Newspapers / The Elkin Tribune (Elkin, … / June 12, 1930, edition 1 / Page 3
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JUNK 12, 103Q flany Historical Brought out in In 1883 by Kin Local People Some exceptionally lasting t historical memento is contained in an address delivered by Hon. R. F. Armfleld, grandfather of Mrs. Richard Chatham and C. G. Arjjuield of this city. Mr. Arm fjltd was lieutenant governor of North Carolina almost half a century ago and was also a re presentative in congress. The speech is carried in an old copy of the Statesville Landmark of May 18 1883 and is as follows: It is a mistake to supose that «ftftty courage .self-sacriface and heroism belong exclusively to the ancient times. They were as fre quently and as brilliantly exhlb •ited in the late war between the States"—let no Southern lips 3pP*er call it a rebellion—as in any contest in any age of the world. Who that followed the fortunes of the Southern cross has not often been surprised, in time of battle,, to find himself , beside a hero, brave as | Caesar, unselfish as Bayard, in the person of some school-felldw or playmate, perhaps but a pri vate In the ranks, In whom he Mad never imagined such quali-j to dwell? An unlettered ' plow-man, or a clerk from the ■fHrtllage store, but worthy to stand upon the bridge with Hor atius, or charge with McDonald at Wagrani. Let me sketch two such heroes from my own know ledge and observation and let them stand for ten thousand. Risden Oliver Hare, of Yad kin county, N. C„ was born and bred in humbler walks of life, a carpenter, with barely e ' nough education to read wr.te and make simple calculations necessary in his trade: but he born a gentleman .with a Ittgh sense of honor and personal dignity; with an address and manner of which Lord Chester field need not have been asham ed. He volunteered at the out break of the war, and leaving a wife and child at home, he went with the 38th regiment of North Carolina troops to the array of Northern Virginia. Dur- Ags the first winter he was pro»-\ "nSited by an attack of inflam matory rheumatism and lay for! mdkiths suffering excruciating pain, with little apparent hope of, permanent recovery. He was ur ed by his officers and compan-! A ions to accept a discharge and to his home, hut he per-j declaring that; for tbe war! Hmrough it or per-' With the re-J he recovered and was soon promoted to a lieuten- l ancy for gallantry in battle; and, from that time on, whether in the long weary march of sum-l mer or shivering, half-clad and unfed, around the bivouac fires of winter, or charging upon lines of fire and steel. Lieutenant Hare' |Fis always at the post of dutyi ifnd danger, performing every, duty of a soldier with a courage! and intelligence, and bearing eve ! ry privation with a cheerfulnesH! and alacrity that made him the| ideal of officers and men. But on the night of the first -lay at 41is battle of Chancellorsville, when the 38th regiment was in the dark, near Hamil ton's Crossing, and the shells were tracing patl'.s of fire P through the black heavens, and shot were screaming like dea mons in the air, a cannon ball - passed through the regiment, and that dull, fearful thud x was hoard, by which the soldier kiiovw so well that some com rade is slain. Lieutenant Black groped along the line to ' Tlearn who wa sthe victim. He found the lifslcss body of Lieu tenant Hare, his head shattered by a cannon shot. His body lies where he fell, in an unknown and unmarked grave, and there gleeps not, even upon the heights "%if Fredericksburg, so often bap tised' in the best blood of the continent, among the thousands that rest there, a braver soldier, I a loftier gentleman, or a truer I pariot than Lieutenant Hare. If I had to write his epitaph I I would take, with slight alterat ion, the lines from Goethe's Jgaust. which the dying soldier I of Margurite applied to I hiiriself: is gone through death's TW V dreamy sleep to God, A soldier and a brave one.' ' Karlv in the fearful year of 1861 when the foundations of opinion ard Snuthefn feeling were heaving like the ■l billows of a storm-troublnd ocean ' when all the people were cut- BL ting loose from the mooring of century, and heaving tham selves, the wiser part of them, with sadness and tears, for a con test that they felt to be Inevit able which they knew must be long and bloody, involving the existence of loved and vemerat ed Institutions, and the lives of States and populations; In the midst of these dreadful times, Samuel H. Wylen, a young Mary lander about 22 years of age, appeared suddenly on foot and alone, a total stranger to every one, in the little village of Yadkinville, N. C. I well remem ber my first interview with him; his striking personal appearance and "the impression he made up on me. He was of slight but sy mmetrical form, a large dreamy eye of light blue, a face delicate and beautiful as a woman's and manners that betokened a high degree of cultivation, delicacy and refinement. He was a cab inet-maker, seeking employment in his trade. For some trifling kindness that I rendered him, he became my friend. The friendship of such a man is worth more than the friendship of a Gould or a Vanderbuilt. When I ex pressed my determination to volunteer, he declared he would go with me. He had won the rep utation of a coward among the bullies of the village, because wheir cursed and reviled by some of them instead of resenting he had smiled and silently walk ed away: and there were many jeers at the idea of this effem inate becoming a soldier. He was colicited to run for office, with an asurance of ejection, both on the organization and the re-or ganization of his company, but he refused, declaring he "would never wear his spurs until he had won them." It was soon found that this delicate boy was always in the front on the long and weary march; that he endured the hardships and pri vations of a soldier, not with patience, for that kills, but with Joy and delight. But it was not until the first battle of his regiment that his true character was shown for in the presence of death there is no hypocrisy; there all masks are dropped and the man stands forth ?.s he is. From the time thai the first balls whistled through the ranks of the 38tli regiment, Samuel H. Wylen be came a hero, and, without a star or stripe upon hi* collar, the ac knowledged leader of all baser spirits around him, in every hour or peril, on every field'of death. He was soon promoted on the field to a •lieutenancy, by the brave Pender, "for gallantry in battle." He followed the South ern cross with unceasing devo tion in the smoke of every battle until that fearful day at Gettys burg when his regiment, charg ing up to within twenty yards of the enemies breastworks, torn shattered and bleeding, stagger ed, reeled and broke back; but Lieutenant Wylen went on alone sword in hand straight for ward; and he has never been seen or heard of since. Doubtless his undistinguished bones lie there entombed in that Golgotha Had I the power I would order for him a column of Corinthian brass, and its summit should rise as high as the column of any starred and titled hero that fell on Cemetery Heights. 1 have sketched these two Confederate soldiers because they are among the brave dead whom I knew and loved, because they held no rank that entitled their names to a place in the ar istocratic scrolls of history; and many others. Of such stuff were because they are but types of so the fathers, brothers, friends and neighbors on whose graves you strew flowers today; men of lofty, unselfish heroic mold, who believed in and acted upon the maxim, "Dulce et decora pft) patris mori" The names of most of them will soon become undistinguish able in the currents of history and tradition, but the memory of their common glory shall live as long as the sun shall continue his course in the heavens*; and as long as the hills and vales of their loved South shall bear flowers, so long shall her fair daughters, gather them with lov ing hands, on each returning memorial day, strew them, jew eled with their tears, upon the graves of "the Confederate dead." While speaking of these things I am aware that more than 18 years have passed since the last echoes of the last gun of tha strife of which 1 speak, died a way among the Virginia hills— eighteen years since the South ern cross was folded up and laid away In the everlasting trea- I am aware that I stand in the sure house of the world's glories, presense of "novus ordo secal orum." that has spn*ng from the ashes of the. revolution and root ed itself firmly among Its blood sprinkled cinders; of a new gen eration of men and women to whom these things are ss much history as are the details of the Pellopenesian war; but to you these things are not unprofitable They teach you to cherish hjgh thoughts to emulate noble ac tions! they admonish you to walk worthily of the vocation wherewith you are called, be* cause you have the blood of he roes in your viens, and in no re mote decree; because you belong to a race whose courage, whose science and whose cannon dom inate the world, and compell its progress in the grand march of material and of spiritual advan cement. I am happy to be able to say to you that the sectional bitter ness engendered by the war, has at last died out and expired, like the heat of a slowly coloing vol cano in whose chasms the vine at length sends down its roots for nourishment, and over which spreads its branches to hide their sulphurous jaws with fruit and beauty. Hie South had nothing to gain but all to lose, by keep ing up the strife by a war of words; so she laid it down so far as human nature could do so, when she laid bare her arms. For awhile it seemed that a por tion of the Northern people, and almost exclusively that portion that had not the courage to come to the front whilst the contest raged, and satisfy their anger "With that stern Joy thai war riors feel I foeman worthy of their steel." Those that lagged in the rear to speculate or followed the armies at a safe distance as quarter masters. commissaries or sui ters, bad chosen for themselves the platform that Lucifer laid down for himself and his fallen comrades in that first grand council that assembled in Pande monium, to which they "walked wth uneasy steps across the burning marl," to wit. "Immor tal hate and the study of re venge," Rut these last and bit terest and most despicable fruits of the war have at last passed away, and this great country is today one in sentiment and pur pose, as she is in territory and in destiny. I myself have seen, I nthe na tional capitol, the last blue flames of sectional hate, rise and fall and flicker and finally expire, like a burned out candle in its socket. Four years ago, three years ago a day scarcely passed there but some bitter taunt was thrown across the chamber by some scarless quar ter master at the "Southern Brigadiers;" always received with digified silence; for a sol dier, in time of peace can no more afford to bandy words with a quartermaster, than could the Archangel Milchael afford, when -the devil contended with him, to "return railing for railing." Even then it was . apparent that this was distasteful to the brave, the generous and the pat riotic part of the Northern peo ple. They never indulged in it or applauded it. It became more and more unfrequent as it be came less and less available as a party battle cry to rally the ig norant or the vicious to the standard of a political party: hut when the assin's bullet, im pelled, thank God, by no South ern hand, sought 1 the vitals of the President of the United States, and the whole South gat hered, as one man and wept a round suffering and dying bed, then the whole heart of the North was subdued and melted in sympathy and the "bloody chasm" was closed forever. Since that time no bitter sec tional taunt has passed from side to side of either house of Congress. That body has become again, what it was before the war, the Congress of the United States, and is no longer the a rena of strife for two rival sec tional factions. The press, the pulpit and the stump of the North have ceased to echo the insolence of victory and the nuil ave of revenge. The next Presi dent of the United States will, for the first time in a third of a century call the high councelors wtihout distinction of section, from the statesmen of the North and the South, and the West, and the high trusts and honors of the government will hence forth be as acoessable to men of our section as to any other. There will be nothing left to us then of the fearful strife but the glorious names and deeds which it envolved; and these will be all national, not sectional trea sures: the fame of Thomas and McPherson and all the stainless soldiers who fell on the side of the North, will be as much our pride and our glory as the fame of Lee and Jackson and our own "Confederate dead." Jefferson Davis, "the last single captive to millions at war," the lafct reced ing focus for expiring sectional hate, shall be cannonized, along with Abraham Lincoln, as a lof ty patriot, brave, true to his prin ciples and faithful to his coun try. under the circumstances .in which he was placed. The man who unselfishly imperiled his life and fortune for his state and section, on either side, Is worthy to live in the pantheon x of his tory and be assured that our THE ELKIN TRIBDNW, ELKIN, NORTH CAROLINA I common country will never suf fer to be forgotten, or to remain unhonoted, the names of her bravest and truest sons, be cause the puny mand of contem porary malice may attempt to write upon their giant shields the word "Rebel and Traitor." Henceforth the battles of this country are to be between the giants of reason, of science and 01 principles. The victories though bloodless, are to be as glorious as the victories of the warrior; tflrid their fruits are not to be graves and tearg and bro ken hearts and men to walk the earth lacking legs and arms; hut fields smiling with heavy har-. vests and glad homes and hap py hearts, the scream of th j steam whistle, the school house and the church; a greater na tion made richer and freer and wiser every day. We all have a part to perform, either as vol unteers or conscripts, in this glorious warfare of the present and future. To perform our part worthily it is necessary that we should fix our principles, poli tical and moral, firmly and in telligently, and then stand by thwn. "though the heavens fall" I once heard an unlearned Prim itive Baptist preacher say, in a sermon in the mountains of. North Carolina, that he had no, use for a man who entertained! a principle, religious or political that he was not willing to die for. I thought it a noble senti ment, worthy of a Roman Sen ator or an American citizen. As such I commend it to you. Twelve additional good farm ers of Cauldwell will plant alfalfa this fall, reports P. M. Hendricks, county agent. Two hundred acres of corn and all the garden and truck crops needed to feed 20 tenant families will be grown by L. F. and Flint Klutz in Catawba County this season. The broth ers have 350 acres in cotton. C AM EL a promise of pleasure : . v ■ '■■ . iifc- M f 'J H iJ| w?% A I EP9 ;|riS wi w -vyli .JariiMl^Wßii, 111 S; \ ...../ 1 '^fc J# i/©*" MMH f}o™ JpPjfpsi|r s ~> . t ' • ';' .•* • * ~-. " IF YOU enjoy smoking, why not smoke the most enjoyable cigarette ever / made? Camels are made for pleasure . . . nothing else! The best of all the pleasure-giving goodness of choicest tobaccos—all of the delicately delight * r "*' #r*' Wfw** ful qualities of mellow, sun-ripened Turkish and Domestic tobaccos are blended * \ here in a perfect harmony of fragrance and flavor* Here, in the smoking of Camels, is one of the honest pleasures that have been added to life. It's all yours. Enjoy it. ~ , , ★ ON THE RADIO * , Ousel Plea«ure Hour—Wednesday eveaings on N. O.C. network, WjZ tad «4«octM«d TlfltiiMm Consali your local radio time tsblcj © 19M. B. I. kraaU* Tetwcm I Ciapiay, Whmtum B«l—, N. C. • . • - " ' ' • ' .' ,;'' Well and Happy Aftci Jears of Suffering f J s X'Y:-y ' MRS. CARRIE iSiiIVERT . • - -- "I've talfen three bottles of Sargon now and every neuritis and rheumatic pain in my body is gone. My nerves are In perfect condition. Not only this but I have gained ten pounds. "I am now a well and happy woman and owe a debt of grat itude to Sargon."—Mrs. Carrie V. Seivert W. Iff2> Boone Ave., Spokane. Wash. Sargon's fame is based on ac tual results not empty promises Million use it, millions praise it. Turner Drug Company agents « Mark "on your calendar dates—July 29 to August 1, and prepare to spend them at | f 'arm ( mers of eastern Carolina have and Hom(e Week, State CollegeJ One hundred and fifteen far-] entered the" five-acre corn con test sponsored by the State Col-' lege Extension Service and the Twenty-five cars of hogs have Twenty-two faimeis of kdge heen sold from Duplin County eombe Cnunt - V are » hi PP in « this spring in cooperative ship- , "' am 60 the ulsbur ß «"•»" ary. ments. - ' „ ' MDR. ROY B.HARRELLI C. G* ARMFIELD . DENTIST Notary Public Office Over Turner Drug Elkin National Bank . C ,j [[ 1 ■ ' -> i— —— MASONIC NOTICE | DELM QNICO CAFE Regular communication El- "Finest Place In Town kin Lodge N0.454 A. P. and We serve the best food the A. M., on aecond and fourth ... . ... ... . Saturday nights 7:80 p. m. world 9 m * ,kelß a "° rd Member* urged to attend. Sunday Dinner A Visitors cordially Invited. „ ... Specialty A. D. Harmon, W. M. • Meet Your Friends Here M. R. Bailey, Bec. ) - GEO. PAULS, Mgr. I——————______ ■ . « mm m mm wm 1 NOTICE NOTICE 4 Pay your electrie light bills before the JQth of I er :h month and save the discount. j SOUTHERN PUBLIC UTILITIES CO. " « m-m mmm m m m.m mm m■ m wm-m. m ■mm wva 'NSURANCE LOAN AND TRUST CO. INSURANCE—ELKIN, N. C. OUR AIM IS TO SERVE 1 J. F. HENDREN, Pres. R. M. BATES, Mgr.
The Elkin Tribune (Elkin, N.C.)
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June 12, 1930, edition 1
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