silently rested. A beautiful coin-
cidence of her life is that the birth-day of our ''Memo-
rial Day," which she and others labored so faithfully to
establish in Montgomery, is the very same on which her
own eyes first opened to the light of dawn — the 26th of
April. So the same flowers of April which commemor-
ate her birth and annually make beautiful the bier of
sons which Southern mothers bore and gave to their
country — mark the birth of a custom which shall live
so long as sons and daughters are given to this glorious
land of sun-kissed flowers and war-scarred heroes.

Hon. "William Garrett, in his "Eeminiscences of Pub-
lic Men" and his eulogy of Judge John D. Phelan, goes
out of his way to mention Mrs. Phelan, a compliment
he seldom pays the worthy wives of the distinguished
men he portrays. "I make mention of this lady," he
says, ''because I knew her well, and in all that consti-
tutes true womanhood she was one of the foremost
women of Alabama. She was extensively known for
her genial and unselfish spirit and for her gentle yet
thoroughly energetic Christian character."

MRS. WM. O. BALDWIN, SECRETARY.

Mrs. Wm. O. Baldwin was born in Shelbyville, Tenn.
She was the daughter of Col. Abram Martin and spent
much of her life in South Carolina. Col. Abram Martin
was descended from one of the great families of Eevolu-

95

tionary fame, which moved to Montgomery before the
war, and was himself a jurist of renown. Her mother
was Miss Jane Patton, of Scotch descent, whose mother,
Jean Shaw, on coming to America, married Mr. Patton,
a cultured gentleman of the old school in South Caro-
lina. Miss Mary Jane Martin was married early in life
in 1843, to Dr. Wm. O. Baldwin, of Montgomery, who,
at the time of his death, had few peers and no superiors
in the medical profession. Dr. Baldwin's ancestors,
when they came to this country, settled in Virginia and
furnished to that commonwealth distinguished for bril-
liant men some of its ablest sons. His mother was the
sister of Benjamin Fitzpatrick, who for so many years
faithfully served Alabama as Governor and United
States Senator. Dr. Baldwin was a scholar as well as
physician. ''As a writer his style was chaste and
luminous and in the splendor of its flow has been com-
pared not inaptly to that of Macauley." There was
never a woman of more genuine ability of mind and
heart or sweetness of character than Mrs. Wm. O. Bald-
win. She was clear-headed and gentle, broad-minded
and sympathetic. She cared not for the applause and
praise of the world, and shunned all ostentation and
show. Duty and love were her watchwords. Yet, though
so modest and shrinking, she felt a deep interest in all
that pertained to the public welfare. Mrs. Baldwin
gave to the South her first born, Wm. O. Baldwin, Jr.,
who was a mere youth when he left the University of
Alabama and joined the Confederate Army. He was
the youngest captain in his regiment, the 22nd Alabama,
being only nineteen years old. He took part in every
battle in which his regiment was engaged, and fell
finally at the last entrenchment, at the battle of Frank-

lin, Tenn.* Mrs. Baldwin aever entirely recovered
the shock of his death and the work nearest her heart,
coming next to her beautilul Christian faith, was the
proper burial of Alabama soldiers and the memorial
services of April 26th, which she, with others, was
instrumental in making a loving, never-to-be-forgotten
custom. She was the first Secretary of the Memorial
Association, and on the death of Mrs. Phelau became
first Vice-President. Mrs. Baldwin died in 1878, leav-
ing heart-broken her great husband who had encir-
cled her with the youthful romance of first love ;
always to him she was the emblem of perfection in
womanhood.

MRS. E. C. HANNON, TREASUEER.

Mrs. Hannon was born in 1814 in Milledgeville, then
the capital of Georgia. Her father, Thos. B. Stubbs,

*The following is the first letter announcing the death of
Wm. O. Baldwin, Jr.:

Franklin, Tenn., Dec. 1, 1864.
Hon. Barclay Martin:

Dear Sir — I have the honor to announce to you the sad
intelligence of the death of the sou (your relative) of one of my
best friends, Capt. Wm. O. Baldwin. He was wounded about
nine o'clock last night and died at five o'clock this morning.
I will write to his father, Dr. W. O. Baldwin, of Montgomery,
Ala. The Surgeon of his regiment will communicate with and
let you know where his remains are buried. Willie was shot
with the colors of his regiment in his hands leading it against
the strong position of his enemy, and fell within a short
distance of the enemy's breast-works. There was great diffi-
culty in getting plank to make a cotfin, and I having to leave
before he was buried, do not know what kind of a one was
made. I write in great haste.

Very respectfully and truly,

A. J. Foard,
Medical Director.

(Capt. Wm. O. Baldwin's remains were Boon after brought
to Montgomery and placed in the family plot at Oakwood
Cemetery.)

97

was a large cotton planter, and also engaged in mercan-
tile pursuits. Her antecedents were distinguished, her
social position was of the highest, while her educational
advantages were the best that the schools and semi-
naries of the day afforded. Upon her marriage to the
late E. C. Hannon (well known in business circles of the
first capital of the Confederacy thirty years ago) she
came to Montgomery and there lired until the King's
voice bade her "come up higher." Mrs. Hannon was of
a sweet, gentle disposition and beautiful character.
She was one of God's "hidden ones." Few, if any, of
that generation of noble Montgomery women were more
loved than she. A Southron of the Southerners — from
first to last her heart was in "the cause." The inmates
of her household in the early stages of the war were
familiar with the hum of two sewing machines as with
her faithful colored domestics she sewed sand bags for
the batteries of the gulf coast and blankets for the sol-
diers. One near to her says: "When the First Alabama
Cavalry was organized at Montgomery, I recall going-
home one day and finding a soldier boy stretched on a
pallet in the sitting room sick. It was this soldier
boy's custom always after in passing through the city
to call and see his foster mother. Years afterwards
this soldier boy, then a doctor from Paris, sent her from
the train a greeting which we may be suie her mother
heart lovingly returned." This boy was but the head
of a column who at times camped as invalids in her
home. Three of her sous, the late Capt. Thomas E.
Hannon and two younger brothers, followed General
Wheeler. Capt. Hannon enjoyed the confidence and
esteem of his commander, and a call from General
Wheeler cheered his faithful subaltern when fighting
his last battle with death. Mrs. Hannon used to say

98

that the battle of Shiloh turned her head gray. By a
coincidence her son and a brother (the late Lieutenant-
Colonel M, W. Hannon, of the First Alabama Cavalry)
were in the battle, and Pittsburg landing was the prop-
erty of her father, She never surrendered and only
negatively accepted the '^situation." The evening
of her life was divided between her children in Mont-
gomery and her sons in Virginia, Baltimore and Cali-
fornia. In 1898 she ''fell on sleep," and her body lies
in the old cemetery in Montgomery hard by the honored
dust of the boys who wore ''the gray."

CHAPTER VII.

The next information of interest from the Memorial
Association came in the form of an open letter from its
able Secretary, Mrs. Baldwin, to the ladies of Alabama.

"The following commuuication, which is intended for every
lady of the State, explains itself, and we would respectfully
request our exchanges of the State to re-publish with such
remarks as they think proper in furtherance of the purpose:

Montgomery, Ala., May 10, 1866.

Dear Madam— The ladies of this place have recently organ-
ized themselves into a society for the purpose of raising funds
for the burial and preservation from neglect and desecration of
the mortal remains of our heroic dead, under the name of
"The Ladies' Society for the Burial of Deceased Alabama
Soldiers." As Secretary of this Society, I am instructed to ask
your co-operation in this noble work which you will find in
the following resolution adopted in our meeting to-day :

Resolved, That the Secretary of this Society correspond
with influential ladies in different parts of the State and urge
them to organize societies similar to ours, formed with a view
to united exertion in accomplishing the purpose of this Society.

Our Society has been organized only a few weeks, and we
have already raised the sum of $5,000. Similar eflorts in other
cities of the State will enable the ladies by concert of action to
do much good. We propose to have an offering on the first
day of May annually commemorating the past with tributes
for our fallen brave. If you desire it, we will send you a copy
of our constitution, resolutions, etc. This Society entered into
a correspondence to-day with Col. Juo. W. McGavock, of
Franklin, Teun., in view of responding to his genennis and
noble offers made last winter in behalf of the dead of Alabama
who fell on the ever memorable field of Franklin.

Very respectfully,
—The Mail. Mary J. Baldwin, Sec'y."

100

In addition to the above, Mrs. Baldwin was also in
correspondence with Col. McGavock and others from
different battlefields. In reply to Mrs. Baldwin's let-
ter to Col. McGavock, she received the following:

Mrs. Mary J. Baldwin :

Madam— Your letter as Secretary of the Ladies' Society for
Re-interment of Deceased Alabama Soldiers who fell in the
battles fought on the soil of this State was received to-day. It
gives me pleasure to contribute what I can in aid of this work.
In order that you may know and through you, the ladies of
Montgomery, what has been done in the work of re-interring
the Confederate dead at this place, I will give here a transcript
from the record book with reference to the Alabama dead. To
this date there has been 1,300 interments; of this number there
are 132 from Alabama. Perhaps there are fifteen or twenty
more from Alabama yet to be removed. The money sub-
scribed for this work falls short of the amount due the under-
taker who was persuaded to undertake the removal of all the
dead at this place in advance of subscriptions. This was done
in order'to have removed from fields exposed to the plowshare
the remains of all those who were there buried. This part
of the work is now finished at a cost of ?6,500. $3,500 has been
obtained and paid to the contractor, who was a Confederate
soldier from Texas, G. W. Cuppett, Terry's Regiment of Texas
Rangers who came forward and ofl'ered to do the whole work
in advance of the subscription and at a less cost than any one
else, and I am sure at a price as low as it can be done — $5.00 for
each remains. Each coffin is neatly and compactly made of
oak. The order of interment is by platoon, fifteen in each, and
each state (as far as identification would admit) to itself; also
by regiments and companies. There are two lines, separated
by an avenue of fourteen feet in width, and in the centre of
each state a monumental space of thirty-five feet square. The
design is considered appropriate. The spot is a beautiful one,
and if the means can be had it is the intention of the company
to enclose and adorn and beautify it in a permanent manner
due the gallant dust reposing in it. I write these details on the
eve of starting for Nashville, where I will be absent some days.
In two or three weeks this work will be finished, at which time

101

the dust of all the Confederate soldiers who fell in those battles
fought here wUl be congregrated together. I have been
informed by those who have visited the other battlefields of
this State — Shiloh and INIurfreesboro— iu search of their kindred ,
that all identifications have been torn away by rude hands
(with a few exceptions) and have otherwise disappeared.
Therefore I would suggest whether an effort should be made
in search for the dead by any one state separately, or whether
a joint eflTort should not be made to remove all the Confederate
dead to some spot selected for that purpose.

Any means sent by your Society will be appropriated in the
way you desire. I would be pleased to have more leisure and
write more carefully of this sad work.

With very high regard, etc.,

Jno. McGavock,
—(Mail, May 23, 1866.)

iN'ow came the first note of discontent. There seems
to have crept out an opinion from some quarters that a
part of the money obtained for the dead should have
been given to the living- poor. This was exaggerated and
sent out to the Northern press. The following caustic
editorial ably defends the position of the Ladies'
Memorial Association, and explains the situation :

"the living and dead.

"The Journals of the South which may have noticed the
anonymous letter of the correspondent of 'Forney's Chronicle'
respecting the successful efTorts of the ladies of Montgomery to
raise a fund for the burial of our dead, will do us justice by
publishing the following statement :

"Reports had reached us that the bones of our children and
fathers who fell in the late unhappy war were being ploughed
up on the battlefields, or were exposed to view by being improp-
erly buried. So soon as we received satisfactory information
that these reports were true, the ladies of Montgomery set on
foot a kind of Fair in order to raise a small sum to contribute
to the work of interring the dead. They expected to realize a

102

thousand dollars. They realized, however, about five thousand
dollars. After the movement had been set on foot, the news-
papers commenced publishing accounts of great destitution
among the poor of the State. The ladies who were engaged in
raising the fund for the dead did not think proper to change
the direction of that fund, for they were informed by gentle-
men of high position that the Government intended to furnish
adequate assistance to the poor. They also knew that the city of
Montgomery alone had given over $10,000 to the poor while the
'offering for the dead' was in progress. It is not true that our
people have neglected or are neglecting the wants of the living
in order to indulge in sentiment for the dead. They have been
ready and are still ready to do justice to both. They can bury
the dead but once; they are feeding the poor daily. The assist-
ance which they extended to the destitute is not blazoned to
the world, and hence has not attracted the attention which
this offering to the dead has attracted. Exactly as the ladies
were informed, the President has ordered the Commissary
Department to relieve every case of destitution. Hence there
has been no necessity to appropriate the ladies' fund for another
object than that for which it was raised. The secret of this
carping is not because the fund was not applied to the relief
of the poor, but because it was applied to preserving the
memory of our dead. It is the object of the Radical Forney
and his fellow traitors to retain power by harping upon the
rebellion and by distorting and endeavoring to render odious
the most sacred aflections of the South. It is the purpose of
these men to render odious the memory of those who died in
the Confederate cause. On the contrary, it is our purpose to
cherish their memory as heroes whose devotion and gallantry
would have ennobled any cause. Their memory shall live for
history and not die for a party."— Mail, May 20, 1866.

On May 22nd there was an important call from Mrs.
Sophia Bibb, the President:

"The'members of the Society for the Burial of Deceased Ala-
bama Soldiers and all ladies of the city are requested to meet
at the Methodist church at five o'clock p. m. The committee
for the application of funds raised by the Society composed of
the resident ministers of the city and the President of the

103

Monumental and Historical Society are alf^o requested to meet
at the same time and place.

Mrs. Bibb, President.
Mrs. Baldwin, Secretary."
—(Mail, May 22, 1866.)

No report of this meeting was given out through the
press, nor could anj- record of the meeting be found in
the Secretaries' books of the Memorial Association
proper, or of the committee tor jDroper application of
funds.

Another meeting of the Committee for Proper Appli-
cation of Funds, taken from the Secretary's books,
under date June 8th, '66, is of interest :

"On motion it was Resolved to appropriate ?800 for burial of
Alabama dead at Franklin, the funds to be forwarded to Colonel
McGavock of that place for the purpose.

"Letter from Miss L. R. Meem read with respect to the re-
mains of Alabama soldiers buried near Mt. Jackson, Shenan-
doah County, Va. On motion of Rev. Bishop McTyeire it was
Resolved, That the Secretary of this Society open correspond-
ence with Miss Meem to ascertain whether the Alabama sol-
diers above referred to were buried at the expense of the Gov-
ernment or of individuals ; if at private expense, at what cost,
and also whether there are other Alabama dead remaining
imburied or imperfectly buried, and what would be the proba-
ble expense of their decent interment ? On motion }!l,000 were
appropriated for the burial of the remains of Alabama soldiers
who fell on the field of Corinth, if it should be possible to iden-
tify them ; if not, it was resolved that the remains generally
be collected together and buried at the expense of the Society,
provided such expense does not exceed $1,000. It was further
Resolved, on motion of Bishop McTyeire, That a letter be
addressed to Mr. John F. Green, of Resaca, to ascertain the
condition of Alabama dead that fell at that point, and also
that similar inquiries be made concerning the dead of our State
at Jonesboro. The motion was then extended to apply to those
who fell at Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge.

104

"On motion, Dr. 8. K. Cox^ was appointed assistant Secre-
tary to Mrs. Baldwin."
June 8, 1866.

Thus it will be seen that Dr. Cox was assistant Secre-
tary of the Committee for the Proper Application of
Funds, and not of the Memorial Association, as has
been supposed. This committee was composed of the
President of the Historical and Monumental Association,
President and Secretary of the Memorial Association and
the resident ministers of the city, as has been before
shown. In some instances Dr. Cox is signed ''Assistant
Secretary," in others "Corresponding Secretary" of the
committee.

At a previous meeting of this committee, May 10th,
1866, Dr. Cox moved that ''The Society appoint a suit-
able agent to visit different battlefields and ascertain
the condition and report to this Society." It was de-
cided that the Memorial Association send such agent,
paying all expenses. Dr. Cox was chosen as this agent
and faithfully discharged these duties.

The following is a much later report from this com-
mittee, which Dr. Cox very wisely calls Appropriation
Committee :

Ladies' Memorial Association:— A Statement of Disburse-
ments made by the Appropriation Committee of the Ladies'
Memorial Association, of Montgomery, Ala.

Amount forwarded to Col. McGavock, of Tennessee, for the
collection and interment of remains of Alabama soldiers that

*Dr. Cox was a'Protestant Methodisf minister of this city for
sometime. Subsequently he was President of a Female Col-
lege here, being associated with Mrs. Pollock, who subse-
quently made famous Pollock aud Stevens Institute of Bir-
mingham, Ala. Leaving here, Dr. Cox went to Christians-
burg, Va., to the college there, and died some years since in
Baltimore. Dr. Cox was deeply interested in the memorial
work, and his services were much appreciated by the ladies.

105

fell at the battle of Franklin, |800. Amount seut to Mies Leila
R. Meem, of Fort Jackson, Shenandoah (Jo., Va., for the re-in-
terment of the Alabama dead at that poiut, ^100. Amount
sent to Resaca, Ga., for a similar purjDOse, $100. Amount seut
to the Memorial Association of Richmond, Va., for purpose of
marking graves and giving decent interment to remains of
Alabama soldiers that fell in various battles uear that city,
1400. Amount forwarded to the Association at Fredericksburg
for a similar purpose, $600. Total amount actually expended,
12,000, In addition to the sums above enumerated, other
appropriations have been made amouutiug to about §)1,400, but
awaiting more definite information before being distributed.
Enquiries, too, have been instituted concerning our de'id at
various points, provision for whose remains will about consume
the balance in hand. The committee have exercised the utmost
caution in discharging the duty assigned them, that no portion
of the funds might be injudiciously appropriated or committed
to unsafe hands. Their attention has been especially directed
to remains lying in exposed situations where they were con-
stantly liable to desecration or neglect. Many of them have
been gathered from the roadsides, open fields and unfrequented
places, and removed to some safe and reliable repository of the
dead. The graves of others have been plainly but permanently
marked or so classified as to admit of easy identification. We
are satisfied that in every instance the money has been appro-
priated in strict accordance with the sacred purpose for which
it was given.

SAM'ii K. Cox, Cor. Sec'y.
—Mail, Dec. 22nd, 1866.

Now that their hearts were at rest over the appalling
unburied condition of the loved on far off fields, these
indefatigable women turned with zeal to beautifying
and improving their own cemetery. For the accom-
plishment of this more funds were necessary. So it was
decided to have a Christmas offering, on Wednesday
night, December 24th, in Concert and Estelle halls.
The papers, in speaking of this appeal, said in part :

"Though the ladies worked nobly in May last and raised a

106

large sum of money which has done and is doing a great
amount of good in burying the dead of Alabama, it was not for
the benefit of those lying in their own midst, and their success
on that occasion but encourages them to another eflort."

The entertainment decided on was both unique and
beautiful. Three Christmas trees were arranged in the
historic old Concert and Estelle halls. It is said to have
been a most brilliant, touching and inspiring sight.
The whole town as one united family gathered here and
enjoyed together a sacred, hallowed Christmas eve.
One tree contained presents from parent to child, child
to parent and friend to friend ; another contained beau-
tiful and useful articles made by the fair fingers of the
ladies, ornaments and toys which were bought by many
and distributed to friends, or to the poor and needy.
Light refreshments were served. Little children played
the happy games of childhood, older people held sweet
converse of bygone, brighter days, handsome youths
and fair maidens told each to other the old-new story of
loving, while sweetest music swept the chords of those
human heart-strings to songs of dear remembrance.
Truly was this a holy night, "with peace on earth, good
will towards man," — that night of which the poets sing
— a night emblematic of the Christ-child, whose birth
it keeps for ever more.

The money on hand and that received from this enter-
tainment, as well as subsequent accumulations, went
towards marking the graves in our own cemetery and
building there the monument and chapel.

The Secretary's book of March 31st, 1868, says, in
part :

"Dr. Cox submitted the plan for erection at Soldiers' Ceme-
tery in honor of Confederate dead buried there, the marble
work of which should not exceed |700 in cost. Plan adopted

107

and immediate erection of the monument was authorized. Dr.
Cox was also authorized to have erected on the cemetery
grounds an ornamental structure to contain the chart and the
register of the cemetery and to serve also as a pleasant place of
resort for visitors. Some preliminary steps were taken with
respect to the annual offering on the first day of May, after
which the Committee adjourned."

—Cox, Cor. Sec'y, March 31st, 1868.

The amount finally spent, however, on the headstones,
monument and chapel has been estimated at $5,600 for
headstones and $3,000 for monument and chapel.

The next important item from the Secretary's records
is one full of sad interest, chronicling a tender respect
to the beloved First Vice-President, Mrs. John D. Phe-
lan. A few brief words tell all the pathetic story:

"The Committee met at the residence of Mrs. Judge Bibb.
A resolution was adopted to appropriate $100 to the removal
and reinterment of the remains of a son of Mrs. John Phelan."

—April 13th, 1870.

The son referred to here was Capt. Thomas Phelan,
who was killed in an engagement around Eichmond.
His body was removed to Petersburg and placed with
another brother in the cemetery there. Some years
later Mr. Sidney Phelan, of Atlanta, had the remains
of his brothers brought to Oakwood Cemetery and laid
in one grave by the side of their mother. The fol-
lowing clipping is from the Advertiser of that date:

"Soldiers Rest! Thy Warfare O'er!

"The Independent Eifles, Blues and (^reys, together with a
large number of veteran Confederates and citizens generally,
were at the Union Depot yesterday morning to meet the
remains of Captains Thomas and Watkins Phelan, which
were brought from the battlefields of Virginia. There was no
demonstration at the station, and the funeral cortege immedi-
ately took up its march for the cemetery', the military compa-

108

nies acting as escorts. At the cemetery Rev. Dr. Stringfellow*
conducted religious services and tiie military fired three vol-
leys over the siugle grave, which contained the remains of two
as gallant soldier brothers as ever wore the gray. The volleys
were fired with veteran precision and constituted a worthy
tribute to the dead heroes.

"Soldier, rest! Thy warfare o'er!

Sleep the sleep that knows no waking;
Dream of battlefields no more,

Days of danger, nights of waking.

"Among the distinguished gentlemen present was Governor
O'Neal, who knew and loved the sleeping braves when they
led their troops in battle."

*Dr. Stringfellow was in Virginia and officiated at the cere-
monies, when, in 1864, young Watkins Phelan was buried in
the little churchj'ard at Petersburg. Many years later he
became the beloved rector of St. John's Episcopal Church, this
city, and performed again the same service for the now loving
and loved pariahoners that he had sadly performed years before
unknowing and unknown.

CHAPTER VIII.

In 1870 there appears one vacancy in the list of officers.
It spoke in pathetic silence of the Memorial Aesociation's
first loss — Mrs. J. D. Phelan, the First Vice-President,
was dead. She lived only a short while after the tender
compliment paid her by her beloved organization in hav-
ing the remains of her precious son moved to the side of
his brother in Virginia. This beautiful acknowledgment
of the services and worth of the First Vice-President of
the Memorial Association sank deep in the heart of this
patriotic mother, and before her own summons came to
join her soldier boys it gave her many an hour of peace
and comfort, for over and over she was heard to sigh:
''Dead, both my boys, but now they are sleeping side
by side."

Mrs. Phelan lived long enough, though, to see her
most cherished wishes realized; for during the first four
years this Association accomplished a work unparalleled
in history. The dead upon all the fields of battle were
properly interred; a monument and chapel in the ceme-
tery were completed; eight hundred graves were marked
with head-boards, and the beautiful Memorial Day
custom was firmly established. For the completing of
all objects many thousand dollars had been expended.
It was a glorious, marvelous record, a fit emblem of our
Southern womanhood.

Mrs. B. S. Bibb lived many useful, beautiful years
thereafter, leaving vacant through death the office of
President in 1887. For twenty-one years this lovely
woman was spared to the Association, accomplishing by

110

shining deeds undying fame on the roll ol time. She
lived long enough to know that in addition to all the
other work accomplished, the hands of Jefferson Davis,
once manacled for love of our dear cause, had placed
the corner-stone of our Confederate Monument on his-
toric ground. At this time the Monument on Capitol
Hill, the corner-stone of which President Davis came to
lay, at the urgent invitation of Mayor Eeese and the
Memorial Association, was near the hearts of the ladies.
Mrs. Bibb was deeply interested and had made the
first donation towards the movement. Though ill
at the time and unable to attend the ceremonies in
person, her ear was attuned to every sound, and
the booming of the cannon and the quickening of
her own heart told her that all was well on Capitol
Hill. So also a few months later did her sorrowing
friends know that all was well with her beautiful soul.
Her daughter, Mrs. Martha D. Bibb, was made Presi -
dent in her stead January 14th, 1S87, at a meeting held
at the home of Judge and Mrs. Clopton, and with unre-
mitting labors and patriotic devotion she has worn the
mantle of her sainted mother.

During Mrs. Bibb's term of mourning, Mrs. Clifford A.
Lanier* was chosen by the Association as acting Presi-

*Mrs. Wilhelmiua Clopton Lauier, who served as President
pro teui. immediately after the death of Mrs. Sophia Bibb,
while Mrs. M, D. Bibb was iu deep sorrow, is a native of
Tuskegee, Ala., and is the daughter of Hon. David and Martha
(Ligon) Clopton, sister of the late Governor R. F. Ligou, of this
city. Her father was most honorably identified with the history
of this State. He had been elected to the United States Con-
gress, iu a memorable canvags, just preceding the war. He
retired from tliat body, with his fellows, on the secession of
the States, and became a soldier. He afterwards was in the
Confederate (-oiigress. After the war he removed to Montgom-
ery and was an able jurist on the bench of the State Supreme
Court. Mrs. Lauier has served the beloved cause of the Ala-

Ill

dent and served with that ability and grace for which
she is so justly famed. Under her administration a
brilliant Bazaar was held, netting to the Association
$2,027.70, with an additional $125 sent throngh Mrs.
E. A. McClellan, from the patriotic women of Lime-
stone county.

This was the first entertainment given by the ladies
for the benefit of the monument after the laying of the
corner stone, and realized more than any since the first
May Day Festival. Much of the success of this Bazaar
was due to the skillful management and magnetic influ-
ence of Mrs. Tennent Lomax,* who was made chairman
of the Bazaar.

bama Division, U. D. C. as President of the Cradle of Confed-
eracy Chapter, and has always been prominent in the move-
ment to preserve to Southern history the First Wliite House of
tlie Confederacy. iShe is the wife of Mr. Cliflbrd A. Lanier, a
talented writer and poet, of this city, and a brave Confederate
soldier, who fought side by side with liis brother — tlie Booth's
famous poet, soldier and musician — the beloved, lamented Sid-
ney Lanier.

*Mrs. Carrie A. Lomax was bom in Clinton, Jones county,
Georgia, on March 17, 1825, being the daughter of James Bil-
lingslea and Elizabeth (Slatter) Millingslea. On her mother's
side she is a descendant of a soldier of the war of the Revolu-
tion. In 1848 she w^as married to Reuben C. Shorter, Esq., of
Eufaula, Ala., Mr. Shorter being a brother of Governor John
Gill Shorter and of Messrs. Eli S. and Plenry R. Shorter, all
distinguished in the history of Alabama. Mr. Shorter came to
Montgomery with his bride and entered upon the practice of
law. He lived but five years after his marriage and left his
young wife a widow with tw'o sons. In 1857 she became the
wife of the then Captain (afterwards Brigadier-General) Teu-
nent Lomax, at the time owner and editor of the Columbus,
Ga., Times and Sentinel and before that time a Captain in the
Mexican War. Shortly after their marriage they removed to
Montgomery. At the outbreak of the war between tlie States be
entered the amiy and in 1862 he was killed in battle at the head
of the famous Third Alabama, of which he was Colonel, with
his commission as a Brigadier-General in his pocket. Since
his death Mrs. Lomax has continued to reside in her tine old-
time mansion — her home for more than fifty years — one of the

112

It was the desire of the ladies to have Mr. Davis
again present to open this brilliant Bazaar, but his
already recent visit coupled with other obstacles pre-
vented. The following letter from Mrs. Clifford Lanier,
the President pro tern, of the Memorial Association, will
show how earnestly the State hoped for another oppor-
tunity of welcoming their hero chieftain and his noble
family.

Montgomery, Ala., Feb. 2, 1887.
Hon. Jefferson Davis :

Dear Sir — The Ladies' Memorial Associatiou of Montgomery
endeavor to again charm you from your dignified retreat. On
Monday, February 7th, we propose to open a Bazaar, the laud-
able purpose of which is to increase the funds for the Monu-
ment to our Dead. The Women of the South can never sepa-
rate their eflbrts in this direction from the noble figure about
whom all our recollections cling. So we earnestly hope that
your time aud health may lend you to us for this second week
of February. I am authorized to say that Mr. Cecil Gabbett,
our railway Superintendent, will put a special car at your dis-
posal, aud that the hospitality of the home of our Mayor, Col.
Warren Reese, is cordially offered to Mrs. Davis, Miss Winnie
and yourself.

Mrs. M. D. Bibb, who has been selected President of our
Associatiou, as successor to her lamented mother, joins us in
renewed assurances of our earnest wish for j'our acceptance of
our invitation. Very respectfully,

Mrs. Clifford Lanier,

Pres. Pro Tem.

proud landmarks of the city. Here, beloved for her gentle
nature, deeds of lovmg kindness, aud her broad and catholic
views, gently guarded by her devoted and brilliant sou, Hon.
Tenneut Lomax, she still lives, as modestly unconscious of her
distinguished position in Alabama's capital as if she were the
humblest being within its gates. Until her feeble health re-
strained her, Mrs. Lomax was one of tbe controlling working
spirits of the Court Street M. E. Church, of which she is a loyal
member. She is also a charter member of the Memorial Asso-
ciation and a faithful "Daughter of the Confederacy."

113

Many brilliant amateur j)erformauces, concertos, etc.,
have been given for the Memorial Association, but a list
of these and of those taking part in all memorial work
since 1870 would of itself make a book. Besides, the
work of the Association since that time is all too fresh
in the minds of the public to need the light of historic
comment.

Through many loug years of labor and love by the
brave women of the Association, anil under the able
administration of Mrs. M. D. Bibb, the monument on
Capitol Hill was completed. This monument was begun
by the Alabama Soldiers' Monument Association of
1885, the incorporators being Governor E. A. O'l^^eal,
"VV. S. Eeese, W. L. Bragg, Josiah Morris, William B.
Jones, W. W. Screws, W. W. Allen, Jacob Greil, John
W. A. Sanford, H. A. Herbert, J. B. Gaston, Thomas
G. Jones, H. C. Tompkins, J. H. Higgius, D. S. Rice,
T. J. Eutledge; Chairman, W. S. Eeese; Secretary of the
Board of Incorporators, T. J. Eutledge. In 1886, soon
after the laying of the corner stone by Mr. Davis, the
Monument Association turned over its effects to the
Memorial Association and it was by the ladies com-
pleted and unveiled on December 7th, 1898.

Those who were on the programme as active partici-
pants in the historic scene when the monument was
unveiled, were as follows :

Col. Wm. J. Samford, afterward Governor of the
State, was Chairman of the proceedings. Eev. Geo.
B. Eager, D. D., was Chaplain. Judge Thos. G. Jones
delivered the oration of the day. Four special tributes
were paid to the four arms of the service; to the Infantry
by Gen. Jno. W. A. Sanford; to the Artillery by Capt.
B. H. Screws; to the K^avy by Col. H. A. Herbert,
Ex-Secretary of the Navy of the United States; to the

114

Cavalry by Col. Jefferson M. Falkner. After each of
these tributes a young lady unveiled the statue erected
to that particular branch of the service and recited the
inscription on the monument under the figure. These
young ladies were: for the Infantry, Miss C. T. Eaoul;
for the Artillery, Miss Lena Hausman; for the Marines,
Miss Janie Eddins Watts; for the Cavalry, Miss Laura
Elmore.

At the close of these ceremonies Col. A. A. Wiley,
acting for Mayor Clisby of Montgomery, and on behalf
of the Ladies' Memorial Association, presented the
monument to the State. It was accepted bj^ Mr. Chap-
pell Cory, Private Secretary to the Governor, and acting
for Governor Johnston.

Miss Sadie Robinson, unfolding a beautiful Confed-
erate flag, recited the "Conquered Banner," and a
tableaux was enacted by thirteen young ladies, each
representing one of the thirteen Southern States, as fol-
lows: South Carolina, Miss Jean Craik; Mississippi,
Miss Maggie Crommelin; Florida, Miss Joscelyn Fisher
Ockenden; Alabama, Miss Rebecca Pollard; Georgia,
Miss Katie Burch; Louisiana, Miss Sarah H. Jones;
Texas, Miss Mattie Thorington; Virginia, Miss Caroline
Hannon; Arkansas, Miss Mamie Holt; North Carolina,
Miss Eliza Aldington; Tennessee, Miss Mattie Gilmer
Bibb; Missouri, Miss Alabama Brown; Kentucky, Miss
Martha E. Bibb.

Miss Annie Gorman rendered the songs of the occasion,
"Dixie" and "Bonnie Blue Flag." Several airs were
rendered by the Powell Quartette, and Courtney's 2nd
Regiment Band furnished the music.

Side by side with the work of the Association still
goes on the beautiful custom of decking annually the
soldiers' graves.

115

Year after year the flowers are brought to the hospit-
able home of Mrs. J. C. Lee,* as they have been alwaj^s
since the death of Mrs. Baldwin — whose home was first
the resting place of those April blossoms. Here, with
Mrs. Lee, the undaunted still meet and twine the
wreaths of to-day as they twined the wreaths of thirty-
six years ago. The flowers are as lovely as the flowers

*One of the most zealous and unselfish members of the Ladies'
Memorial Association of Montgomery is Mrs. John C. Lee.
She united with the organization in the spring of 1868, imme-
diately on her arrival in the city, and for thirty-five years she
has been devoted to its noble work. Mrs. Lee is a native of
Abbeville District, S. C. Her father was Dr. Graves, a cultured
gentleman of worth and a grandson of Samuel (Heady Money)
Scott, who gave his time and means to the Revolutionary
cause. Her mother, Harriet Lomax, was descended from the
Lomax, Tennent and Middleton families, each of whom con-
tributed to the success of the causae of the (Joloni.sts in the War
of the Revolution. At the outbreak of the war, Mrs. Lee and
her husband resided in Louisville, LaFayette Co., Ark. This
county lay along the Red River and was considered the Nile of
the West. The country was filled with many wealthy planters
and the sentiment was* largely on the side of the ISorth. In
the town there were only five men who stood up for Southern
principles and secession. When Lincoln's proclamation, with
its famous phrase, "Rebels to your homes," was received there,
the leaders of the Union party prepared a large national flag,
which they floated to the breeze. On seeing this, the small
but determined body of Southern sympathizers appealed to
their wives to assist them in preparing a Southern flag. Mrs.
Lee at once took the lead in the matter and calling to her aid
Mrs, M. B. Welborn, now of Montgomery, and Mrs. Marshall,
now of Camden, Ark., they soon, with their own hands, made
a beautiful flag, on one side of which was rei)reseuted the coat-
of-arms of Arkansas, and on the other the words, "States'
Rights Forever." In making this flag the ladies were com-
pelled to cut up fine and expensive silk dresses. Mrs. Lee
continued here during the entire struggle and when war's loud
alarums were heard on the borders of LaFayette county, she
threw open her home to the soldiers. She and her husband
nobly devoted themselves to the alleviation of suflering and no
service was too hard for them. War over, all she had swept
away, life to begin anew, they came to Montgomery. Mrs. Lee
is noted for her charities, her greatness of heart, and her good
offices to the needy and helpless. Her husband. Dr. J. C. Lee,
was a relative of the great Captain, Robert E. Lee.

116

of old, the wreaths of laurel are the same sheen of
brouze and green, the beautiful aentinaent is ever as
fresh as then — only the hands which wrought are chang-
ing— for many, so many have been folded in rest. But
neither time nor change shall ever dim the ardor of the
daughters and grand -daughters of those mothers of
eighteen hundred and sixty-six.

The officers who have in honoring so noble and his-
toric an association honored themselves and their chil-
dren's children for generations yet unborn, are as fol-
lows: Presidents — Mrs. Sophia Bibb, Mrs. M. D. Bibb;
President pro tern, Mrs. Clifford Lanier; Vice-Presi-
dents— Mrs. John D. Phelan, Mrs. Wm. O. Baldwin,
Mrs. John A. Elmore, Mrs. J. C. Hausman; Vice-Presi-
dent pro tem, Mrs. Wm, Ware;* Secretaries — Mrs.
Wm. O. Baldwin, Mrs. Virginia Hilliard, Miss Bettie
Bell, Miss Mamie Graham, Mrs. Eosa Gardner, Miss
Jennie Cromme]in,f Mrs. I. M. P. Ockenden; Secretary

*From the minutes of 1879, of April 1st, we read : "Mrs. Wm.
Piekett was nominated for Vice-President." From the minutes
of Tuesday, 8th, 1879: "Mrs. Pickett declined. Mrs, Hausmau
was put in nomination and elected, but declined for this year ;
and Mrs. Wm. Ware w;).s nominated for Vice-President pro
tem. and kindly consented to act in conjunction with her duties
as Treasurer." Mrs, Wm, Ware was one of the most zealous
and faithful workers of the Association in those dark days,
never murmuring, though often times performing the office of
two. She was al'^o a faithful attendant at the sewing circles
and hospitals. The sympathies of a large circle of friends go
out to her now in the recent loss of her husband, Col, Wm.
Ware, who was a gallant soldier of the Confederate army.

tMisB Jennie Crommelin is the third Secretary who has
passed over the river to "rest under the shade of the trees,"
and deserves honorable mention in connection with the naonu-
jiient on Capitol Hill, None was truer or more faithful to a
cause which she loved, not only for the cause's sake, but for the
sake of her noble brothers and kindred who fought to uphold
its principles. The day was never so dark nor the rain so heavy
as to keep her from her post of duty when, with anxious hearts,
the ladies of the Memorial Association were pleading Avith the

117

of Committee for Proper Application of Fimdw — Dr.
S. K. Cox; Treasurers — Mrs. Haunon, Mrs. Wm. "Ware,
Mrs. Geo. Holmes, Miss Jennie R. Crommelin, Mrs.
I. M. P. Ockenden.* All of the original officers have
been dead for many years. Of the original Executive
Committee there are now living only two: Mrs. Mount,
who resides in Baltimore, and. Mrs. James A. Ware, of
Montgomery. Of the Nominating Committee of April
16, 1866, only one now survives, Mrs. Wm. Johnston, of
this city. All members of these committees, which have
been before given, were earnest workers in the sewing-
circles and the hospitals. Although Mrs. Wm. John-
ston during the war was ten miles in the country, at
her plantation near McGehee's Switch, her spacious
home was the happy refuge of convalescent soldiers, and
her household was ever busy with needles and knitting
needles.

No officer of the Memorial Association has ever been
changed except through resignation or death. The
present officers who were elected last month, March,
1902, are : President, Mrs. M. D. Bibb; First Vice-
President, Mrs. J. C. Lee; Secretary, Mrs. I. M. P,
Ockenden; Assistant Secretary, Miss Joscelyn Ock en-
den; Treasurer, Mrs. G. R. Doran. The Executive
Committee for this term has not yet been formed.

So far as can be ascertained, the following is the list
of charter members, most of whom were present at the

Legislature for funds to complete the monument on Capitol
Hill. That she did not live to see the unveiling was a deep
sorrow to her loving co-workers — though doubtless from the
blue above she smiled upon that scene below.

*The office of Secretary and Treasurer was for many years
combined. At the last election, however, March, 1902, the
office of Treasurer was again taken, and that of Assissant Sec-
retary added.

118

memorable initial meeting at Court Street Methodist
Church April 16th, 1866: Mesdames B. S. Bibb, J. D.
Phelau, W. O. Baldwin, E. C. Hanuon, Samuel Eambo,
John Elmore, Wm. Pollard, Dr. Wilson, W. J. Bibb,
G. L. Mount, C. J. Hausman, F. Bugbee, W. B. Bell,
Fort Hargrove, James Ware, Beuj. Fitzpatrick, T. H.
Walts, W. W. Allen, J. Clanton, Holtzclaw, John Gin-
drat. Jack Thorington, J. B. Bibb, Warren 8. Eeese,
T. Lomax, Virgil Murphy, W. C. Bibb, Geo. Gold-
thwaite, Samuel Eice, T. J. Judge, F. M. Gilmer, Sam'l
Jones, Carnot Bellinger, W. C. Jackson, S. Holt, G. W.
Petrie, E. A. Semple, J. W. Keyes, Hill, Thos. Taylor,
Eliza Moore, Eliza Ponder, Leon Wyman, Wm. John-
ston, Jno. Whiting, Benj. Micou, Amanda Snodgrass,
Eliza Brown, J. Cox, Dan Cram, S. E. Hutchison,
J. DuBose Bibb, A. Gerald, Sam'l Eeid, Lou McCants,
Jas. Terry, Henry Weil, Sarah Herron, Henry Lee, Gal-
latin McGehee, Sam Marks, Virginia Hilliard, Wm. L.
Yancey, Geo. E. Dorau, S. P. Hardaway, Jas. Stewart,
P. H. Gayle, Eichard Goldthwaite, Tucker Sayre, Wm.
Eay, A. Strassburger, John Cobbs, Wm. Ware, M. A.
Baldwin, Misses Mary Phelan, Louisa Bibb, Priscilla
Phelan, Bettie Bell, Ida E. Eice, Sallie Baldwin, Annie
Goldthwaite.

CHAPTER IX.

As seems to be the case in all similar organizations,
there has been for many years much discussion as to
who first originated the idea of Memorial Day. This is
still a mooted question. For many years friends claimed
the honor for Mrs. Mary Anne Williams, who wrote the
beautiful letter from Columbus, Ga., March 12th, 1866,
quoted in full on a preceding page.

Later it was held by some that Mrs. Lizzie Euther-
ford Ellis, also of Columbus, Ga., originated the idea.
Finally the friends of both thoroughly investigated the
subject; aflEidavits by ladies who were co-laborers with
these two patriotic women were sworn out, and the
results published, giving the credit to Mrs. Lizzie Euth-
erford Ellis for the origin of the suggestion, but acknowl-
edging the great services of Mrs. Williams, the author
of the letter.

In 1898, on the 26th of April, there was a grand cel-
ebration of the origin of Memorial Day in Columbus,
Ga. During that time the Memorial Association of that
city took occasion to settle authoritatively the question.
The whole occasion was made one of unusual interest.
Mr. Henry E. Goetchius was orator of the day, and all
the military participated with great pomj) and ceremony,
while part of the program consisted of the reading of
the history of Memorial Day. The following on the
subject is taken from the Columbus Enquirer-Sun of
April 27th, 1898 :

120

"A History of the Origin of Memorial Day.

(Preseuted to the Lizzie Rutherford Chapter of the Daughters
of the Confederacy by the Ladies' Memorial AsBociation
of Columbus, Ga.)

"Resolved by the Ladies of the Memorial Association of Co-
lumbus, Ga., That the following statement, together with the
affidavits of Mrs. William G. Woolfolk, Mrs. Clara M. Dexter
and Mrs, Jane E. Martin, is a true account of the origin of
Memorial Day as first originated in this city.

Resolved further. That this resolution and said statement
and affidavits be recorded upon the minutes of this Association
as a record thereof.

Adopted. A. L. Garrard,

Jane E. Martin, Secretary. President.

April 2oth, 1898.

"Inasmuch as the Columbus Chapter of Daughters of the
Confederacy have chosen this day for the naming of their
Chapter, 'Lizzie Rutherford,' we, the Memorial Association of
Columbus, wish not only to keep alive the memory of one of
our purest, most unselfish, devoted Confederate women, but to
make this Memorial Day for all time among us a double Memo-
rial Day. We pause in tearful tenderness to read the simple
inscription of her headstone, in Howard lot, at Linuwood cem-
etery in this city :

'The Soldier's Friend

Lizzie Rutherford Ellis.

She hath done what she could. — Mark xiv. 8.

A loving tribute to our co-worker,

Mrs. Lizzie Rutherford Ellis.

In her patriotic heart sprang the thought of our

Memorial Day.'

"In ihe same lot, only a few feet away, on the head-stone of
Mrs. Chas. J, Williams, we pause again to read :

'Mrs. Charles J. Williams.

In loving recognition of her memorial work,

by her co-workers.'

"The history of Memorial Day has become a prominent feature
of the history of the South, and before all shall have passed away
of the little baud who organized it, we have endeavored to get
the facts before they become tradition. The affidavits of Mrs.

121

Wm. G. Woolfolk, Mrs. C. M. Dexter aud Mrs. JaneE. Ware-
Martin have beeu obtained and are hereto attached, and from
them aud a copy of the original letter of Mrs. Mary Anne Wil-
liams, and a letter from Mrs, Mary R. Jones, we learn that in
January, 1866, Mrs. Jane Martin was visiting Columbus, One
afternoon Miss Liizzie Rutherford called and asked her to
accompany her to the cemetery— now Linnwood Cemetery— to
join some other ladies in looking after the graves of the soldiers
who had died in Columbus hospitals, and been buried under
the direction of the Aid Society ; that they went and assisted
the ladies, and returning to Columbus alone, were discussing
the work they had been doing. Miss Lizzie Rutherford re-
marked she had been reading the "Initials" and thought the
idea of setting apart a special day for decorating the graves such
a beautiful one, that it occurred to her it would be a good idea
for the Aid Society to organize as a society for the purpose of
adopting a custom of this kind, and set apart a particular day
for decorating and caring for the soldiers' graves. Meeting
Mrs. John A. Jones, Mrs. Martin suggested to Miss Rutherford
to speak to her about it. as she was a member of the Aid Soci-
ety, which she did. Mrs. Jones concurred with her, and sug-
gested that she speak to Mrs. Robert Carter, President of the
Aid Society. Miss Rutherford stated that as Secretary of the
Aid Society she had to call a meeting of the Society for the
purpose of disposing of certain personal property belonging to
the Society, and thought that it would be the best time to
bring the matter up. The meeting was subsequently called
and met at Mrs. John Tyler's (now corner Fourth avenue and
Fourteenth street, in this city). The ladies present Mrs. Robt.
Carter, Mrs. R. A. Ware, Mrs. William Woolfolk, Mrs. Clara
M. Dexter, Mrs. J. M. McAlister and Mrs. Charles J.Williams.
Miss Lizzie Rutherford was not present at the meeting, as she
was suddenly called to Montgomery to the bedside of a dying
relative. Her resolution was oflered by one of her friends and
unanimously adopted, aud the Ladies' Memorial Association
was organized. The officers elected were Mrs. Robert Carter,
President; Mrs. Robert A. Ware, Vice President; Mrs. J. M.
McAlister, Second Vice President; Mrs. M. A. Patterson, Treas-
urer; Mrs, Charles J. WUJiams, Secretary. No day was deter-
mined on at the meeting, but after Miss Lizzie Rutherford

122

returned to Columbus, when she and other members were
working at the cemetery and discussing the best day, she sug-
gested April 26th, which was adopted; and Mrs. Williams,
as Secretary, was requested to write to the different Societies
throughout the South, asking them to unite in making it a
universal custom. Her beautiful letter speaks for itself. How
well the work was done has been attested each year. We hope
that every Southern woman will teach the young of the South
not only to reverence the memory of the soldiers who have
died for us, but we especially beg the women of Columbus to
instill into the hearts of their children reverence for the soldier
and reverence for the women of the Memorial Association who
inaugurated this beautiful custom.

The Aid Society, sometimes called the Soldiers' Friend Soci-
ety, referred to in this statement, was an organization com-
posed of the ladies of Columbus, and it was organized in 1861,
for the purpose of caring for the sick and wounded soldiers
during the war. Its first President was Mrs. Absalom H. Chap-
pell,* and she having resigned, Mrs. Robert Carter was selected

*The Columbus Enquirer-Sun heads this article with a pic-
ture of Mrs. Absalom Harris Chappell, the first President of
the first Soldiers' Aid Society in Columbus, which became the
celebrated Memorial Day Association of the South. INIrs. Absa-
lom H. Chappell was a sister of General Mirabeau B. Lamar,
President of the Republic of Texas, and aunt of L. Q,. C. Lamar
of Mississippi. In 1842 she married Absalom Harris Chappell,
who, to quote history, was "an eminent statesman and lawj-er of
Georgia, a ripe scholar, polished writer and matchless orator."
Hon. Absalom H. Chappell was the great uncle of Mr. Chappell
Cory, of this city. At the present moment, when Mary John-
ston's novel, "Audrey," is so absorbing the public, it is inter-
esting locally to note that Thomas Chappell, the ancestor of
this family in America, owned large tracts of laud as early as
1634 on the James River, directly opposite the historic West-
over, where, in 1737, Colonel William Byrd built the present
Westover mansion, the home of the beautiful sad-fated Evelyn
Byrd. At the famous Merchants' Hope Church, which still
stands to-day on CJhappell's Creek as it stood a century and a
half ago, rich yet with the gifts of good Queen Anne, the
descendants of Thomas Chappell worshiped for seventy-one
years before the Byrds built Westover. The fact that Mrs.
Frank P. Glass of this city is a descendant of Colonel W. Byrd
is of further local interest. Though that which brings us nearer
yet to this historic spot is that Capt. Wm. M. Selden, ofthe
State Agricultural Department, was born in Westover Man-

123

President. At the close of the war betweeu the States the
Aid Society, having no further duties to perform (Mrs. Carter
still being President and Miss Yjizzie Rutherford Secretary),
was merged into the Memorial Association of Columbus, and
this took place at the meeting called at the residence of Mrs.
Tyler, in 1866, as referred to in the foregoing statement. The
ladies present at the meeting were members of the Aid Society,
and they, with the other members of the Aid Society, consti-
tuted the first memorial Association of Columbus."

Attached to this were the affidavits of Mrs. Jaue E.
Ware-Martin, Mrs. William G. Woolfolk and Mrs. Clara
M. Dexter, stating substantiallj'^ what was contained in
the above statement. The two ladies so closely
connected with the orgin of this day lie almost side
by side. They died within two years of each other,
Mrs. Ellis preceding Mrs. Williams to that beautiful
land where honors matter not, save the stars in the
crowns of the righteous. Since the chronicling of the
above from the Columbus Enquirer-Sun, the Lizzie
Rutherford Chapter has placed a beautiful marble slab
and urn to the memory of Mrs. Ellis. The unveiling of
this memorial was a most impressive and important
event, taking place during the annual session of the
United Daughters of the Confederacy of Georgia, in
October, 1901.

Three years ago the Memorial Associations of the South

sion, his father having owned the place for fifty years, as well
as large tracts of land on the south side of the James River,
along Chappell's Creek. At this time, too, when the demon of
doubt would argue us out of our belief in the greatest dramatist
of the world, the knowledge that Richard Quine.y, who owned
the land on which Merchants' Hope Church now stands, was
a brother of Thomas Quiney of London, who iu 161G married
Judith, youngest daughter of William Shakespeare, dispels
somewhat the mists and makes the great poet seem very real
and very near. After all, the world is not so old, nor yet so
wide! — [Vide History of Chappell and Dickie families, by Phil
E. Chappell.]

124

confederated and meet now annually at the Confederate
Eeunions. Two years ago, at the Memphis Reunion,
Bishop Gailor, in his Memorial Address to the Associa-
tions there assembled, claimed the honor of the origin
of Memorial Day for Miss Sue Adams, of Jackson, Miss.
He said, in part :

"The Cou federate Southern Memorial Association is the old-
est and the most sacred society of women that has been organ-
ized since the Civil War. To it we owe the institution of Mem-
orial Day, which is now recognized throughout this country.
It was a Southern woman, Miss Sue Adams, who, in the city
of Jackson, Miss., on April 26, 18G5, almost immediately after
the surrender of General Lee, first decorated the graves of the
fallen soldiers, and to her eternal honor, be it said, she placed
the wreaths upon the graves of friend and foe alike, and this
was the first time that Federal graves in a Southern State
received a floral offering and ihat offering of tender sympathy
came from a Southern woman. Three years after that, JNIay
30, 1868, General Logan's order made the day perpetual, but
the earlier and more beautiful incident should never be for-
gotten."

At the same reunion, Samuel E, Lewis, not knowing of
Bishop Gailor's reference to Miss Sue Adams, of Missis-
sippi, wrote the following letter on the subject to the
Memphis Commercial- Appeal :

There have been so many statements of late by prominent
persons regarding the origin of Memorial Day, or Decoration
Day, that fail somewhat in historic accuracy, that I am prompt-
ed in friendly spirit to make mention of what is said to have
been the origiD of that day in the South; but before so doing,
beg leave to refer to the following :

At the unveiling ceremonies of the Logan statue, April 9,
1901, Senator Depew said in his address : "Long after the lead-
ers of the civil strife on either side are forgotten, Logan's mem-
ory will remain green because of the beautiful memorial service
which he originated, and which now in every part of our
reunited land sets aside one day in the year as a national hoi-

125

iday in order that the graves of the gallant dead, both on the
Federal and Confederate side may be decorated with flowers.
It is no longer confined to the soldiers of the Civil War, but
continued to those of our latest struggle. The ceremony will
exist and be actively participated in while posterity remains
proud of heroic ancestors and of their achievements, and our
country venerates the patriotism and the courage of those who
died for its preservation or its honor."

And in the recent order of Commander Israel W. Stone of
the Department of the Potomac, G. A. R,, he says : "Thirty-
three years ago the beautiful ceremony of strewing flowers and
holding solemn services over the graves of our departed cona-
rades was first ordered by that peerless General, John A. Logan,
then Commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic."

And in the Evening Star of the 18th inst., appears the fol-
lowing quotation from Commander Stone's order of the 17th :
"Memorial Day is an institution of the Grand Army of the
Republic. The consecration of the 30th of May as a national
day, dedicated to the oflfering of loving tribute to the memory
of the devoted men who gave their lives to their country, was
obtained by and accorded to the Grand Army of the Republic,
I feel that other military organizations should not, by separate
services, detract from the magnitude and impressiveness of
the ceremonies of the Grand Army of the Republic on this
day."

The above are fair examples of the statements to which I
have referred.

In behalf of the ladies of the South, and especially of the
Lizzie Rutherford Chapter, Columbus, Ga., I beg leave to sub-
mit the following statement from page 17 of a volume entitled
"Memorial Day," being a hiistory of the origin of "Memorial
Day," printed in Columbus, Ga., 1898, and which is to be
found in the Library of Congress.

It contains the affidavits of Mrs. Wm. G. Woolfolk, Mrs.
C. M. Dexter and Mrs. Jane E. Ware Martin, which are con-
firmatory of the following extract from said page 17:

"In January, 1866, Mrs. Jane Martin was visiting Columbus,
Ga. One afternoon Miss Lizzie Rutherford called and asked
her to accompany her to the cemetery, now Linn wood cemetery,
to join some other ladies in looking after the graves of the sol-
diers who had died in Columbus hospitals and been buried

126

under the direction of the (Soldiers') Aid Society; that they
went and assisted the ladies, and returning to Columbus alone,
were discussing the work they had been doing, Miss Lizzie
Rutherford remarked, she had been reading the 'Initials,'
(By the Baroness Tautphoeus — chapter describing custom of
Roman Catholics (Germany) in decorating the graves of the
dead on All Saints' Day), and thought the idea of setting apart
a special day for decorating the graves such a beautiful one,
that it occurred to her it would be a good idea for the Aid
Society to organize as a society for the purpose of adopting a
custom of this kind and set apart a particular day for decorat-
ing and caring for the soldiers' graves. Meeting Mrs. John A.
Jones, Mrs. Martin suggested to Miss Rutherford to speak to
her about it, as she was a member of the Aid Society, which'
she did, and from this the Aid Society converted into the
'Ladies' Memorial Association,' and the anniversary of the
surrender of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, April 26, was chosen as
the day for holding the memorial services annually, and the
other societies in the South were requested to unite in making
it a universal custom."

In the orations and after-dinner speeches of Chauncey M.
Depew; Cassell Publishing Company, New York (Copyrighted,
1890); Chapter VIII: "Oration at the Academy of Music, New
York, on Decoration Day, Maj- 30, 1879," see page 137, I find
the following :

"When the war was over in the South, where, under warmer
skies and with more poetic temperaments, symbols and
emblems are better understood than in the practical North, the
widows, mothers, and children of the Confederate dead went
out and strewed their graves with flowers; at many places the
women scattered them impartially also over the unknown and
unmarked resting places of the Union soldiers. As the news of
this touching tribute flashed over the North, it roused, as noth-
ing else could have done, national amity and love, and allayed
sectional animosity and passion."

The foregoing references as to the Gen. Logan claims, and
the Lizzie Rutherford claims, are submitted in friendly way as
historical data, in no wise intended to detract from the credit
due Gen. Logan in inaugurating the day in the Grand Army
of the Republic in 1868; but giving proper credit to Miss Lizzie

127

Rutherford for the conception of the idea in January, 1866,
prompted by the reading of the German story referred to.

It is hoped that this communication will be accepted in the
friendly spirit in which it is written, and that it may bring out
other historical data regarding the care of soldiers dead, the
world over.

Samuel E. Lewis,
Commander Camp No. 1191 U. C. V.,
District of Columbia.

Thus it will be seen that after the public had fully
satisfied itself that Miss Lizzie Eutherford was the
originator of the beautiful memorial idea, in January,
1866, Bishop Gailor forever shatters our idols by show-
ing that Miss Sue Adams, of Jackson, Miss., inaugu-
rated the custom by placing on the graves of friend and
foe the wreaths and flowers of spring on April 26th,
1865. From all the data in hand it would seem that
the sublime act of Miss Adams in Mississippi was what
first attracted the attention of the North and suggested
their Decoration Day. Further South the custom seems
to have spruDg from the All Souls' Day idea suggested
by ''Initials" to Miss Lizzie Eutherford. It all tends
to prove a great truth which is sometimes unwittingly
passed over or forgotten: that the same beautiful thought
may oftentimes lie deep in many a crystal well-spring.

Be this as it may, the facts so far as Montgomery's
Memorial Association is concerned, are :

First. There was formed in Montgomery a Monu-
mental and Historical Association as early as ITovem-
ber, 1865, for the purpose of j>erpetuating the memory
of the Confederate Dead.

Second. That the letter of the ladies of Winchester,
Virginia, was the first to arouse Montgomery women's
interest in the proper burial of Alabama soldiers, the
first ladies taking upon themselves the burden of col-

128

lecting money for the purpose being Mrs. McGeliee and
Miss Goldthwaite (Mrs. Seibles), through whose instru-
mentality several hundred dollars vrere sent to Col. Roy,
State Agent, at Selma, more than a month before the
Memorial Association was formed. That the letter from
Virginia also awakened new interest in the Monumental
and Historical Association and caused to be formed its
active Executive Committee, which soon took stex>s
towards the proper burial of Alabama Dead and the
proper care of graves in our own cemetery.

Third. That the letter of Mrs. Mary Anne Williams,
embodying the memorial idea of Mrs. Lizzie Eutherford
Ellis, written on the 12th of March, 1866, was the first
to arouse the active energies of the suffering and patri-
otic women of Montgomeiy, who, on April 16th, 1866,
answered the appeal of Judge Phelan, Chairman of the
Executive Committee of the Monumental and Historical
Association, and formed the Memorial Association of
Montgomery, Ala.

Yet, when all is summed up and ''honor to whom
honor is due" shall be given to all those directly instru-
mental in forming this historic Association in Montgom-
ery, there is one name which should receive especial
and particular mention. He was the first Recording
Secretary of the Monumental and Historical Association,
taking soon after the double duty of Corresponding Sec-
retary, as well. He it was who wrote, daily, strong
editorials, news notes and appeals, calling on Alabama
to do her full duty. From November, 1865, until the
monument and headboards were completed, his clarion
notes resounded appealing to the ladies and battling for
them in brave and manly fashion. The name of this
brave soldier is Col. Joseph Hodgson, who, as the Sec-
retary and Corresponding Secretary of the Monumental

J 29

and Historical Society and Secretary of its Executive
Committee, vras naturally personally interested and
actively alert to every passing chance for promoting its
objects. In 1868, at the exercises on the 26th of April
— the third Memorial Day of the South and the first
since the completion of the cemetery monument and the
marking of the soldiers' graves with headboards — Col.
Hodgson was called on and made some prophetic and
beautiful remarks to the Memorial Association and cit-
izens there assembled.

The following is the notice of the proceedings in part,
taken from the Mail of April 27th, 1868:

"Memorial Day.

"Pursuant to notice to that effect, a large number of our citi-
zens of both sexes met at the Capitol grounds yesterday at 4
p. m. and proceeded thence to the cemetery reserved for the
Confederate dead. A large number of others had already col-
lected at the sanae point. Under the superintendence of Rev.
Dr. Cox, the Ladies' Memorial Association had put the grounds
in thorough order. The walks and graves were relieved of all
vestige of weeds. Neat headboards had been erected through-
out the cemetery, and a handsome little room in the center in
which to preserve a list of the names of the dead. A handsome
monument had also been erected, which measured twenty feet
from the base of the mound upon which it rested to the top of
the urn which surmounts it. It was one of the neatest and
most appropriate monuments we ever saw, reflecting much
credit upon the Association.

"Before decorating the graves with choicest flowers of spring,
a band of girls stood near the monument and sang a most
appropriate hymn. The scene was most beautiful and affect-
ing, worthy the memory of the heroes who slept in death
around them. Before the hymn was sung. Col. J. Hodgson,
by request, made a few remarks pertinent to the occasion. He
thanked the ladies, on behalf of the survivors of the war, for
the pious memorials ofTered in remembrance of their departed
brothers. He recalled the scenes through which they had

130

passed, etc. He extolled their valor. He hoped that the day
would yet dawn when a monument more imposing than this
may be erected to the patriots of the war for the Constitution
and look down upon a grateful and happy people from Capitol
Hill. That time he believed would as surely come as the day
when the victors will see that these graves cover the remains
of the victims who died for justice and freedom."

But before closing these pages there is one point in
connection with this Association worthy of more than
passing notice. The Ladies' Memorial Association of
Montgomery differed in one respect from all other asso-
ciations of its kind. In addition to the ceremonies of
the 26th at the cemetery, it held each year, on the first
day of May, the May Day Offering at the theatre.

The Secretary's report of 1876 chronicles this inter-
esting fact in connection with this custom:

"On motion pf the President, it was decided to do away with
the May Day Otr?ring heretofore given the first of May at the
theatre to raise funds for the Association."

Thus it will be seen that for ten long years, through
that most trying reconstruction period of poverty and
humiliation, this origiu?.l custom was preserved. Unique
and alone, this of itself is one of the most marvelous of
all records of that unflagging industry and devotion so
many a time written on the spotless page of Southern
womanhood.

Yet all the shining deeds of this historic Association,
from its formation ou that brilliant April morning in
the dark past down to the bright* to-day, make a lumin-
ous pathVvay by the river of Death. May coming gen-
erations, in treading the ''path their mothers trod," find
it ever and always a primrose way by the river of Life.

THE END.

/

"*%,,