The Public Voices of Texas Women
The following articles are letters to the editors, reprinted personal letters, reports of aid meetings, and flag presentation speeches in which Texas women speak for themselves, in the public press, between 1860 and 1865. This collection does not include reports *about* what Texas women have written or said, nor published poetry.
AUSTIN STATE GAZETTE, December 29, 1860, p. 1, c. 8
From a Texas Lady.
EDITOR GAZETTE:--I love Texas--it is my home; I love her breezes, I love
her flowers, I love her people. When
I look back to the time when Texas was young, and remember the "days that
tried men's souls," I can fully realize the agony she felt, when,
straggling with a sparse and scattered population, to throw off the yoke that
bound her. At one time I felt hard
that the old Texans should discriminate between those that adopted her soil as
their own, in favor of her own honored land.
I thought she should have welcomed us with open hands and open hearts,
since we had come to her, to make their homes our homes, their land our land,
their people our people; and if good or evil came upon us, we would share their
woes in common. But when I learned
their history, and found the dark and stormy times that did surround them in
their troubles, when I learned, as one man they stood together, and battled
against a powerful foe, and learned that side by side, they laid together, upon
the tented field, looking calmly and firmly, when the nightshades came upon
them--at the stars, that shone in the Heavens, and felt that He smiled upon them
through those little windows, my heart was with them.
I can now fully excuse all that I once though unkind, when I read of
their trials and sufferings, and now know, how each heart answered to another,
and how each strong arm was nerved to defend one another, the [illegible]
comforts that surrounded them, were shared mutually.
Knowing all this, how can I think that there is a single Texian now
living who feels the patriotism, that then throbbed in his bosom, but will come
now to the rescue. You were once in
trouble, stout hearts, and strong arms came to your support, and will you turn
over into the hands of northern fanatics--a blind and bigoted people--this fair
land. Never! never! The scenes you once witnessed, the troubles you once
felt, lead you to cry for freedom without control.
The Lone Star banner that once floated above you, flung out its beams,
which reached the hearts of your kindred in other lands, must again flutter in
the breeze, and receive the adulation, that I know rests, but does not sleep, in
your warm, patriotic hearts. I am
but a woman, yet shall I not love my country, and love my home.
A woman loves her household gods as warmly as men.
She loves those that are ready to stand by her, ready and willing to
protect her. I do not wish to create in your minds any foolish fear.
I only wish to say, be prepared for any emergency.
Look for a moment at the spectacle now presented us from our bleeding
frontier. Do you think that the
depredations there committed are only the offspring of the fiendish Indians that
swarm upon our borders. Do you
think there is no incentive beyond their hope of livelihood which prompts them
to these deeds of darkness. Do you
think that the incendiary's torch, kindled in our towns, villages and country
homes, are purely accidental. Singular
it is that all should have occurred within a few months.
I would ask the most conservative, the most Union-loving man:
"Stop and ponder upon these events; go and tell your wife and little
ones that look to you for protection, help, and sustenance, and say it is all an
idle speculation," and answer in your conscience to y our God.
I know that there are yet men enough, and true enough, to look upon these
things as they really exist.
VOLUMNIA.
Austin, Dec. 16.
AUSTIN STATE GAZETTE, January 19, 1861, p. 2, c. 5
A Brave Texas Lady.
We are permitted to extract the following from a letter
from a Texas lady, now on a visit in Ohio, to her relatives in this city:
Steubenville, Ohio, Dec. 27.
Trouble and distress are on all hands around us, and we scarcely know
which way to look for comfort. Banks
nearly all suspended, or discounting their own paper at ruinous rates.
Many thrown out of employment; manufactories stopping in every quarter,
and ruin and misery staring nearly all in the face.
Heaven only knows where all this folly of corrupt politicians and
fanatics will land us.
I do not want Texas, or any of the other Southern States, to secede; but
if Texas does secede, I shall return posthaste to help to make hunting shirts
and raise wheat for the rangers.
This is a picture of affairs in the great producing
district of the Upper Ohio.
Return, fair lady, immediately. Your
patriotic sentiments will be appreciated, and there is every prospect that your
services will be needed. If you do
not hasten, you will be out of the United States when you next set foot on Texas
soil.
AUSTIN STATE GAZETTE, February 2, 1861, p. 4, c. 3
Letter from a Texas Lady
Mr. Editor
I meant something when I mentioned the condition of our bleeding
frontier. I meant to say to Texas
that they must come up to their support. I
meant to say that we, who are now away from harm and danger, should feel the
trouble that they feel. Their
houses are burned; their men, women, and children, have been butchered. We know it. Shall
we wait until the foray extends wider and farther—until other victims are
sacrificed? Texans in days long
gone by did not wait for strong, positive evidence that their countrymen
suffered. Let but a breath of alarm
be bourne upon the breeze, and they stood by their arms.
They did not stand idle, but rushed with an impetuosity that well became
men in whose veins ran the spirit of love, sympathy, affection, protection and
freedom, to save their countrymen, their wives and children from danger.
This was not called rashness then. Will
you call it rashness now, and say wait a while and let us find whether this is,
or will yet come, the overt act? Men
of Texas! you will not stand idle now.
In your patriotism you will send from your homes, your towns, cities and
villages, men, means and munitions to protect your people.
This Indian raid is but another way to harass our people, and much more
effectual than to incite our slaves to insurrection, who have been born among
us, raised up with us, and labored with us.
We cannot fear our slaves. Ten
strong arms and bold fronts would put a hundred to flight.
Let this cant of insurrection be passed by as a thing hatched up in the
frenzied brain of the fanatic. Let
us look to the white man who wears the livery of Plutus, for danger.
Texas looks to her Lone Star for protection. When she has again fluttered it in the breeze she will
consult with the freemen of the South how it is best to secure our safety.
Whatever that decision may be, our people must wait.
If we shall be mingled in a common union with the other fifteen States,
it is well with us. If our people
should see fit to live again under an independent Republic, we will submit.
If they say we will submit to the yoke that is placed upon us, be it so.
But I would even then plead with my countrymen to throw off the ties that
bind us; and tell them that other days found other men that would let the storms
and clouds of Heaven bury them in darkness; let the lightning be flung from
Jehovah's hand and strike them, rather than the degradation that would follow us
in the submission to this party and people, that now seek to grind us as dust
under their feet. I feel as
strongly as I have a hope of Heaven that He who rules over all things will smile
upon us. If the clouds come, the
lightnings flash, storms arise, He will scatter it as mist before the winds.
Shall we, who have loved our homes, and loved our country, and loved
God's people in every land and every clime that the breezes of Heaven have swept
over, be now left alone in the night? No!
Not while a good and merciful God rules over us.
Not while he suffers the feelings of liberty to revel in our hearts.
Not until He sees fit to let cowering and abject servitude control us,
will we be led. No.
Men of Texas, look to your rights, look to your honors, look to your
homes, and to the little ones, and to their loving smiles that beam back to your
hearts. I know while you breathe
the breath of freemen, while you feel the soul stirring emotions that awakened
you to action in other days, you will be true to your country, and true to your
homes, and true to yourselves. I
hold my own being as but a grain in the hourglass, or as a mite in the scale,
that should weigh or count time against the honor of my country.
I appeal to you, Texans, as men or the sons of men who have borne the
banners of freedom aloft, will you stop now?
Will you reason when reason has become a folly, and wait until this land
shall be covered with feelings, sympathies and sentiments, that would weigh the
heart of free men and free women down in the dust?
Does the spirit that was breathed into your being by the God of nature,
by the God that rules over you, still dwell in your bosoms?
Have you now come upon the time when men's hearts shall fail, when their
souls shall be craven; when they have nothing to say, save let us have quiet and
we are content? God forbid!
You will come; you must come to your country's standard.
It has been raised in other States.
You have here men, mothers and kindred that call upon you.
Will you stand still and let the clouds and gloom of night surround them? There will be no gloom, there will be no night, if men of the
South do their duty. A bright day
awaits us, but we must do what we can to bring about that happy day.
If we do all that is in our power together, we of the South will have a
time yet for thanksgiving.
Austin, Dec. 30, 1860
Volumnia.
GALVESTON WEEKLY NEWS, February 2, 1861, p. 2, c. 1
A LADY LEADER.--A friend in Refugio county writes us the following:
The Lone Star waves in every town in this section.
Crescert [sp?] village had remained behind the time, when on the 17th of
December a meeting was called. It
was going to adjourn for want of a leader, when all at once, the banner of San
Jacinto unfurled in her hand, appeared Miss Adams, who addressed the meeting in
the following terms:
"Sons of Texas, it is not in the sphere of a lady to address a
political assembly; but when the honor of her sex and the freedom of her country
are at stake; when men are either deterred by danger, or slumber in
indifference, it is her duty to raise her voice. They time for deliberation is passed, the time for action is
come. The North has passed laws to
deprive you of your property, therefore she has violated the great Union
contract; the Union ties are broken. Brownlow
must receive an immediate check, or you have lost your freedom.
Will you wait for action until Lincoln and his woolly friends will come,
sword and torch in hands, to destroy your homes and set themselves on equality
with your wives and sisters?
Sons of Texas, in the name of my sex, for the freedom of the South, I
present you the coat of arms of Texas; protect it, we shall stand at your
side!"
After such an address the assembly could not but remain in a solemn
silence and bow their head to the superiority of their fair leader.
[not
readable]" shout hurrah for Miss Adams!
May a [unreadable] several like her, and Southern rights will be
sustained.
ZERO.
[MARSHALL] TEXAS REPUBLICAN, April 27, 1861, p. 1, c. 2-3
Organization and
Departure of the
W. P. Lane Rangers.
Saturday last was an interesting day in Marshall. The "W. P. Lane
Rangers," having elected their officers a day previous, were ready to take
up their line of march for the State capital, to offer their services to Gov.
Clark, and to take what ever position duty and patriotism may assign them.
It was the first company raised in this section of the State for the war,
and was made up mainly from young men of this county, with volunteers from
Upshur, Cass, and Panola. Their
ages would range from 18 to 25; young, vigorous, and enthusiastic.
A finer body will not be presented to the State.
Nearly every family in this community sends a representative in this
company. The hearts of our people
go with them. The Republican office
furnished three of these volunteers, Messrs. Chambers and Elgin, and a son of
the proprietor, R. W. Loughery, Jr.
The presentation of the Flag of the Confederate States, presented an
interesting and imposing scene. The
entire population of Marshall, with hundreds from the vicinity, were congregated
at an early hour on the public square. The
Rangers on horseback, and ready to take their departure, were drawn up into
line. The Marshall Guards, under
Capt. Bass, a company that expects to take up its line of march for the east in
a few days, was marched to the right, fronting the Rangers. Miss Sallie O. Smith, had been selected to deliver the Flag,
in behalf of the Ladies of Marshall, and Mr. Theodore Holcomb, by the Rangers to
receive it. Miss Smith was
beautifully and tastefully attired, and rode an elegant milk white steed.
She presented a model of ease, grace, and loveliness, and as accompanied
by her escort, she took her position, a thrill of admiration pervaded the
concourse assembled to witness the scene. Her
address was admirably delivered. Her
voice was clear and musical, rendered the more harmonious by the sensibility
with which her words were conveyed. We
append the correspondence and the address.
Marshall, April 22, 1861.
Miss Sallie O. Smith:
The undersigned Committee, in the discharge of a pleasing and acceptable
duty to themselves, and in behalf of the citizens of Harrison county,
respectfully request a copy of the beautiful and patriotic address delivered by
you in the presentation of the Flag of the Confederate States, to the W. P. Lane
Rangers, on last Saturday morning.
The Revolution of 1776 was distinguished by the heroism and
self-sacrificing spirit of your sex. It
is gratifying to know and feel that the same spirit burns in the bosoms of their
descendants; and that if the present revolution is to be marked by similar
difficulties, trials, and dangers, that the fair ladies of the South will bear a
part equally as memorable and glorious.
You have spoken for the ladies of Harrison county, and we believe that
"the thoughts that breathe and the words that burn" in your address,
will find a patriotic response in the hearts of your sex throughout the limits
of the State.
Respectfully,
A. W. Crawford,
L. R. Ford,
W. P. Lane,
E. Greer.
Reply.
Marshall, April 22, 1861.
Gentlemen: Your polite note
of this date, requesting for publication the address which your kind partiality
prompted me to deliver to the gallant "W. P. Lane Rangers" on the 20th
inst., is before me.
Under ordinary circumstances, I should feel that a
production so hastily written, and prepared amidst so many distractions and
engagements as attended the preparation of this, would be more appropriately
consigned to the privacy and oblivion of the boudoir, than to the scrutiny of
public gaze. But the kindness of
your invitation and the courteous and flattering terms in which your request is
conveyed, overcomes my scruples and deprives me of option.
The address is at your disposal. If
this ephemeral, the offspring of a sudden effervescence of patriotic spirit, has
to any extent satisfied the expectations of the Committee and will in any degree
requite their gallant attentions upon the occasion of its delivery, the highest
ambition of the writer will be realized.
With very great respect for you, gentlemen, individually and
collectively, I am your friend and obedient servant,
Sallie
O. Smith.
To Messrs. A. W. Crawford, W. P. Lane, L. R. Ford, E. Greer.
Address.
Citizen Soldiers—W. P. Lane Rangers:
We come to greet you this morning as the gallant inheritors of the renown
and valor of the Alamo and San Jacinto!
The tocsin of war again echoes o'er our vales; again the manes [sic? of
slaughtered innocence and outraged humanity invoke your vengeance.
The war whoop of the savage and the still more demonic yell of the
dastardly Mexican call for retribution.
Again the wail of woe breaks upon your generous ears. The tented field is invoked.
The morning breeze and the evening zephyr, as they wing their flight from
the wilds of the far West, come in tears. Tainted
with the scent of blood, they bear the sad tale of conflagration and carnage.
To arms! To arms!
the patriot heart and the patriot tongue respond.
Hail, then, chivalry of Texas! All
hail ye brave sons of heroic sires!
Our own patriot heart swells with generous pride, as we survey your manly
forms, and fancy that we behold a hundred swords buckled to your sides, eager to
leap from their scabbards to avenge the wrongs of savage violence, inflicted
upon the widow, the orphan, and the patriot.
Think you our hearts are untouched by magnanimous, disinterested, heroic
daring? Believe it not. Know that beneath these slender forms which ordinarily your
gallantry "suffers not the winds of Heaven to visit too roughly,"
there slumbers no indifference to your fame, your fortune or your achievements.
No! no!
no! In behalf of a thousand
bounding and exultant hearts, in behalf of the tender mothers, wives, sisters,
loved,--and it may be betrothed, ones—you leave behind; in behalf of the more
than ten thousand female hearts who this day pray God speed your patriotic
toils, I come to present you this pledge, a pledge designed by patriotic hearts
and wrought by patriotic fingers, that they will neither forget nor forsake you;
our prayers and our contributions shall follow you.
Through we wield no sword, and direct no unerring ball upon the field of
battle, yet, be assured that in our bosoms burn a patriotism as lofty—a
courage, in our appropriate sphere, as daring—and a heroism as chivalric, as
that which nerves the brawniest arm which wields the battle-axe, and cleaves
down the foe upon the field of carnage. I
would it were my privilege to-day to buckle every sword to your heroic sides, to
engrave upon every blade, "semper paratus"—"always ready,"
to tender to each of you a talismanic flag, and were I permitted to do it, would
say—and every true Southern woman's heart would bound in response to the
sentiment—bear this where glory waits you; let no faltering hand or timid
heart ere sully its brightness. Do
battle under its inspiration, and if you fall, fall amidst its trophies, make
its folds your winding sheet, and "look proudly to Heaven from that death
bed of fame."
Gentlemen,
the occasion awakens exciting and spirit-stirring memories and associations.
Who has not studied with admiration the miracles of prowess and valor
achieved by Texan heroes? They are
world renowned. Fame, with her
thousand trumpet tongues, has no prouder note to sound.
Amid this throng to-day are heroic Rangers, gallant survivors of former
cohorts, who endangered life and limb in their country's service. Their scarred and wasted forms point to the death scenes of
San Jacinto, Monterey, Buena Vista, Saltillo, and Mexico.
Heroic Lane, and your brave companions in arms!
Though no sculptured urn—no monumental marble, transmit your names to
future generations, still, remember, that when your once stalwart frames and
iron nerves shall have crumbled into dust, posterity, as her sons shall again
tread the heights of Monterey, Buena Vista, Mexico, or San Jacinto, will regard
those grounds as eternal mausoleums, reared by the hand of God himself, as
imperishable monuments to your valor and patriotism.
Then, the valorous cohorts of Texas went forth under the guidance of that
Lone Star which shone so long and so gloriously upon her fortunes, and so
triumphantly conducted her to the Bethlehem of safety.
To-day, that hallowed luminary,
around which cluster so many proud associations, shines in yon political
firmament, girdled by six sister stars of the first magnitude. And that dazzling constellation, rising upon your vision
to-day, like the seven stars in the celestial firmament, beckons you to the
field, and bids you "like reapers descend to the harvest of death."
How propitious its rising! Hopeful
as the bow of promise which once spanned a deluged world.
Rangers, the occasion is suggestive.
Omens of fearful portent hourly salute us. Every gale which sweeps from the East is burdened with the
machinations and menaces of maddened and discomfited Fanaticism.
The Northern Bear so lately startled from his lair, and so recently
crouching and growling before the harbor of Charleston, pretending to await the
favorable moment to seize and rend his prey, has wisely taken counsel of his
prudence rather than his valor, and ingloriously sought refuge under cover of a
tempest. In the terror and
perturbation of his flight, he abandoned his half-starved bantlings kennelled in
Fort Sumpter [sic], and consigned them to the tender mercies of Charleston
cannon, shells, and sabres.
All hail to the gallant Beauregard!
Standing upon the ramparts of Charleston, he showed them, not the head of
Medusa, but the still more appalling image of his deep-throated engines of
death, gaping wide their hideous mouths charged with ten thousand thunders, and
disgorging thunder-bolts, plagues, iron globes, leaden hail, and villainous
saltpetre. Astounded and dismayed,
they forgot resistance, dropt their idle weapons, and begged for leave to live.
Patriots of the Southern Confederacy, sound loud your notes of
gratulation—
"Raise high your torches on each crag and cliff;
Let countless lights blaze on your battlements;
Shout, shout amid the thunder of the storm,
And
tell the dastards what to hope."
A brave people take no counsel of their fears.
The Leonidas of the South, surrounded by twenty thousand Confederate
sons, fearless and determined as Sparta ever knew in her palmiest days, now
guards that Southern Thermopylae. On
its ramparts waves that seven starred flag, and sooner than it shall trail in
submission to the mandates of tyranny, or one abolition track contaminate the
soil which it protects, the blood of a hundred thousand Southerners will fatten
the soil and dye the waters over which it floats!
Nor will the fury of the contest end there.
When your strong arms shall all be palsied in death, and your dead bodies
lie piled in hecatombs upon the beach there,--and let the Lincolns and Sewards
and Garrisons of the day hear it and tremble—then some Southern Pentheailea
[?], some Joan—not of Arc, but of Texas; some Boadices, burning with Southern
fire, shall leap from her retirement, and full panoplied, like Pallas from the
head of Jupiter, shall brandish her sabre and call, like avenging spirits from
the deep, another hundred thousand heroines to avenge the wrongs of their
brothers and their country.
We will not, like Volumnia and the Roman matrons, approach the enemy's
camp as suppliants, but rather in embattled squadrons, raging with the fire and
fury of desperation, rush with dagger in hand and achieve victory or immolation.
Let the world know that Southern fathers and Southern mothers, Southern
sons and Southern daughters are not to be enslaved or subdued upon Southern
soil,
Volunteers of the "W. P. Lane Rangers" accept this Flag.
I tender it to you in the name of the fair and the brave.
In the desert and on the mountain, in the city and in the forest, let it
be your passport and your protection. On
the field of carnage, where the roar of battle is loudest may this flag float
high and long. And when in conflict
with the foe, your gallant leader shall cast his eyes upon those stars and
contemplate their import, and his bosom shall kindle with a more generous rage,
and his sabre shall gleam with reburnished radiance, may you his brave
companions in arms, catching renewed inspiration from the same source, bear it
victorious o'er every battlement and fortress which it assails. Follow where those propitious omens shall lead you, and when
the renown of its career shall be chronicled, then shall some Southern Sapho
strike her lyre and link your deeds to immortality.
If in sustaining its honor you fall, as some of you may fall, then, as
the young Ascanius during his long sleep was borne by the Goddess of Love and
Beauty to Ida's consecrated mount, and laid amidst the flowers and fragrance of
that hallowed retreat, so shall your memories be embalmed upon the proudest
heights of Parnassus, enchanting minstrelsy shall attune your praises, and
poetry and song shall shed immortal fragrance and glory around your names.
Our parting injunction to you is, that you emulate the heroic example of
the gallant leader whose worthy name you bear.
God speed the heroic enterprises of the W. P. Lane Rangers!
AUSTIN STATE GAZETTE, May 11, 1861, p. 1, c. 8
Presentation of Banner.
We give below the addresses on the presentation of a Banner
to Captain Carter's Company, on Saturday evening, April 27.
AUSTIN, April 27, 1861
Miss D. S. Crozier to the Austin City Light Infantry.
On the eve of your departure for the seat of war, to undergo the perils
and hardships of a soldier's life, I beg leave to present you the flag of our
country. As yet but seven stars
adorn the blue field of our banner, but have we not every reason to know that
when our Congress shall assemble at Montgomery on Monday next, that Virginia
will be at our national capitol, asking to add one more star to the flag of the
Confederate States of America? Virginia
patriotism, which added so much lustre on the battle ground in the days of '76,
will again be in the filed, ready to contribute her full share of soldiers in
defence of the South.
I trust, soldiers, that my partiality for the State which contains the
remains of the Hero of the Hermitage, has not led me to indulge in a vain hope
that she, too, will be with us at no distant day.
The noble response to Mr. Lincoln's Secretary of War from Governor
Harris, when a call was made on him for two thousand volunteers, 'that Tennessee
had no soldiers for the North, but would readily furnish fifty thousand
volunteers for her sister States of the South," gives us assurance that the
resting place of Jackson has no sympathy for the North, but will contribute from
all her borders her full quota of gallant soldiers to aid the South in the
present struggle. The spirit which
animated her Trousdale and Pillow, her Anderson and Campbell, her Cheathams and
Fosters, on the battlefield of Mexico, will bring together from that State an
army which will render efficient service when duty calls.
Before "the harvest is past or the summer ended," twice the
space now occupied by the stars in the blue field will be required to number the
Confederate States of America.
Soldiers! duty calls you to
leave your families, relatives and friends; to exchange the quiet and comforts
of home, for the troubles and ills of camp life. May that God whose eye is over all his works, protect you,
and grant you a happy return to those who will ever feel a deep interest in your
welfare, and offer their daily prayers for your safety, and the success of the
cause in which you have embarked.
DALLAS HERALD, May 22, 1861, p. 2, c. 8
For
the Dallas Herald.
Ellis Co., Texas, May 19, 1861.
The citizens of Beat No. ____, having met at Whites Mills, organized a
company of mounted men for the defense of the country. . . Capt. White then
marched his company to a pleasant grove near by where they were met by the Rev.
D. G. Molloy, at the head of his numerous and interesting school.
The young Ladies dressed in uniforms marched at the head of the School
bearing a beautiful flag, eight bright and brilliant stars, and room for more.
All being formed in proper order the flag was presented by Miss Medora
Nelson, on behalf of the young Ladies of the school in the following address:
"Gentlemen: Our country
is involved in war; our political horizon which has been threatning [sic] for
years, is now black with storm clouds all streamed o'er with blood.
From the very heart of our nation comes the rumor or war,--and on our
borders range the merciless savage. How
soon the marshalling hosts of our once noble, but now devided [sic] nation, will
by lying on fields, red with the blood of the slain, we know not.
Thousands may this day be falling mid the battle storm.
We need protection; though we depercate [sic] the spirit of war; yet our
country, our rights, our pleasant homes and our lives must be protected, and to
you we look for that protection. But
as a token of our confidence in y our valor and willingness to guard our rights
in the hour of trial, we present you this banner, and to your care commit our
county [sic?] and our lives, believing as we do, that you will not desert it
until the quiet of peace shall be restored.
Whenever you look upon this banner, streaming over your heads, be assured
of the sympathies and prayers of warm hearts at home.
May the blessings of Heaven follow you,--make you shields to our country,
and ornaments to society." . . .
STANDARD [CLARKSVILLE, TX], May 25, 1861, p. 1, c. 1-3
Maj.
DeMorse:--The "Red River Home Guard" was presented by the ladies of
Clarksville, Saturday last, with a most beautiful flag.
Copies of the address delivered by Miss Bell Gordon and response of M. L.
Sims, Esq., on that occasion have been obtained for publication and are herewith
transmitted to you with the request of the company, that they may appear in the
Standard.
Wm. Crittenden, Capt.
Commanding Home Guard.
N. C.
Gould, Ord'y Sgt.
Address of
Miss Belle Gordon,
To the Red River Home Guard.
Gentlemen, of the Red River Home Guard:
With
the most intense feelings of diffidence and pride, I appear this day before you,
on behalf of the ladies, who have prepared this flag for your acceptance.
With feelings of diffidence, lets, through my inability to convey in
adequate terms, the strong heartfelt emotions which fill our bosoms for your
prompt response to the call for your organizations; and with feelings of pride,
that I have been selected as the humble medium through which you are to be put
in possession of a banner, made by fair hands and accompanied with patriotic
prayers.
The
circumstances which call forth your organization, were urgent.
The natural protectors of many families in the country, in obedience to a
demand for their services out of the state had left many wives, and families in
an unprotected condition. Ere the
last echo of our noble hearted volunteers, had ceased sounding in our ears, you
were already organizing a Home Guard, competent to help the defenceless, and
impart confidence and a feeling of confidence to all.
I
would be out of place, to recount the wrongs to which the south has so long
submitted.—Almost from the time of the adoption of the old Constitution of the
United States, a series of unjust, and unprovoked aggression, has been waged
against the people of the South, by those who have been aggrandized by our
energy and industry; and the election of the Black Republican Lincoln to the
Presidency, pledged as he was to his party to carry out the fiendish designs of
Northern fanatics, filled to overflowing the cup of our grievances.
Secession,
from a compact, wantonly and openly violated, (revolution if you please to call
it,) became absolutely necessary, unless we prepared to yield our dearest
rights, and die in a state of serfdom. Already
have eleven States withdrawn from the association and joined the Southern
Confederacy. We are a united people, having a common interest; and with
God and right on our side, we bid defiance to all the powers of diabolical
fanaticism.
A
deadly war threatens us. A war for
the annihilation of our rights impends over our heads. Already have the bloodhounds of war been let loose upon us
from the North; and each day brings the tidings of accumulated preparations for
a most deadly contest. Already have
our Southern ports been blockaded, to cut us off from that commercial
intercourse with the world which God, and the position of our country intended
we should enjoy.
Gentlemen!
this war, the most unholy, the most unsurpassed in the annals of history
for its unnaturalness—in which the father will take up deadly weapons against
the son, the son against the father; brother will meet with the brother in
mortal combat, and the holiest ties of kindred will be set at defiance; this war
I say gentlemen, this war has neither been instigated nor courted by us; but it
has been forced upon us, and as free men and the free born citizens of a free
State, we are compelled to take up arms in self-defence; and woe to the laggard
craven heart, which will not promptly respond to the call of its country.
Gentlemen,
we feel assured from the promptness and zeal which you have exhibited in your
organization, that there is not a craven heart among you; and with this faith
engraven on our hearts, permit me in the name of the ladies who have prepared
this flag, to present it for your acceptance.
It is
now without a stain on its escutcheon—may it ever continue so.
May no cowardly or traitorous heart, ever take shelter under its folds.
May it descend unsullied, to your children's children in all time to
come. The exigencies of your
country may call many of you far from hence, to fight in defence of your most
sacred rights; but there will be others to take your place, and protect your
homes, and all that is near and dear to you—and placing your trust in the God
of battles, no enemy will be allowed to harm you.
"No fearing, no doubting, thy soldiers shall know,
When here stands his country,
and yonder her foe;
One look at the bright sun, one prayer to the sky,
One glance where her banner floats gloriously on high;
Then on, as the young lion bounds on his prey;
Let your sword flash on high, fling your scabbard away!
Roll on, like the thunderbolt over the plain!
We come back in glory, or come not again."
AUSTIN STATE GAZETTE, June 8, 1861, p. 3, c. 2
WALKER.--The Item publishes the following extract from Mrs. Margaret McDonald,
of that county, to her brother. It breathes the spirit of patriotism throughout:
AT
HOME, April 24, 1861.
DEAR BROTHER: *
* *
* *
James is just this moment from Huntsville, and brings so much war news
that I am terribly excited. The
news in Huntsville is, that Lincoln has landed troops at Indianola, and that he
is going to send enough to march through and take the country.
James says the people are leaving Huntsville daily for the army, and many
others preparing to go. I shall
send James back to Huntsville to-morrow, to get him an outfit, as he too must
go. He is anxious to go wherever he
may be needed.
* *
*
Subscriptions are being raised to arm and equip all those that are not
able to do so themselves. Heaven
knows I am not only willing but anxious to do all in my power for the defence of
our cause.
Affectionately, your sister,
Margaret McDonald.
BELLVILLE [TX] COUNTRYMAN, June 5, 1861, p. 2, c. 3
The Boys Moving.
R. A. Williams of Fayetteville communicates to the True Issue, the fact of the male students of the academy at Fayetteville having formed a military company, and the presentation of a flag by the female students of the school to these "Academy Guards." Capt. John P. Bell is a son of Hon. A. J. Bell of this county. The addresses delivered on the occasion are neat, modest and patriotic. The readers of the Countryman will no doubt be gratified to read these addresses, especially the response of our young friend, Capt. Bell, and to learn that he has been honored with the first station in the company.
Address
of
Miss Mary B. Breeding.
"Academy Guards:" Suffer
me, in behalf of, and in the name of the young ladies of this school, to present
to your youthful band this stand of colors wrought with our own hands.
It is true that you are young, and some of you not sufficiently matured
to take the tented field, yet your chivalry shows that when older, you will
respond, like true Texas boys, to your country's call.
Our fathers are "passing away," and some have gone to
"that bourn from whence no traveler returns."
They, amid peril, hunger, thirst and withal with no place upon which to
lay their weary heads, fought for, and gained the independence of Texas.
And the name of a "Texas Ranger" strikes terror into the heart
of a Mexican or an Indian to this day. Then
let us not bury chivalry with our fathers, but let their sons, Phoenix like,
rise from their ashes and crush out all their country's foes. Leonidas, with his Spartan band, could not defend the fatal
pass, but they could die for their country, and so can Texas boys.
A Texas mother, wife or sister, had rather know that the son, husband or
brother, lay beneath the cold sod pierced by many bullets, than to know that his
cheek blanched or that he turned back to the foe and let his colors trail in the
dust.
Then take these colors, maintain the blood-bought honor of your fathers,
or never return to us.
STANDARD [CLARKSVILLE, TX], June 8, 1861, p. 1, c. 7
Clarksville, June 4th, 1861.
Maj.
DeMorse; Dear Sir:--It is the request of the "Red River Dragoons,"
that you publish the address of Mrs. Spotswood on the occasion of the
presentation of a banner in behalf of the Ladies of Clarksville, and also the
response of Mr. Kennedy, in behalf of the Company.
Yours respectfully,
Smith Ragsdale,
Capt. R. R. Dragoons.
Address of Mrs. Spotswood.
Gentlemen of the Red River Dragoons:
It is
with reluctance, and much timidity, that I appear before you this evening, upon
such an occasion as this. Being
selected by a majority of the ladies, who have so generously contributed to this
flag, and prepared it for you, with hesitancy I acquiesced in their
solicitation, believing the honor could have fallen upon others more graceful in
elocution, more elegant in diction; but, in its presentation, permit me to say,
though it comes not from the fair hand of some beautiful damsel, the hand that
commits it to your care and keeping, is accompanied with a feeling of sympathy
and patriotism.
Much
has been said of the improvements of the age; the wonders achieved by
machinery—were, not long since, the topic of every circle; but the present
crisis indicates a far more important change in our history, than the steam
engine, or the navigation of the Atlantic in fourteen days.
The
great chaos in which our country has been thrown, caused by the revolting
actions of those hungry and mercenary squads of the North, is the most eventful
epoch of the nineteenth century. For
twenty-five years these bickerings have been going on, headed by these maddened
fanatics, who have planned rebellion, without justification, and are now
restrained by fears or scruples, from taking any decisive step. These advancements being urged on by their Black Republican
President, and other avaricious traitors, have brought about the revolution
which now threatens us.
This
aggression has been the means of severing the tie that once bound our glorious
and happy Union. Eleven States have
already withdrawn from that oppressive Government, and quietly formed a Southern
Confederacy—only asking the privilege to breathe their own air, manage their
own affairs, support their own altars, and resolve "to do or die."
We
have reserved a space upon the blue field in this flag for others, which we
hope, ere many [illegible] in the western horizon, will [illegible] "that
proud old Com- [illegible] the mother of our country."
[Illegible]
united hand, cemented by justice, by affection, and armed in defence of your
lives, your homes, and your interests, [illegible] an impulse deeper far than
the mere love of money, urge you outward and onward in the support of those
rights, and let your motto be "Liberty or Death."
In our
dear "sunny South," the smiling sky, the balmy breeze that fans the
weary traveller's cheek—the beautiful streams, in which are blended all the
hues of the rainbow, speak of mercy and liberty—such scenes of radiant nature
transport the imagination with a holy enthusiasm.
"Land of the South—beneath the Heaven
There's not a fairer, lovelier clime,
Nor one to which was ever given
A destiny more high, sublime."
If our
social and commercial ties were permitted to be torn asunder by Black
Republicanism and federal aggression, what would be our lot?
Our religious altars would be hurled to the ground; infidel desecrations
would rise in their stead, and our glorious South become a desert—a place for
rabbles, or the halls of revelry for our oppressors.
Gentlemen,
in expressing the entire approbation and heartfelt emotions of those, whom I
have the honor to represent; I tender to you this flag—emblematical of our
Southern Confederacy, and as a token of their confidence in your valor;
believing you merit the warmest eulogies. Accept
it, not only as a realization of woman's patriotism, but the religion of her
love and prayers.
Should
the exigencies of this crisis, call you from your firesides, to bid farewell to
loved ones at home, go to the field of action like your patriotic fathers,
confidingly trust in Him who reigneth alike over the armies of earth, and the
hosts of heaven; he will strengthen and enable you with a sea-girt world full of
love, to brave all dangers of the combat. Plant
our token in the heat of the conflict, unfurl it to the breeze, let its pure and
stainless folds flutter only over the brave and true; and like the noble,
gallant Davis, in the campaign of '46, never lose sight of the enemy nor the
flag, but struggle on to "victory or death;"
"To fight
In a just cause of our country's glory,
Is the best office of the best of men;
And to decline when these motives urge,
Is infamy beneath a cowards baseness."
But
cowardice is a stranger to Texas, it is an element foreign to Southern blood.
The banners that waved so triumphantly, over that immortal band of
Spartans at Thermopilae, had no braver men, beneath their folds, than our
countrymen.
God
never made woman weak, but fashion with a false idea of delicacy has; therefore,
she is styled "the weaker sex;" whereas, had fashion and dame Miss
fortune decreed it otherwise, she might now possess the courage and chivalry of
a Semiramis, a Boadicea and other honored competitors for military fame; but, as
it is gentlemen, with confidence in the God of battles, sustained by the justice
of your cause, and a manifestation of your patriotism, we look to you for
protection.
THE RANCHERO [Corpus Christi, TX], June 15, 1861, p. 2, c. 4
Flag Presentation.
Last Tuesday was a gala day for the military of this city. The ladies, who are always first and foremost upon all
meritorious occasions, had previously announced their intention of presenting
the Corpus Christi Light Infantry with a flag, and selected Tuesday, the 11th
inst., as the day.
The
Infantry, under command of Capt. Newman, and the Artillery under command of
Lieut. Neal, turned out in uniform, the latter company with side arms.
They formed on Chaparral street, near La Retama, the Infantry taking the
right, and marched to the Court House, where a large concourse of spectators had
assembled. At five o'clock the
ladies' committee—consisting of Misses Mary Woessner, Hannah Francke, Lizzy
Riggs, Mrs. Collins, Mrs. Neal and Mrs. Crafts—appeared upon the Court House
steps. The beautiful Miss Mary
Woessner, on behalf of the ladies of Corpus Christi, made the following
appropriate presentation address:
["]Gentlemen of the Light Infantry:
Nature
having denied to us the privilege of engaging in the strife of war, and as the
laurels which you win in our common defense honor us, we are here to testify our
appreciation of the patriotism which prompts you to rally to the standard of the
Confederate States. The love of all
that is dear to us, our homes and our firesides, our duty and all the legitimate
happiness of independence and liberty, demands of us an expression of our sense
of northern injustice; and that we, too, as well as the men of the south, are
ready to part with every comfort rather than submit to northern tyranny.
Actuated by this spirit, we have procured for you the flag which we now
present you, as the most becoming testimonial of our devotion to the course of
Southern Independence. We
therefore, while we confide this banner to your protection as an emblem of a
just cause, trust that you will ever defend it,
With freedom's soil
beneath your feet
And freedom's banner streaming o'er you.
Our dearest hopes are clustered around it, and while memory serves to tell you
this, we know that in this noble cause victory will crown your toils; and
southern institutions, menaced no longer by a northern foe, we shall possess the
sacred repose of our peaceful and happy homes.["]
BELLVILLE [TX] COUNTRYMAN, June 19, 1861, p. 2, c. 2
Texas Girls in Kentucky.—We are permitted to copy the following
petition dated the 15th ult., sent by six young Texas ladies, at school in
Kentucky, to their parents in Texas. We
omit names.
Whereas, we, the undersigned, being true Southern girls, are most
grievously dissatisfied with our condition in this, a Union, and we believe an
Abolition State; and moreover, she has refused to join our beloved Southern
Confederacy; but does prefer to be ruled over by the Black-hearted Abraham
Lincoln, and doth denounce the noble Jeff. Davis as a black-hearted traitor; and
as our feelings are cruelly wounded by the frequent uncivil remarks of our
teachers and schoolmates; and as we do most earnestly desire to get into our own
Confederacy, and under our own flag—we do most earnestly entreat our parents,
relations or friends, to come, send, or write for us to come home forthwith.
Galveston News.
BELLVILLE [TX] COUNTRYMAN, July 24, 1861, p. 2, c. 1
Sisters—Arouse!
A number of the ladies of Bellville and vicinity, actuated by that
nobility of purpose which characterized their mothers in like circumstances, and
which is now moving to action the sisterhood of all parts of our young
confederacy, earnestly desire the loyal and patriotic of their sex to meet them
at 4 o'clock on Friday afternoon next, the 26th inst., for the purpose of
organizing a "LADIES' AID SOCIETY."
Gentlemen have kindly volunteered to put the Court House in order for the
meeting, and I conjure all of the sex, who have a desire to contribute their
mite of aid in our struggle for freedom, to be in attendance on Friday evening
next. We can organize and appoint
suitable persons to receive donations, either in money or the raw material, to
be converted by us into clothing, knapsacks or tents for our volunteers, and
even the younger girls can do some good by picking lint for the use of the
wounded.
There are numbers of young men in our midst ready to volunteer, but too
needy to purchase an outfit. This
shall be our accepted task, as it is our bounden duty.
Let those who have means contribute, and let us all work.
Nature's God has wisely, no doubt, denied our sex the privilege of
bearing arms and mixing in the turmoil of battle strife, then let our nimble
fingers and ready purses atone for the deficiency, by promptly furnishing our
brave men with the necessary appliances in our power for camp life.
It is for us that they brave the dangers and horrors of the battle
field—it is for us they accept the toils and hardships of the soldier's
life—it is for us they go forth to meet the ruthless assassins of the
North—and it is for us to contribute, by every means in our power, to the
accomplishment of the independence of our infant confederacy.
Let no false modesty, no flimsy excuse of "can't spare time,"
deter us from action, but ALL come forward, and enter heart and hand into the
needful work. I trust there will be
a good attendance of our patriot women at the Court House, on Friday next.
Respectfully submitted,
RACHEL.
DALLAS HERALD, June 26, 1861, p. 1, c. 4
Flag Presentation.
On Monday morning, the Artillery Company proceeded to the Fair Grounds to
receive the beautiful flag made by the ladies of Dallas and to be then presented
in due form. At an early hour a
crowd of ladies and gentlemen, and numbers of soldiers from the different camps
[?] assembled and awaited the arrival of the Artillery Company, Capt. Good.
This fine company at 9 o'clock marched up in fine style and took their
position in front of the stand: immediately
behind them were drawn up the Rusk County Cavalry, and the Texas Hunters from
Harrison county.
The ceremonies were opened by prayer from Lieut. Rev. Mr. Wilburn, of the
Smith county Cavalry.
Miss Josephine Latimer, gracefully supporting the flag and "robed in
spotless white," stepped forward and in behalf of the ladies of Dallas
addressed the company in the following chaste and impressive manner:
My Countrymen, Ladies and Citizens:--It is with mingled feelings of pride
and sadness that I look upon this splendid array of the noble and chivalrous
sons of the South. These are brave
and noble hearts, that are willing to sacrifice the pleasures of home, to be
deprived of the blissful presence of mothers and sisters, wives and children,
and to undergo the fatigue, the hardships, the sufferings of a soldier's life,
for the priceless boon of Liberty.
Stoical, indeed, must be
the heart that does not feel a glow of enthusiasm, to see such a response to our
country's call, "To Arms." The
mechanic has dropped his hammer and plane, the farmer his sickle and plow, the
lawyer no longer prepares a pleading for his client, but calmly buckles on his
armor, and determines with one burst of the eloquence of War, to silence his
opponent forever; the judicial ermine has been laid aside, and the brilliant
uniform of the "Flying Artillery" has been donned, it may be forever.
The Statesman, the Warrior, all are here.
The minister has left his flock to another's care and prepares to do
God's service, even on the battle-field.
When we reflect for what we are fighting, our homes, the family altar,
our institutions and nought but what is sanctioned by Holy Writ—we are
encouraged to hope for success, yet we must acknowledge our dependence upon
Almighty God, who is mighty in Battle—who is merciful and gracious, and who
has promised to those who love and fear him, to be "A Rock, a Fortress, a
hightower, your strength and your salvation.
Brave Ensign, in behalf of the Ladies of Dallas, I present you this flag.
These beautiful stars and brilliant bars, that speak so eloquently of
Southern Liberty, may they never trail in the dust of a dishonorable retreat, or
be trampled or spit upon by a victorious and insolent enemy.
Courage to the heart, and strength to the hands that shall bear it!
"Should you fall—but I hope you may not—
Your spirit shall dwell with the brave,
Your deeds, by your country shall ne'er be forgot,
While freemen weep over your grave."
In conclusion, I would say to these who remain, let your prayers ascend
daily, that wisdom, prudence and valor may be given to our commanders, and that
our Heavenly Father may protect, guide and defend our armies, and at last crown
them with success. And when you
shall look upon this banner, unfurled in the breezes of the North, remember the
prayers that ascend for you and pray it to the conquerors, speak of glory and
honor, to the wounded, peace and consolation, and to the dying, life and
immortality beyond the grave.
The flag was received by Capt. Good in a few appropriate and
soul-stirring remarks. The gallant
Captain never looked better than in the handsome uniform of the Artillery, and
certainly, we never heard a more patriotic burst of eloquence than the one on
this occasion. Three cheers were
enthusiastically given to the ladies of Dallas, and the Cavalry Companies then
present. The interesting scene
closed with an appropriate prayer from Rev. Jas. A. Smith, and all hearts seemed
fully impressed with the solemnity of the occasion.
DALLAS HERALD, June 26, 1861, p. 2, c. 1—left side of
column very dim
For the Dallas
Herald.
Communication.
Newton's Mills, Grayson Co. Texas,
June 18th, 1861.
}. . . On Saturday, the 15th inst., the ladies of the vicinity of this place
presented the [?] Grove Boys," Capt. J. Morris commanding, a beautiful
banner. The ceremonies took place
at Mr. Newton's new barn, in the presence of Capt. Morris' company and a
considerable concourse of ladies.—[?] Edge, on behalf of the fair de[?] the
flag, delivered the following presentation speech, in a clear, distinct and
graceful manner, that sent a thrill of patriotism to the heart of every one
present:
Soldiers: Our kinsmen have beome [?], and as such are threatening to [?]
our land and despoil our homes.—[?] you have once again thrown yourselves on
the breach to free your country from the domination of a tyranny more op[?] than
that over which your gallant [?]mphed in days gone by.
We h ail you as the guardians of our homes—the [?] of your mothers,
wives, sisters, and daughters.
When you go forth to battle for us against those who have made themselves
our enemies, and are seeking to trample [?] a bloody despotism our most sacred
and cherished rights, we desire that you should have something to remind you of
our fidelity and love, and to act as a be[?] tar to guide you through the gloom
and smoke and blood of war. As such
a guide, I, on the part of the ladies of the neighborhood, present you this, a
SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY FLAG, with the confident belief that in the hands of your
gallant band it will wave victorious o'er many a bloody field; and that you will
follow it at duty's call, through death should stand before you in his most
fearful garb.
If you fall at your posts, our hearts will treasure up the memory of your
virtues; your country will honor your bravery and devotion; and though the loss
of you will cause an aching void the world can never fill, we will have the
glorious consolation of knowing that you perished like martyrs in a noble
cause—defending your country, your rights, and those who love you and depend
upon you for protection; and we believe as we pray, that the "God of
battles will forever bless you."
The Flag was received by Mr. C. G. Burk, in a neat and appropriate
manner, pledging the honor and bravery of the company that it should be borne
through the approaching conflict with honor to themselves and their country.
Capt. Morris is a good officer and an accomplished gentleman, and the
brave men under his command will not fail to make their mark whenever they may
be called on.
DALLAS HERALD, July 24, 1861, p. 1, c. 3
The Regimental Flag
The following correspondence, which has been handed to us, explains
itself. It was the desire and
intention of the Regimental officers and those presenting the flag, that there
should be a formal presentation but in the hurry of departure, and the
impracticability of assembling the whole regiment at one place, this was
abandoned, and the flag sent to the Regimental headquarters with the note below,
which elicited the handsome response of Adjutant Ector:
Dallas, Texas, July 10th, 1861
To Col. Greer and Staff Officers of the South Kansas Texas Regiment:
To you, gentlemen, as representing the brave soldiers, whom you command,
is presented the accompanying Confederate Flag, the gift and labor of those who
wish to be remembered as sharing in the glorious cause you fight, though
commanded by duty to remain in apparent ignoble retirement.
If our wishes may dictate for your action, let the flag be placed where
it may always be seen (if possible by the fartherest encampment of the
Regiment,) pointing out the place where hearts are willing and minds capable of
directing the movements of the chivalrous men who are enlisted with you.
May the graces represented by the [?] tri-color rule in your camp, and
the stars of our noble Confederacy never "trail in the dust," for that
moment the only nation of freemen will fail, and
"Conquer we must, for our cause is just,
And this be your motto—in God is our trust,"
Yours
in sympathy and hope,
J. W. Smith
Miss E. M. Lane,
W. L. Murphy
Mrs. S. V. Murphy,
W. W. Peak
Mrs. M. Fannie Peak.
AUSTIN STATE GAZETTE, June 29, 1861, p. 3, c. 2
Miss Gregg's Address--Below will be found the excellent and stirring
address of Miss Eleanor H. Greeg [sic], daughter of Bishop Gregg, delivered on
presenting the flag to the "Tom Green Rifles," at the Capitol, on the
evening of the 24th inst. It is the
best address of the kind that we have ever read.
Want of space precludes the insertion of the letter of the committee to
Miss G., requesting a copy for publication, and her reply, as well as the very
appropriate and patriotic address of Captain B. F. Carter, accepting the flag:
Soldiers of the "Tom Green Rifles"--It has been made my
pleasing duty to present to you, in behalf of the ladies of Austin, this, our
glorious Confederate Flag--a Flag which as surely as God prospers the right,
will continue to float proudly over the land of the free and the home of the
brave. Here, in this Representative
hall of Texas, to be henceforth for ever associated with that sovereign act of
her people, in convention assembled, by which she declared herself no longer the
member of a Union which had become as odious as it had been violated and abused;
here, where a better and a nobler--a true confederation, was formed with her
sister States of the South--States one in feeling, one in interest, in the
knowledge of their rights and the ability to maintain them; here, in this spot,
consecrated forever to the cause of State rights and confederate independence,
is this proud banner presented to you.
Our dearest rights have been assailed, a war more ruthless than that of
savage foes, unholy as human annals have ever recorded, is waged upon us.
The South, never the aggressor, long forbearing, patiently enduring,
wronged to the uttermost, though she would fain have separated peaceably, is at
length in arms. The unnatural
conflict has been forced upon us. We
have appealed to the God of battles, and no alternative is left us but victory
or death.
The South is invaded; one feeling animates her people.
Her noble heart beats responsive to the sacred claims of duty.
Her treasures are lavishly opened, her best gifts have been presented,
and the flower of her youth, the pride of her maturity, the glory of her age,
have alike responded to their country's call; all classes and professions vie in
patriotic emulation.
Carolina, gallant Carolina, led the way; Mississippi, Florida and
Alabama, with their Confederate sisters, nobly followed.
A singular moderation, counsels as wise, and as heroic a determination,
marked their course. From that time on, you know full well the rapid march of
events; how every effort at honorable conciliation, perfidiously met by our
enemies, failed--and Sumter fell.
Foiled at every step, the enemy called his fanatic hordes to arms.
It hastened on for us the glorious day.
Other States, moved by the aggressions made upon us, could no longer
delay. They nobly rushed to their
aid, and cast their lot with the seven Confederate States that had led the way
to independence. Virginia,
Arkansas, Tennessee and North Carolina are with us, and others will soon follow.
And now the cry of a bloody fanaticism goes up in muttering
tones--"Let her institutions perish, let the South, if necessary, be wiped
from the face of the earth."
Already has the path of the invader been marked by lawless violence, by
savage ferocity, by deeds of darkness and of blood. The Mother of States, the Old Dominion--Virginia--consecrated
to liberty, has opened her bosom to the strife.
Over the graves of her patriot dead, has commenced a bloodier conflict
than a foreign foe once waged upon her.
And can you wonder, soldiers of Texas, that every Confederate sister has
rushed to Virginia's aid, that thither the tide of war rolls on, that the last
sacred duty of nations is gladly, universally heeded; and that we are ready to
give our fathers, our sons, our brothers, our all, if need be, to the cause of
the South--the cause of State sovereignty and of constitutional independence,
the last hope of America and of man.
Gallant men, you have responded, and ere this would gladly have gone
forth in obedience to your country's call. To you, representatives of Texas, on the field of heroic
strife--to you going forth to drive the invader back, we commit this flag.
Bear it proudly; guard it bravely, and if it fall, let it be, when there
shall no longer be an eye to look upon its pierced and tattered fragments--no
more a hand in the last agonies of death, to bear it up.
With you, we know it will be safe; with you it will never be dishonored,
or kiss the dust.
Soldiers of Texas, you have a proud heritage to defend, and perpetuate.
The victors in every struggle through the past, remember how much will be
expected of the sons of Texas in the Confederate hosts.
Fight for your cherished rights; fight for your own holy institutions.
Yes, fight for your homes and firesides, for all the South holds dear.
The prayers of your loved ones will go with you; the prayers of mothers,
wives, and sisters; the blessings of an injured, long-suffering South; above
all, the blessing of Him whose right arm brought us liberty at first, the God of
our fathers, will sustain and bless you to the end. In the language of one of Arkansas' gallant sons:
"Fear no danger, shun no labor,