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THE GRAY AND THE BLUE
IN PRAYER AND SONG
By General Clement A. Evans
The Poetty and Song of War.
Dr. H. M. Wharton, who was a private in Lee’s
Army, has compiled recently, and published a most
valuable book called “War Songs and Poems of
the Confederacy.” It is finely illustrated, and con
tains ample selections from the poetry and songs of
the Confederate war. In the introduction, he writes
the following paragraph:
“A popular and characteristic feature of every
war is its literature—in poetry and song. The
‘Marseillaise Hymn’ stirred the heart of France as
never before; Cromwell, with his Puritans, went
forth to battle singing their hallelujah of praise.
Who, that lived amid the days of ’6l, does not re
member the little Irishman, Harry McCarty, who
went forth throughout the Southern States sing
ing to the assembled multitudes, ‘The Bonnie Blue
Flag,’ until they went wild with excitement? What
soldier in the Southern States has not had every
nerve thrilled as the band would strike up ‘Dixie?’
Such poems are sparks of flame from the fires of
war. If you wish to find the hearts of the people
you will have it in their songs. It has been a de
lightful task to me to collect from all quarters of
the South these songs and poems, and so to rescue
from oblivion the productions which are dear to ev
ery Southern head and home. Nor is it confined
alone to the South, for in the North, and even in
other lands, people listen with glad interest to
the war songs of those days.
Under the Shade of the Trees.
(This poem is founded upon the following inci
dent, taken from an account of Stonewall Jackson’s
last hours: “A few moments before his death, he
called out in his delirium, ‘Order A. P. Hill to pre
pare for action; .... pass the infantry to the
front; .... tell Major Hawks . . . ’ Here the
sentence was left unfinished. But soon after, a
sweet smile overspread his face, and he murmured
quietly, with an air of relief, ‘Let us cross the
river and rest under the shade of the trees.’ These
were his last words.”)
What are the thoughts that are stirring his breast?
What is the mystical vision he sees?
—“Let us pass over the river, and rest
Under the shade of the trees.”
Has he grown sick of his toils and his tasks?
Sighs the worn spirit for respite or ease?
Is it a moment’s cool halt that he asks
Under the shade of the trees?
Is it the gurgle of waters whose flow
Ofttime has come to him, borne on the breeze,
Memory listens to, lapsing so low,
Under the shade of the trees?
Nay—though the rasp of the flesh was so sore,
Faith, that had yearnings far keener than these,
Saw the soft sheen of the Thitherward Shore,
Under the shade of the trees:—
Caught the high psalms of ecstatic delight—
Heard the harps harping, like soundings of seas—
Watched earth’s assoiled ones walking in white
Under shade of the trees?
Oh, was it strange he should pine for release,
Touched to the soul with such transports as these,
He who so needed the balsam of peace,
Under the shade of the trees?
Yea. it was noblest for him—it was best
(Questioning naught of our Father’s decrees),
There to pass over the river and rest
Under the shade of the trees!
—Margaret J. Preston.
The Golden Age for May 10, 1906.
The Famous Flag of the Palmetto Reg
iment, South Carolina.
This historical flag was presented to the South
Carolina regiment by Gen. Scott at the city of
Mexico, to be carried in lieu of the tattered ban
ner which had been presented to the regiment by
the ladies of Charleston in 1846. It was carried
through the entire war from Vera Cruz and all
through the valley. It was the third, if not the sec
ond, flag planted on the walls of Chapultepec. The
flag was placed above Garita de Belen by Gen.
Quitman in person on September 13, 1847. It was
the first flag planted on the walls of the City of
Mexico, having been hauled up by the South Caro
linians three hours before any other division en
tered the city.
The historic flag was loaned to the Second South
Carolina regiment of the late war, and carried to
Cuba. It was hoisted over Morro Castle. The flag
is probably the only one in the United States that
was carried in the two foreign wars that the United
States has engaged in, and it is the only flag that
has been hoisted over the capitols of two countries
with which the United States went to war. It was
brought back from Havana in a powder sack, and
returned to the Palmetto regiment survivors.
The original flag of the regiment was stolen by
Sherman’s regiment when it passed through Ches
ter, S. C. This original flag was pierced with twen
ty-seven balls, the staff was shot down twice, one
officer was killed under it, one officer mortally
wounded, and three were wounded.
Ashes of Glory.
By A. J. REQU IE R.
Fold up the gorgeous silken sun
By bleeding martyrs blest,
And heap the laurels it has won
Above its place of rest.
No trumpet’s note need harshly blare
' No drum funeral roll—
Nor trailing sables drape the bier
To mourn a dauntless soul.
Sleep, shrouded Flag! Proud emblem, still
Thy crimson glory shines
Beyond the lengthened shades that fill
Their proudest kingly lines.
Sleep! in thine own historic night—
And by thy blazoned scroll,
A warrior’s Banner takes its flight
To g - reet the warrior’s soul.
Dr. Dixon’s Articles.
The announced series of articles by Dr. A. C.
Dixon, on “The Origin of Things as Revealed in
Genesis,” begins in this issue. There will be at
least eight numbers in the series appearing some
what as follows: 1. “The Origin of Matter;” 2.
“The Origin of Light and Life;” 3. “The Origin
of the Sabbath;” 4. “The Origin of Sin;” 5. “The
Origin of Redemption;” 6. “The Origin of the Fam
ily,” 7. “The Origin of the Home;” 8. “The Origin
of Government.”
The articles, unique in conception and treatment,
will appeal especially to men and women who think.
We congratulate our readers on the intellectual and
spiritual treat in store for them. We are sure that
Dr. Dixon’s articles will be eagerly awaited each
week.
Health is a thing to be attended to continually
as the very highest of all temporal things. There
is no kind of achievement equal to health. What
to it are nuggets or millions?—Thomas Carlyle.
The Southern Baptist Convention
The annual session of the Southern Baptist Con
vention is an occasion of universal interest to Bap
tists in every section of the country and its work
is of the utmost importance to the different organ
izations represented at the Convention.
The place of meeting chosen this year is Chatta
nooga, Tenn., and on Friday morning, May 11, the
organization of the Convention will be had, with
Mr. E. W. Stephens of Columbia, Mo., presiding.
Mr. Stephens was elected president of the Conven
tion at its last session and acording to a plan sug
gested at that time the President will address the
Convention the year after his election. Much in
terest is felt in the anticipated address of Mr.
Stephens as he is an able speaker and a scholarly
gentleman.
Dr. Lansing Burrows, of Nashville, Tenn, and Dr.
O. F. Gregory of Staunton, Va., who have served
the Convention as secretaries for the past twenty
five years, will each be presented with handsome
medals of honor as a sort of testimonial of apprecia
tion for the able services they have rendered.
There are four Vice-Presidents elected each year
for the Convention, while the Treasurers are Mr.
Geo. W. Norton of Louisville, Ky., and Rev. W.
P. Harvey of Louisville, Ky.
The departments of Baptist work may be divided
into Home Missions, Foreign Missions and Seminary
work. Under the head of Home Missions comes
work among the poor mountaineers, among the ig
norant negroes, the foreign population in America,
and among the Cubans and Indians of Indian Ter
ritory.
Under the head of Foreign Missions come the
missions to pagan and Papal countries.
A notable event of the Convention will be a
Mountain Top meeting on Monday, the last day of
the Convention when the delegates will assemble on
the top of Lookout Mountain for the closing ses
sions.
It is estimated that there will be from 1,500 to
2,000 delegates present and the effect of this num
ber of individuals all feeling the same general in
terests and enthusiasms, coming together in annual
session, must inevitably bring great results to the
religious body which they represnt.
There seems to be, however, one vital point of re
form as to the mechanical conduct of this Conven
tion, and Dr. Junius Millard has pertinently com
mented on this point in a recent number of the
“Christian Index.” His points seem to us to be so
well taken and so practical that we quote them in
part for the consideration of all Baptists who desire
the Convention to result in “the greatest good to
the greatest number.” Dr. Millard says:
“I am never more impressed with the importance
of time than during the sessions of the Southern
Baptist Convention. * * * There is hardly
ever sufficient time given to the consideration of
any item on the program. * * * Take the
little time that we have and it seems that we utilize
it very poorly. Tn view of these facts, I would like
to suggest for the consideration of the brethren
some Kindly Queries:
1. Is it really necessary that the long list of del
egates should be read Friday morning of each year
before the election of officers?
2. Is it really necessary that each secretary
should read practically THE ENTIRE report of his
board ?
3. Why could not the convention meet Thurs
day night just as well as Friday morning?
4. In that event why not have the organization
Thursday night leaving everything ready to proceed
to business Friday morning?
5. Why not set apart Friday night for the annual
sermon alone? Tn this way fully twice the amount
of work could be done in the same time with more
attention to details and more time for the work of
the committees and better results to the kingdom of
God.”
It is never too late to be what you might have
been.—George Eliot.