Page 18 - Arkansas Confederate Women

Preface.

The State Annual Reunion of the Arkansas United Confed-
erate Veterans, held at Fort Smith, October 17-19, 1906
appointed, through the commander, Gen. N". T. Roberts, a
committee of five veterans, J. H. Berry, V. Y. Cook, Charles
Coffin, Dan W. Jones and J. M. Lucey, to arrange for the co-
operation of the United Confederate Veterans of Arkansas and
Sons of Veterans with the general committee of the United
Confederates of the South for the erection of at least one monu-
ment in each of the Southern States to commemorate the
heroism of the Southern women in the Civil war period.

STARTED FIVE YEARS AGO.
This monument movement came into prominence five years
ago, when the fact began to dawn upon the minds of the old

veterans and sons of veterans that the women of the South had

borne a very conspicuous part in the glorious achievements of

the Southern soldiery, so much so that had it not been for their

superb nobility of character in cheerfully bidding what was
.often a last farewell to their loved ones and in working away
the beauty and tenderness of Southern rearing in country and
town to support their lonely families, the war could not have
been sustained for any considerable length of time. But when
this fact did finally dawn upon the minds of the old veterans
they resolved to attest their appreciation of the greatness of

the Southern women, who excelled the historic Roman matron

and Spartan mother, by gathering and publishing the reminis-

cences of the work of the women of the South in the Civil war
period and by erecting at least one monument in each Southern
State to commemorate their heroism.

Gen. C. Irvine Walker, Charleston, S. C, commander of the

U. C. V. Department of the Army of Northern Virginia, was
made chairman at the Louisville reunion, three years ago, of