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 ORATION 
 
 HRONcaNCED BY 
 
 Col. Charles C. Jones, Jr. 
 
 ON THE 3lsT OCTOBER. 1878. 
 
 UPON THE |"^^{^^sION np tuf. 
 
 Unveiling and Dedication 
 
 OF 1' H E 
 
 '»7 
 
 ERECTED BY THE 
 
 IN BROAD STREET. 
 IN THE CITY Ol" AUGUSTA. GEORGIA. 
 
 '*A forted residence '«:ainst the tooth <j, 
 .\n& rasure of oblivion." 
 
 i 
 
 A I'l'-iiP'iiit Iroiii tlic .VuL'u^ta ■'Kvcning .Senfiiicl" of Oclittier HI, 1 
 

O Pv A T I O N 
 
 The reverberafcions of the thunders of 
 
 ooDtenuing arraies had Fcarcely been 
 hushed withiii our borders, and the 
 blood of our prtcious dead cefistd to in- 
 <5arGadiiie thy laod for ■P^h-'^e refeaiiosi 
 they bad wrestled so bravely but in vain, 
 \7hea it entered into the hearts of noble 
 women in our city to erect a monumeut 
 in honor of the Lost Cause, in memory 
 of th." g-Jlant soldiers from thi?' county 
 who had peri'=ihed duricg the Confeder- 
 ate 3truggl3 for independence. 
 
 It w«s a holy purpose; the logical se- 
 quence of that love, eympafby, 8Plf-de- 
 nia^, encouragement and devotion which, 
 exhibited Jjy mother, wife, sister, 
 daughter, daring the progress of the 
 revolution, had, in manly breasts, in- 
 a^sirt d hopes the mosS. exalted, stimn- 
 lated patriotism the pureet, and prompt- 
 ted action the most heroic. 
 
 It was a Vjrave resolve, for the entire 
 region was filled with mourninp^, Hope 
 had tied, and espeetation perithed. Es- 
 tablished institutions had been ruthless- 
 ly overturned, and the pleasure of the 
 Conqueror was the supreme law. Sor- 
 row, penurv, disappointment and ashvs 
 were the common heritage; and, in the 
 general gloom which encompassed alJ, 
 there shone not a single star of substan- 
 tial promise. 
 
 Surely none, save the loyal women of 
 our own SouthlaBd, were qualified for 
 such an effort. Intent upon the ac- 
 complisuineuc of their generous mission, 
 with such zeal did they pnoeeeute their 
 pious laborp.that in the t'ri'Jnet^Ei of time, 
 deep in the bosom of this our mother 
 earth, and in the presence of a grateful 
 people were securely laid the founda- 
 tions of the monument whose comple 
 tion we this dn^^ cele' rate. 
 
 On that memorable occasion, by one* 
 in whoa are happily blended the cour- 
 age and capacity of a military leader, 
 the pnriiy and devoiioa of a minister of 
 the Most High God, the eloquence of 
 an orator, and the catholic spirit of a 
 true citizen, were uttered words of con- 
 gratulation, dignity and manhood, which 
 far and near were welcomed and ap- 
 
 'Revereod-General Clement A. Evane. 
 
 plauded. Three years have elapsed 
 since those imposing eereiaoniea were 
 observed. The labors of these erood 
 women are now ended. Their efforts 
 have bePu ciowued with oomplele bua- 
 cees. Wrought by siiilled hands from 
 out the marble womb of those classic 
 hills which, overlooking the beautiful 
 bay of Qeooa, have, tor more than 
 eighteen ccnturie;;, furnished their ptire 
 material for the art trophies of many 
 nations, the blocks which compose this 
 monument, safely transported across 
 kindly seas, and apt'y j 'ined to- 
 together, now rise before onr admiring 
 gaze in comely shape acd realistic beau- 
 ty, the pride of Augusta, and the cyno- 
 sure of every Confederate eye. 
 
 Hither are v/o come, with all the pomp 
 and circumstance at command, with 
 united voice to congratulate the ladies 
 of the Memorial Apsociation upon the 
 consummation of this blessed work; 
 to tender the cordial thanks not only of 
 this entire community and State, but 
 also of all whose hearts are loyal to the 
 impulses, aims, and rights cherished by 
 the South and stcrnl^ bittl'd for in 
 the war between the States, for this 
 sightly cenotaph, the off.^pring of their 
 energy, sympathy and love, and to as- 
 sure them that mitdful of their exhor- 
 tations, examplep, prayers, sacrifices, 
 and angelic mioistrations when death 
 and desolation stalked lik'^ all dtvour- 
 iug demons through our war-eojiVulaad 
 laud, and revereocing the sentiments 
 which animated their pure bosoms in 
 this illustrious behalf, we will cultivate 
 the virtuep, guard the prirclples, emu- 
 late the charasters, and observe Vbe les- 
 sons which this their priceless gift is 
 desigoed to inculcate, commemorate, and 
 perpetuate. 
 
 With rapturous joy do we hail the 
 dedication of this goodly monument. 
 With kindliog hearts do we retipiud to 
 the inspirations and the mediories 
 which its presence bespeaks. We glory 
 in the rectitude of the cause, and exult 
 in the valor of the men symbolized by 
 its towering form and martidl outlines. 
 
In open day, and ia the face of the 
 world, we here protest that eo far from 
 bsing " rfbele against legitimate au- 
 thority and traitors to their country, " 
 our Confederate Dead were '* lovers of 
 liberty, combatants for constitutional 
 righte, anfl, as examplars of heroic vir- 
 tue, benefactors of their raoe." 
 
 For the past we have no apologies to 
 offer, no excuses to render, no regrets to 
 ncter, save that we failed in oar high 
 endeavor ; no tears to shed except over 
 withered hopes and the graves of our 
 departed worthies. We yielded in tho 
 end because we were overborne by su- 
 perior numbers and weightier munitions. 
 Auj pledges given will be by us duly 
 observed ; but it is well known, alike by 
 friend and stranger, that nothing ha3 
 been absolutely dttermioed except tlie 
 question of comparative ptrength. The 
 issue furnished only a physioul solution 
 of the moral, social, and political propo i- 
 tioDS inv.-ived in the gigantic strngg'e. 
 The sword never does,and never can com- 
 pass other than a forcible arbitrament 
 in matters of conscicrscc, principle, and 
 inalienable right. Even now the funda- 
 mental cla-"ms, the political privileges, 
 and the vested rights in support of 
 which the Southern people expend- 
 ed their blood and treasure, are, 
 in a moral point cf view, un- 
 efF..'c^ed by the result of the 
 conteat. This we coyfideuily affiim 
 in the teeth of the practical and in many 
 rcrpectd lamcntabio eou.sfqueuef s e-;- 
 tailed by tho intervention of the vis 
 major. The necessity was laid upon us, 
 to maintain cur State sovereignty, home 
 rule, honor, ptcperty, ynd oe'.f retpect, et 
 the expense of wouuds, desolation aid 
 death. An appe-l to arms in an un- 
 equal strife, and in a defensive war was 
 all that wijs left to us. We accepted tie 
 issue. For foor lopg and bloody years 
 were our entire manhood and capabili- 
 ties enlisted in tho great battle for coa- 
 stitutionol liberty and self preservation. 
 We failed, but not until we bad demon- 
 strated to an expectant world that we 
 esteemed life less dear than honor, and 
 thit We were at least not unworthy the 
 privileges, the homes and the equalities 
 for which we contended. 
 
 The day will Rurely come— aye, it's 
 dawnina: is already begun — when the 
 conduct of the Confederate States in 
 their amez ng contest for right, prop- 
 erty, and an independent national fxist- 
 ence, will be justified, honored, and ad- 
 mired by all who possess the knowledge 
 to diFcero, the hot esty to appreciate. 
 
 and the candor to confess. The weaMfe 
 of high resolves, fearless purpo^ea^ 
 "treTiUoua exertions and generous Sacri- 
 fices — the satisfaction born of a consci- 
 ousness of duty discharged, manhood' 
 vindicatf d, and country defended while- 
 hope and ability remained — an abiding' 
 confidence in the rf ctitude of cur lofty 
 empr'88 — the record of brave deeds— the- 
 recollections of a heroic past, and the 
 rich legacy beq-aestbed by the valor and- 
 devotion of sons, brothers, fathers— all 
 these and more are ours, and neither 
 he lap=e, of yenra nor the mutntioris of 
 fortune can wrest them from us. 
 
 On the entablature of an ancient gate- 
 v/ay lecdiiig towards a restiijg pi<:ea for 
 the dead is an inscription in which the 
 soul 58 sublimely celebrated as sitperstes 
 corpoH caduco — euiviving the try.il 
 body. Yts, the exalted spirit which 
 animated our Confederate dead — the 
 Eoul of patriotifm which led them to 
 give to their country their loves and 
 their lives - must triumph over thfl ob- 
 livion of the crave, and forever remaia 
 ciA-f^Ct'oo^u c-^i'^^j o K^dixaco, ill fcnose 
 voiceless eorgs which in quiet hours' 
 we sing in our own thoughts, this re- 
 frain -ffill remind of present and future 
 glory for this immortal dust, and in- 
 ppire hope for the people whose son» 
 evinced euoh devotion. 
 
 The waves of the ocean as they I reak 
 along our shore will chant antbems in 
 honor of our illustrious dead. The 
 t.voilastiL g (liiis wiii continue the living 
 witnespes of their triumphs. Silent val- 
 leys v^-iH remain voc^sl with their praises, 
 and river and flood and mfuictain and 
 plain proclaim their deeds of valor. 
 Fair hands V7i!3, each yeuv, with v.^rnal 
 flowers, fresh, spotless and redolent of 
 sweetest perfumes, garland their graves. 
 You:;g and o!d will venerate the iilus- 
 triouB memories they have bequeathed, 
 and childrens' child-en- proud of their 
 descent from Confederate sires — learn 
 with earliest breath to lit-p the n'lmss 
 of the chieftains of the St uth, and with . 
 their youngest emotions to admire and ^ 
 tmulate their famous examples. 
 
 This occasion recalls the virtues, and 
 consecrates in endurfcg marble the 
 images of our slain warriors. It crys- 
 talizes in towering and symmetrical 
 form the meniories of the Confederate 
 struggle for independence. Meet it is 
 that such chcracters and recollections 
 should be peipetuated by the costliest 
 and the most durable expreesiona of 
 art. Most feemly is it that this gift 
 should be bestowed by the hard of 
 
pare womani most appropri-xte t'bat this 
 tribute should be earliest consecrated 
 ■by her prayers, her loves, and her tears. 
 If anything were needed to Pupplement 
 the rjH.iitittjsln of Tnif. ^ii^ir.r;^ -■•. ]". ';:;:'vl 
 in her presence, in her attesting eympa- 
 tb^ and in tho rot"''"'>'"'i?-ti?" -' tiii b^r 
 exertions, faith, and perseverance under 
 ■cireamstaDcea the most untcwanl. 
 
 Ij is a strange sight, this dfd cation 
 of an august monument in the chief 
 place of our city, by a people who were 
 overcome in the contest, to the cause 
 which they seemingly lost, and to 
 the heroes who periBacd in the ef- 
 fort for its maintecauce. We question 
 whether history, in ail her wide rauge of 
 nationB and ages, furnishes like example. 
 To victors beioug pseins, and triumphal 
 arches and statues of bronza and marble 
 and gold aie usually accorded only to 
 those who win the title of ooicqafror. 
 
 Only ten years agone, Polish exUes, 
 assembled from various countries in Eu- 
 rope, inaugurated upon Swiss soil a 
 monument comm.-morativo of their dis- 
 -membcred nation'^ long and unsucoesa- 
 ful struggle for independence. It con- 
 6ists of a column of bl.iek marble sur- 
 mounted by the white e«g'e of Poland. 
 Upon the four sides of its pedestal, in 
 Polish, French, German, and Latin, is 
 engraved this moving appeal : "The im 
 mortal genius of Poland, unsubdued af 
 ter a strvggle of a hundred years, on 
 free Helvetian soil appeals to the jus 
 ■tice of God and man." 
 
 Here, however, upon soil lately Con- 
 federate, and loyal etill to the traditions 
 of a glorious past, wo elevate this ceno- 
 taph which now proclaims, and shall tes- 
 tify to the coming generations the power 
 of Confederate memories, the pathos of 
 Confederate emotions, the gratitude and 
 devotion of Confederate hearts No one 
 •questions our motives, or suggests ob- 
 jections to these )ra!^ro?;Five ceremonies. 
 •It is because the principles we sought to 
 establish commend themselves to the 
 approbation of liberty loving mankind ; 
 it is because truth and justice are eter- 
 nal, and remain unafi' -cted by tha acci- 
 dents of war ; it is because the brave 
 spirits who fell inthofff)rt to sustain 
 them, earned the adciration of the civ- 
 ilized world, and secured for themselves 
 a reputation above the shafts of malev- 
 olence and the sneers of detraction, that 
 i;he propriety of monuments like this is 
 "freely accorded. 
 
 While the cause which we now em- 
 blazon belongs to history, while the 
 ibright examples of the virtuous dead 
 
 who perished in its support will be 
 emulated by men of other ages, and 
 while their good deeds will be treasured 
 as the heritage of many generations, 
 
 here and now embody our special re- 
 spect Bud pe^doiitii i.yvu, iujiil.y and ad- 
 miration, in visible shape, thus accord- 
 ing to the nobility of our own times, 
 
 "A local habitation and a name." 
 
 Monuments are connecting links be- 
 tween the present end the past. They 
 symbolize the noblenesses which have 
 gone bt f re,and betoken a happy recog- 
 nition of thera by those who conje after, 
 Thty denote a "jast and grateful ap- 
 preciation of the virtues aud services 
 Ibey are designed to commemorate, and 
 stand as silent yet impressive teachers 
 of the noblest lessons," About them 
 gather the rec-iiections of former achieve- 
 ments and brave endeavors, and in them 
 dwells a consciousness of the dignity 
 and manhood of the rac« whose history 
 has been enriched by such exhibitions 
 of worth and excellence. They stimu- 
 late children to a generous emulation of 
 the meritorious deeds of their ancestors, 
 and incite to action. They foster mar- 
 tial spirit and engender courageous 
 aspirations. By portraying the images 
 of the great, they keep ever before our 
 eyes deathle s examples. The looks 
 and thoughts of sympathy begotten by 
 their heroic presence give birth to hero- 
 ism. Within the charmed sphere of 
 their influence the living learn to value 
 and to imitate the true, the beautiful, 
 and the sublime, atd insensibly acquire 
 the virtues they symbolize. 
 
 Peoples whose exploits have been fa- 
 mous, recognizing the propriety and 
 the potency of such tributes, hav3 in 
 all cultured ages invoked the aid of the 
 sculptor to perpetuate the remembrance 
 of m,m<-rable men and events. The 
 majestic Acropolis was filled with the 
 signs tf Athenian valor. Imperial 
 Rome pointed proudly to her triumphal 
 arches and the statues of her deified 
 heroes. The opulent cities of the earth 
 reckon among their chief decorations 
 and conspicuous ornaments, grateful of- 
 ferings to departed worth. 
 
 Yes, moDuments are the physical em- 
 bodiments of the most exalted trn mo- 
 ries and the moat valuable traditions 
 of a people, The.y are at onc»- ex- 
 ponents of the general gratitude, 
 and enduring pledges of public 
 allegiance to the cardinal principles il- 
 lustrated by the lives and acts of those 
 
in wbo36 hoDOv thoy ar? ereofed. Bless- 
 ed is the people whoso homes are ren- 
 dered ilinsfcrioua by grand monuoients 
 and distinguished graves. A couuiry 
 without these is a pkce without naircB, 
 and a territory devoid of moral gran- 
 deur. 
 
 Although our Southern Cross was shot 
 to shreds upon the battle field; although 
 our beloved Confederacy haSj^ith a moil- 
 ed and bloody baud, been blotted from 
 the sisterhood of nations, we bid this 
 monument bair 
 
 "Thjs blazon to tlie ecd of time : 
 No nation rose so lohite and fair, 
 
 None fell so pure of crime ;" 
 
 and, uttering the sentiments of the good 
 pnrl true Tvomen of this TVlemnripl aroo- 
 ciation, and, indicating the general wieh 
 for our dead herqes, we charge this 
 voicefal cenotaph to 
 
 "Give lliem the meed they have won in the 
 
 past, 
 Givo them the honors their falure forecast. 
 Give the it the ouapleiB ihey won iu the Btrife, 
 Givo them the lauiels tliey lost with thair 
 
 life." 
 
 Oh ! holy cause ! Oh ! i^^r.ctr:c"C 
 nam!::a ! For you time csn brirg no 
 shadow, nc.r envious years oblivion. 
 
 This day we wrest from our secular 
 calendar, and f et apart as a season of 
 hallowed recollections, of dead hopes, 
 of tearful eyes, of garlanded graves. 
 This ceiotfiph we elevate as a 
 spofiess, , lasting, just tribute to 
 our Confederate Dead. Draw near 
 
 -1 Tj * g XmX D I iJ 
 
 the special 
 
 memories which our motherr, wives, 
 sisters and daughters have commistion- 
 ed these marbles to illustrate. 
 
 In its entiiety tymboliziag the 
 Confedcrato c.■^p.^::c, and embodying 
 the consolidated recollections of all 
 the men and evsuta connected with 
 our iJlnstrions Ktniggle, this monu- 
 ment in its datjiils f-xbibita particu- 
 lar tmbh mst, and possesses for us 
 special significance. In recognizing 
 and iipj.T' eiuti; g these we acquire at 
 least on epproximute conception of what 
 these ladies now commit to tho general 
 keeping, and prepare ourselves and 
 those who are to come after us for the 
 proper conservation of the solemn trust. 
 
 Unvcll the .Statucw. 
 
 Around the base of this cenotaph we 
 biehold four iiiesize statues of pure 
 Carrara marble. One of them proclaims 
 thft conspicuous services, and intro- 
 dnp(:6 to our admiring gaze the gallant 
 form uf as intrepid a son as this county 
 
 ever gaT." to conntry,. or aut'horizec? 
 upon the tented field to exemplify the 
 valor of his native State. Bred to 
 arms— every inch a soldier— his inspira- 
 tion kiudiirg with the drumbeat and 
 the roars of musketry — above all fear 
 amid the shock o. arms and in emergen- 
 cies the most perilous — lending where the 
 boldest might hesitate to follow, crav- 
 ing nothing save the honor of bis men 
 and the triumph of his cjause, Major- 
 Generol William Henry T. Walker 
 aohievTd a name and a repututiou amid 
 the everglades of Florida, upon the 
 plains of Mexico, and on the battle- 
 fields of the South, than which none 
 more dari»g or brilliant fires the hearts 
 of all true Georgians. 
 
 In the maternal embrace of this com- 
 monwealth was bio pteeions body en- 
 folded, when, on the 22 1 erf July,'l864, 
 ho encountered his mortal hurt in the 
 gory engsg'jment avound Atiaafa. For 
 gdiantry in Mexico and Florida did 
 Georgia award a sword to her loved and 
 battlo-serii'ved son while he lived, and 
 now that he is dead, gentlo hands^ | 
 miudf'il of his conraee. heroic traits, | 
 and cinspieuous gallantry, and solici- 
 tous that the afrer generations should ; 
 not forged his kn;ght}y bearirg, or Ml ' 
 to eranh'te his self saerifioe, bsve erect- 
 ed this statue which we unveil and dedi-^ 
 ce.te as ppr^ of this out Confederatet' 
 monntnent, bailing its presence with^ 
 gratitude ard jo.7, contemplating it witb 
 emotiona (i commingled p^ide and sor- 
 row, and fenner^rg it to the future 
 years ns an embodyment of honor moat 
 true, manhood unqueationed, fortitude 
 almost beyond compare, and loyalty the 
 mo^t complete. 
 
 And near him stands another Geor- 
 gian, in whose character, life, and rli^atb 
 any people might glory. A distinguish- 
 ed luwyer and enccessful sdvocate— a 
 man of "letters, full of generous impulse 
 and e.iger for the improvement of his 
 race— a Ghrisdan gentleman), and a citi- 
 zm public spirited to the last degree, 
 Brignciier Geteral Thomaa R. R. Cobb 
 may be justly accepted and remembered 
 as the highest type of the citizen soldier. 
 When the primal perils of the revolu- 
 tion were upon us. abandoning his home 
 and profession, wirhour heiL'itancy plac- 
 ing his head and heart at the disposal of 
 the Oonfede-i-aoy, and leading to the wars 
 as sturdy a band of patriots as ev«r drew 
 sabre in the lists of freedom, he sought 
 the enemy upon the furthest verge of the 
 crimson tide, and followed the fortunes 
 of the Army of Northern Virginia until 
 
*hM gtipr^mft mon3«^!Ot5 toViirPj from 
 Marye's Heights— spot ever memorable 
 and glorious— bis radiant soul ascended 
 in the srsoke of battle and nmid the 
 shouis 01 victory to the eternal borne of 
 the brave and the blessed. Intimately 
 associated is his fame with the triumphs 
 of the Army of Northern Virginia; — an 
 army more invincible than the Mace- 
 donian Phalanx aioviug, sbieid touching 
 shield, sixteen deep against the enemy — 
 more iiiustrioua than the Old Guard of 
 the Fivst Napoieca, its eagles full high 
 advanced, crushing with its thunders th9 
 Austrian opotre at Wagram. To have 
 been a soldier of that grand army was a 
 distinguished honor. To have accept- 
 ably discharged the duties of a general 
 officer ctmmsindiiig one of its finest 
 brigadi^s uas plorious. To have died 
 the death of a Christian hero while aid- 
 ing in the consummation of one of its 
 greatest victories was sublime. 
 
 In thus paying superior honors to 
 these distirgnisbed Georgians who 
 deemed it nobler to die in defense of the 
 right than to yield to the encroach- 
 ments of the wrong and live, we greet 
 their statues as types, as representative 
 images of all the eorrtmissioned officers 
 — brave eons of this our City, Couni^y and 
 Comuionwealth — who, in the crisis of a 
 nation's fate, gave their lives for the 
 public good. Tiieir name is Legion, 
 and their statues, if lifted up, would 
 crowd a Pantheon. Praises have they 
 won which euceeeding generations will 
 account it a privilege to repeat, and 
 their eepulchrea will always be iiiustri- 
 
 0U3. 
 
 Intimately associated with the recol- 
 lections of these our dead heroes is the 
 fame of many who shared with them the 
 dang: r • and privations of "vbo war, who 
 bare I tb-ir buMsts to the common 
 ea« mv, wiio, wtiiliR hope remained, up- 
 held ihe siirag banner, and who, when 
 the conflict was over, returned to deso- 
 lated homes bringing their shields with 
 them. 
 
 To you. Survivors of the Confederate 
 Army and Navy, we turn with tender- 
 ness and affection. We welcome you 
 into the select circle of the honored 
 and the loved. We applaud yonr en- 
 deavors in those Spartan days now num- 
 bered witb a consecrated past, and dur- 
 ing the period of gloom and oppression 
 which followed hard upon the surren- 
 der. The eyes and hopes of your coun- 
 trymen are still upon you. A general 
 benizon is y^urs. To be worthily ao 
 counted one of yon is a proud distinc- 
 
 tion. In tho name of these kind ladies 
 we assure you, that wlien in tne provi- 
 dence of Him, in whose bands are the 
 issues of bfe and death, ycu Bhsll re- 
 joifi the cort»p«nmrt«ib'p cf the good and 
 the brave who have gone before— the 
 good and the brave whom ycu knew and 
 supported in the hour of peril, and 
 whose memories we this day celebrate— 
 your virtues will encircje these marbles 
 with an adiitional halo; and, snatched 
 from the forgetfuluess of the giave, 
 your achievements will be treasured and 
 heralded by this canonizing monument. 
 To the Roman heart the image of 
 Horatins in his". barnesp. nutfin-r npon 
 one knee, and reminding every beholder, 
 
 •Hu«-vs!ni-tl7hcL:ptthcbri^So 
 la the brdve dayu of old," 
 
 was as dear as the gravse of the stout 
 guards, who patriotically, although 
 vainly, strove to uelivtr Jauiculam from 
 the ruin wrought by Astur. 
 
 Anc!, my countrymen, who of all tbia 
 vast multitude can give adequate utter- 
 ance to the universal joy an.i profound 
 emotions of commingled love, grief and 
 admiration which possess our souls 
 upon unveiling the st-atues cf our great 
 c^ptaii:.^, S orevvall Jackson and Robt. 
 E. Lee ? Could I at this moment con- 
 sult my own wishes, I would invoke the 
 thunder of cannon and your unied ac- 
 clamations in heroic conduct of this 
 part of our august ceremonies. In 
 hailing the dedication in our midst of 
 these marble images of our Confederate 
 leaders, and in the attempt even feebly 
 to reeouiit the glories vvbleh appertain 
 to each of them, we find ourselves, in 
 the language of the eloquent Bossuet 
 when pronou'^cing his splendid eulogy 
 ut-on 'be Prince of Conde, "overwhelm- 
 ed by the greatness of the theme and 
 the needlessnesa of the task. What 
 part of the habitabia world has not 
 heard of their victories and the Tfonders 
 of their lives ? Everywhere tbey are 
 rehearsed. Their countrymeu in ex- 
 tolling them can give no io formation 
 even to the stranger. And, althongh I 
 may remind you of them, yet everything 
 I could say would be anticipated 
 by your thoughts, and I should suffer 
 the reproach of filling far below them." 
 Of their unsullied honor, exalted great- 
 ness, lofty natures, unselfi-h spirit, 
 pure, chivalrou3, religious characters, 
 constancy, patriotism, valor, devotion 
 to duly, military abilities, and magnifi- 
 cent exploits, no estimate can be exag- 
 gerated. If an Englishman hesitates 
 
6 
 
 not to effi m that a country which has 
 given bitth to these men and to those 
 who foiiotvtct them may lock the chival- 
 ry of the Od World in the face without 
 feuatijt;, xui tut) ifiLuef laii'is cf ["Sidney 
 and Bejard never produced better sol- 
 aiers, truer gentlemen, or Bincerer 
 Cbristiaue, what shall be our eulogium? 
 What eaoomium can content us who ex- 
 ulted i'^ their leadership, caught the in- 
 spiration of their pre=!ence and acts, 
 witaessbd their self sacrifice, partici- 
 pated in tkeir trinmpVis, loved the land 
 for whose salvation thay fought, and 
 mourn?d their deaths with a bitter lam- 
 entation ? 
 
 Jackson, the right arm of Lee, our 
 military meteor streaming upward and 
 onward in aa unbroken track of light 
 and asoendiag to the skies in the zenith 
 of his, f»mp. w>^H indeed a h^^ro "whose 
 name will labt to the end of time as an 
 instance of the combination of the most 
 adveaturous and felicitous daring as a 
 soldier, the most self sacrificing devo- 
 tion as a paLriofc, auu the most exalted 
 character as a man; one who could unite 
 the virtues the Cavalier and of the Round 
 Head without the faults of either, and 
 be at once a Havelock and a Garabaldi," 
 and greater than them both. 
 
 Of Lee, the most distinguished repre- 
 sentative of a cause which electrified 
 the civilized world by the grandeur of 
 \its saoriiicts, the digniiy and rectitude 
 of its aims, the nobility of its pursuit, 
 and the msgoitude and brilliancy of the 
 deeds performed in its support, what 
 ci.n we say save that he was "the most 
 stainless of earthly commanders and, ex 
 cept in fortune, the greatest." Him do 
 we accept and bold out to the prr sent 
 and the future a* the highest type of the 
 Southern gentleman. In his noble per- 
 son, dignifi.d carrieg', refined manners, 
 cultivated address, calm self-possession, 
 and inte'l"ctu3i and moral endov^ments, 
 we rccogniz ' the calmination of our pa- 
 triarchal Civilization. Him do we offer 
 as the goodliest reprefieatative of Con- 
 federate valor, loyalty and chivalry. 
 Him do we present as the embodyment 
 of all that was highest, truest, grandest, 
 alike in the hour of triumph and in the 
 day of defeat. 
 
 Him do we proclaim our great Cap- 
 tain, our exemplar. 
 
 It is a peirenn'.n] glory that our cause 
 summoned to its support two such 
 champions. Their lives, characters, and 
 acts we interpose as a potent shield 
 against the shafts of ignorance, calumny 
 and falsehood ; as a justification, a 
 
 triumphant vindication of our aims and 
 
 conduct when the Red Cross claimed 
 
 and received the allegiance of our land. 
 
 Welcome ye statues of the good and 
 
 Thrice welcome, precious memories of 
 Lae and Jackson and Walker uud Cobb, 
 and all the cjmpatriocs who united with 
 you in the leadership of our armies and 
 in the brave effort to maintiiin Confede- 
 rate rights. Your record is complete. 
 Time, which 
 
 * * 'iay=5 his hand 
 
 On pyramids of brass, aud ruins quite 
 
 What all the fond artificars did think 
 
 ImaaortpJ workmanship," 
 can hero fiuu co apt images for his 
 iconoclastic touch. 
 
 Hither will mauly forms repair to re- 
 new their allegiance, and here will unb ^rn 
 generations learn the truth of history, 
 
 J tU- — u:_u „,.i;r:<-. 4 
 
 such exalted sympatie?. 
 
 And, now, above Brigidier-Qeneral, 
 and Major-General, and Lieutenant- 
 General, and fall General, yea, lapon the 
 very summit of this imposing cenotaph, 
 see the manly ioimoi the private soldier 
 of the Coafederate army; the eloquent 
 embodyment of the spirit and prowess 
 alike of this County and State, and of all 
 the sleeping hosts who, in our crusade 
 for freedom, gave their lives to country, 
 aud a record to history than which none 
 more conspicuous dignifies the annals 
 of civiliz 'd warfare. lu tbis attitude of 
 parade rest, in this elevation far above 
 the hum of every day life and the busy 
 cares of mortal?, we reccgaize the palin 
 genesis from a vule of sui-^ke aud sacri- 
 fice and blood and death, to the abode 
 of peace and eternal repose. 
 
 With a pathos entirely its own does 
 this statue appeal to our hearts and 
 rivet our attention, for who is there in 
 this vast concourse who does not recog- 
 nize in this calm marble the symbol of 
 some father, -son, husband, brother, 
 friend, who, fresh lipped and full of 
 ardor, left us when the trumpet sum- 
 moned pstrioto to the field, and came 
 not home again when in the end the 
 martial gray was exchanged for the 
 habiliments of mourning, and the Stars 
 and Bars, borne aloft so long and so 
 well, went down in the dust and carn- 
 age of the strife; went down, 
 * * " for the hands that grasped it, 
 Aud the hearts that fondly claaped it 
 Cold and dead are lying Uvf ; 
 And that Banner it is trailing. 
 While round it sounds the wailiug 
 Of it's people in their woe ; 
 For, though conquered, they adore it, 
 Love the cold, dead hands that bore it, 
 Weep for those who fell before it." 
 
In the grand processions made by the 
 Athenians in honor of their soldiers 
 killed in action, was borne a sunaptuous 
 bier, quite empty, in remembrance of 
 those whose bodies could not be found 
 or identified among the slain. To day 
 we exalt this characteristic eidolon in 
 perpetnal recollection of the non- 
 ccmmissiotied officers and privates, 
 known and ut.known, recorded and un- 
 recorde'^, recovered or lost, who foil in 
 the Co)j federate ranks. 
 
 While specially designed to stand as 
 the tnoKiimpDwil type of all the pfood 
 and true sons of Richmond county who 
 died without commissiou while fighting 
 for country and rJgbt, thif? image, in ite 
 catholic scope and far-reaching design, 
 may be claimed for every Confederate 
 who fi'Is a humble and, perchance, an 
 unmarked grave, whether he sleep in 
 some distant and eeeludtd spot wuhin 
 the wide borders once our own, whether 
 his patfiu'j bl iOu was shed ou fore^gu 
 soil or upon the broad ocean, or whether 
 bis poor body sickened and died in 
 Pederal prison camp ai :d hospitfil. 
 
 If it be true, as many believe, that 
 the inmates of th-? spirit worid take note 
 of transactions here which concern them 
 nearly and are calculated, as one might 
 think and not irreverently, to minicfter 
 to the happiness which prevails in that 
 heme of perpetual light and love, 
 who shi>Il say that there are not. in 
 the Heavens nb ve us, angelic eyes re- 
 garditig v/ith f:avor those our loyal cere- 
 monies, and saintly voices eanclioning 
 this onr tribute to ettrihly valor? 
 
 By the voiceless, yet potent alchemy 
 of our own hearts, wo transmute this 
 cold marble into a warr;'', br-athii}-'' en- 
 tity, radiant with attractions unuttera- 
 bl' , and memorin'^ beyond enumeration. 
 
 Etiiinentiy lippiopriute does it appear 
 that the crowning object of t'is ceno- 
 taph should signify ou? appreciation of 
 and gratitude for the devotion, the pat- 
 riotism, the self-denial, the privations, 
 the labors and the triamph3 of the pri- 
 vate soldiers of the Confederacy. At 
 best, it is but an adumbration of what 
 we feel and desire. 
 
 It is deservedly our boast that no mer- 
 cenary element, no adventitious aids 
 entered into the composition of our ar- 
 mies. They were drawn from the bosom 
 of the Confederacy, and were the aggre- 
 gation of the manhood, the intelligence, 
 and the noblest passions of our land. 
 Animated by impulses and aims unusual 
 in the history even of defensive 
 wars, our soldiers possessed an ap- 
 
 preciation of the issues involved, 
 and acknowledged a moral and per- 
 sonal accountability in the conduok 
 of the contest, wliich rendered 
 their acts and utterances remark- 
 able under all circumstances. They 
 were in very deed the representatives of 
 the rights, the property, tho in<-Rllont?ial 
 and social worth, the resolution and the 
 honor of the Confederacy. "Wonder- 
 ful men ! What age or country has pro- 
 duced their tquais ?" No niarvel that 
 we had great leaders. They ere begotten 
 of worthy subaltercp, and are m^de 
 illustrious by the achievements of those 
 whom they command. While it is true 
 tl;;;)!. t!;:- d'^cipl'-ne ?*vA ffl5(«!o*"C" of ?.n 
 army are in large measure due to the 
 ability of the chief, it is equally beyond 
 dispute that in the la at analysis we must 
 rely upon the individual tnanhood, the 
 clear apprehension, the indomitable will, 
 the personal pride, and the inherent 
 bravery of the tioof.a for the highest 
 cshibiuoiis of lieroic sc^ioa and patient 
 endurance. ''I am commissioned by the 
 President to thank ycu, in the name of 
 the Confederate .States, for the undying 
 fame you have, won for their arms." — 
 Ttus did General Lee, by published or- 
 der, acknowledge the gcasrsl obligation. 
 Earth from her past and pre< eat can 
 furnish no higher illaatrationa of forti- 
 tude, no loftier f xamples of relf-denial, 
 no surer proofed of patriotic devotioa 
 ihan were exhibited ia the lives, acts 
 and deaths of f ho p^ivpfe soWiors of the 
 Confederate revolution. 
 
 Meet it is that their virtues and the 
 honors they have won shjulJ hero find 
 
 "A forted residence 'gainst. the tooth of time, 
 \nd raenre rf oblivioa." 
 
 ijetrpiy graven on this eadnring mon- 
 ument, open to the light of Heaven, and 
 to bo known stid read of all m^n^ v,-.^) re- 
 cord this sentiment in honor of our Con- 
 federate dead : " Worthy to have lived 
 and known our gratitude; worthy to be 
 hallowed and held in tender remem- 
 brance ; worthy the fadeless fame 
 which Confederate soldiers ivon ivho 
 gave themselves in life and death for 
 us, for the honor of Georgia, for the 
 rights of the States, for the liberties of 
 the people, for the sentiments of the 
 South, for the principles of the Union, 
 as these were handed down to them by 
 the fathers of our common country." 
 
 While the names of chief captains 
 aurvive and are preserved on the lists of 
 fame, scant is the memory of those who 
 bore their bannerp, and, by their toil 
 and blood purchased the victories 
 
8 
 
 whiflb jnnrJfi their commanders immor- 
 tal. History furnishes numerous in- 
 
 efnTir--'>-i i" nvT-f r.f fb'<^ ^^"tirtion. fturl 
 
 the record of our Ooufederate waif offara 
 
 Miltiades, Aristides, and the w^r-ruler 
 Oallimaehus are remembered as the 
 heroes of that decisive engagement 
 ^hich broke the spell of Persian iuvin- 
 cibilitys preserved for mankind the in- 
 teliec'cuai treasures of Athens, and 
 paved ilie way for ihe liberal eni gien- 
 ment of the Western woiid. Ttie ten 
 columns erected on the plain of Mara- 
 thon, whereon wtre engravea the names 
 of those whose g'ory it was to have 
 fallen in the great Battle of Liberation, 
 have loug since perished. Their in- 
 scriptions are dust, and nothing now, 
 bttVo a, luuc cinlh-uiound, maiks the 
 spot v?here the noblest heroes of an- 
 tiquity—the Marathnnomakoi - repose. 
 
 For more than twenty centuries have 
 the vielories of Alexander the Great 
 astounded the world. Will the student 
 of history recall the name of a single 
 private in the celebrated Macedonian 
 Phalanx ? And yet, it was by the in- 
 domitable valor, the unswerving dis- 
 cipline, and the heroic enduranco of 
 the veterans who composed it, that the 
 fiery conqueror established his univer- 
 sal empire. 
 
 To Livius and Nero — the heroes of 
 the Meraurus — public triumphs were de 
 creed by the Roman Senate; but where 
 is the roster of the brave men who 
 aeuleviid the victory? 
 
 Armenius has been well-nigh deified, 
 but who has erected statues to the lion- 
 hearted Germaijs who overcame the 
 Legions under Varrus ? 
 
 Priseus has left us a portrait of the 
 Royal Hun, but tradition preserves no 
 muster roll of his followers who, upon 
 the ample plains ol Chalons, met and 
 overcame the confederate armies of the 
 Romans and Visigoths ? 
 
 Who wact liittt Bdxou wrestler, with 
 his heavy hatchet, in the battle of Hast- 
 ings, doing great mischief to the Nor- 
 mans, and well nigh striking off the 
 bead of Duke Wiiliam himself? i\lea of 
 Kent and Essex, who fought so won- 
 drous well, where are your graves ? 
 Bast friends of the brave Harold, who 
 who rallied longest around the golden 
 standard and plitd so valiantly the 
 ghastly blow in defense of home and 
 patri )t King, have your names been for- 
 gotten by the Muse of history ? 
 
 Admiral Buchanan we remember and 
 revere, but who will name the crew 
 
 of the Virginia — that iron diadem of 
 ihe South, whose thunders in Hampton 
 RnofJci nonpumed the Cumberland, over- 
 came the Congress, put U> ti;gLit ihe 
 Federal navy, and e/rhifved a victory 
 the novelty and grandeur of which coa- 
 vuleed the maritime nations of the 
 world ? 
 
 The leader lives, while the memory 
 of the subordinate actors survives only 
 in the general recollection of the event. 
 in the very nature of things it happens 
 that 
 
 "A thou?ani glorious actiona that m'sht'claim 
 Triumphant laurels and immortal fame, 
 Confuted in clo..da of glorioa^ actions lie. 
 And troopa of heroes undistm^uiBhed die." 
 
 Because this is so; because we desire 
 in the present and for all time to render 
 honor to all who, withonf. reward, and 
 amid privations and perils the most 
 appalling, in comparative obscurity bore 
 the brunt of our battles and won our 
 victories; b: cauaa our wish is that none, 
 however humble, who followed the Red 
 Cross to the death, should he without 
 stone and epitaph, do we novf exalt this 
 statue of the private soldier, aui. dedi- 
 cate this monument to our Confederate 
 dead. 
 
 * * "We give iu charge 
 
 Their names to the sweet Lyre. The Historic 
 
 Muse, 
 Proud of the treasure, marches with it down 
 To latest times; and Sculpture, in her turn, 
 Gives bond in stone and c ver-during brass, 
 To guard them and to immortaliza her tru:t." 
 
 What we heie comsecrate we en 
 join upon our descendants to preserve 
 unimpaired. For nearly five hun- 
 dred years have Swiss peasants an- 
 nually repaired to the field of Sem- 
 paoh, and, assembling around the four 
 crosses which mark the spot where 
 the victory was won which secured the 
 independence of their homes, rehearsed 
 the narrative of the battle, read aloud 
 the roll of the two hundred who gave 
 their lives to the cause, chanted anthems 
 in honor of the slain, and renewed their 
 vowd to country and to freedom. Will 
 the sons of Confederate sires prove less 
 observfint of tht-ir obligations to the 
 memory of our illustrious dead ? 
 
 These marbles testify of truth, justice, 
 liberty, self sacrifice valor, loyalty, man- 
 hood, love of country, and are a worship 
 in themselves. 
 
 Citizens of Richmond county, behold 
 the monument which the loves and the 
 labors of these "obl ■ women have bnild- 
 ed, and which they now commit 
 to your keeping. Guard holily the pre- 
 
9 
 
 oione gift. Receive it as the e-nbody- 
 ment of all you esteem most dear ia a 
 glorious past. Suffer not oue stone to 
 perish from out its fair proportions. 
 Maintain it as a living pledge o! your 
 devotion to all that is pure, patriotic, 
 chivalrous, and of high repute. Revere 
 it as the mausoleum of our good and 
 great Confederate dead. And, 
 
 "When the long years have rolled slowly 
 
 away, 
 E'en to the dawn of earth's funeral day ; 
 When at the Archangel's trumpet and tre£.d 
 
 Kise up the faces and forms of the dead ; 
 When the great Wf.rldite last judgment awaits. 
 When the blue sky shall swing open the gates 
 And our long columns march silently through 
 Past t'le Great Captain for final review, 
 Thtn fr«m the blood that has flowed for the 
 
 right 
 Crowns shall spring upward, untarnished and 
 
 bright; 
 Then the glad ears of each war-martyred aoa. 
 Proudly shall hear the good tidings— ' Well 
 
 done ' 
 Blesaiugs for garlands shall cover them over, 
 Parent and husband, and brother and lover ; 
 God shall reward ih-se read heroes of ours, 
 And coTi^er them over with beautiful flowers." 
 

 
 
 
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