Page:Confederate Veteran volume 01.djvu/22

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CONFEDERATE VETERAN.


The CONFEDERATE VETERAN. Fifty Cents a Year. S. A. CUNNINGHAM. Editor. Office at The American, Corner Church and Cherry Ste.


This publication is the personal property of S. A. Cunningham. Money paid for it does not augment the Monument Fund directly, but as an auxiliary its benefit certainly makes it eminently worthy the patronage of every friend of the cause.


    The CONFEDERATE VETERAN appears as an organ of all the brotherhood in the Southern States, and wherever else they may sojourn. It has for a leading object their complete organization into such enterprises as will promote their general welfare. It will merit the cooperation and favor of every survivor of the Confederate service. It rises for duty.
    First, it is committed to a cause that should and will illustrate the undying devotion of the living to the memories of their sacred dead. The misfortunes of the struggle through those awful years of privation and trial, wherein some blamed others for failures that at last proved fatal to all, are remembered now with the utmost commiseration, and not only have controversies between generals ceased, but every true man is devoted to all of his fellows, and all alike revere devoutly the memory of our Chieftain, whose intelligence and devotion to principle caused him to suffer without murmur to the end. Since Mr. Davis' death the sentiment has grown to erect a memorial to him at Richmond, where he is to be buried, at the request of his wife, and to make it typical of the Souths heroism and sacrifice.
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    THIS issue of the CONFEDERATE VETERAN will give a sort of out outline of what it may be expected to contain. Some practical requests are made of every reader who desires to aid it.
    First — Consider its circulation, solicit subscribers, and send the money. There are club rates, so any one can get it free who will procure five others with as many half dollars.
    Second — Suggest to business men who want to reach the best people everywhere South that they advertise. The rate is low. It is an excellent medium to make known the merits of Southern literature.
    Third — Please examine the lists of contributors to the monument and report any errors. Maybe you can have names added; suggest some kind of entertainment to aid it.

    Again, look to the reports of Confederate monuments and supply any omission and correct any error. It is intended to republish and revise until this feature becomes a matter of much interest.
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A REVISED LIST of the committees appointed by General Cabell for the States, etc., will be published February. It was not possible to get an accurate revision for this issue.

Richmond has shown a very patriotic spirit in regard to the Davis monument. Early in the action of Southern people upon the subject, resolutions were adopted favorable to liberal action regardless of where the monument may be located. A subscription fund was started there and about $4,000 raised. It is understood that the city will supply not less than $20,000, since the location has been given to Richmond.
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    IN the preparation of this first issue, under the serious disadvantage referred to elsewhere, it was decided to use a story of the battle of Franklin, under the heading, "Death of Gen. O. F. Strahl," as it was mainly in type, but there was not room enough in the space assigned, and these notes are given:
    The author of the article, who is the editor of the CONFEDERATE VETERAN, made a visit last Summer to Mrs. J. S. Sigler, near Hepler, Kansas, a favorite sister of Gen. Strahl, and learned, with much interest, details of the life of the General. Inquiry was made of Mrs. Sigler as to her theory of why her brother, an Ohioan, could have become so enlisted for the South as to fight to his valiant death in her cause. The following explanation was given: His grandfather, Philip Strahl, married Miss Mary Lee, of Virginia, a sister of Jonathan Lee. She was a loyal Southerner, and a slave-holder. His maternal grandmother was a Miss Anderson, of Baltimore. She, too, was a slave-holder
     The article as published on page 31 is a carefully prepared account of S. A. Cunningham's experience, and what he saw. It lacks to complete it, as originally published, the following:
     These personal recollections are all that I can give as the greater part of the battle was fought after nightfall, and once in the midst of it, with but the light of the flashing guns, I could see only what passed directly under my own eyes. True, the moon was shining; but the dense smoke and dust so filled the air as to weaken its benefits, like a heavy fog before the rising sun, only there was no promise of the fog disappearing. Our spirits were crushed. It was indeed the Valley of Death.
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    AN earnest plea is made to every person who is friendly to this enterprise to do as quickly as practicable what is merited. Write to correct errors in names of contributors and amounts immediately. If you like the publication and intend to subscribe, do so as speedily as possible. If you want to procure other subscribers, please attend to it right away. It is intended to furnish as complete list of Confederate monuments as it is possible to procure, giving description and cost, and pictures occasionally. Please help in this. It is also intended to give as full accounts as possible of Confederate Homes.