Page 233 - Arkansas Confederate Women

206 Confederate Women oe Arkansas

sentiment. In New Orleans were already existing three some-

what old associations of Confederate Veterans: The Association
of the Army of Northern Virginia, Louisiana Division; The
Association of the Army of Tennessee, Louisiana Division; and
The Association of the Washington Artillery. In other parts

— —of the South Arkansas included there were also Confederate

associations, some large, others small, but all independent of
one another.

It was on the occasion of the annual banquet and

reunion of the Louisana Divison of the Army of Northern
Virginia at New Orleans, January 19, 1889, the same being

Rober E. Lee's birthday, and approximately Stonewall Jack-
son's to which Ca.pt. Shipp had been invited, that he sought
to advocate and promulgate his plan for the federation of all
Confederate Veteran organizations under one constitution and
one general commander. There were about 400 prominent Con-

federate Veterans present, chief among whom was Jefferson

Davis, whose address, in sympathy in its general tenor with the

idea of Capt. Shipp, was on, "The Army of Northern Virginia

and Its Leaders." This was his last address, in fact his last
appearance in public. His death occurred December 6, 1889.
The idea of Capt. Shipp was endorsed at this meeting and

upon a call being made by the Louisiana Divisions of the Army
of Northern Virginia and of the Army of Tennessee, a con-

vention of the scattered Confederate associations of the South

was held in New Orleans, June 10th, 1889, and a plan of

organization adopted. The present name was agreed upon and
the office of General Commander with staff, was created. Sev-

eral years later three departments were established: Depart-

ment of Army of Northern Virginia, Lieutenant General C.
Irvne Walker, Commander; Department of Army of Tennes-
see, Lieutenant General Clement A. Evans, Commander; and
the Trans-Mississippi Department, Lieutenant General W. L.
Cabell, Commander. Some years afterwards a fourth depart-
ment, known as the Department of the Northwest, was created.
Each of the Southern States was to be commanded by a Major

General with brigadiers under him. All these officers from