The Broncos’
VOICE
September 1994
«\/ c c
Volume IV Issue #2
Of Kindred Spirits:
Lauren Cook Burgess’ l4nco/^mon
By Roger A. Harris
Simply put, Lauren
Cook Burgess' new book
An Uncommon Soldier, is
likely the most impor
tant and significant
historic volume of its
kind. Her subject is
the superbly edited
letters of Sara Rosetta
Wakeman, alias Private
Lyons Wakeman, one of
the more than 400 women
estimated to have dis
guised themselves as
men, enlisted as com
mon soldiers, and in
many cases fought val
iantly during the Civil
War .
The books historic
significance lies in
the fact that it is the
only such collection of
letters by a Civil War
woman soldier known to
exist. Its beauty lies
in Burgess' gracefully
eloquent editing, out
standing in that it
retained Wakeman's hon-
est sincerity and
strength while brush
ing away the hazy am
biguities of a gone
m
m
era. We're left with a
powerful telling of a
typical soldier's life
through the eyes of a
very untypical sol
dier, Sara Rosetta
Wakeman.
Ah, but there's a
story behind the story,
one seldom told, of
ten lost, and in time,
too easily forgotten.
You see, Burgess' jour
ney was more a uniting
of kindred spirits. A
journey born of a de-
See Burgess Page 23
RESPECT DUE
By Roger A. Harris
Student leaders had
reached an impasse. For
the past two years,
efforts to have the hymn
"Lift Every Voice and
Sing" played by the FSU
band at home games had
been supposedly stymied
by the band's Musical
Director, Mr. William
Woods. To make matters
worse (or so it seemed),
when Chancellor Hackley
was confronted with the
matter, he stated that "I
won't tell my football
coach what plays to call
and I won't tell my band
director what songs to
play." He instead
suggested that student
leaders take initative
by using time set aside
during half times to
lead the audience in
singing the hymn.
I decided to talk
with our "infamous"
musical director to get
a clearer perspective
on this dilemma. I
caught Mr. Woods in
■ action (he always seems
to be in motion), just
returning from Rocky
. Mount with a load of
T-shirts for the band.
Even though he left that
morning at 5:30 am to make
the roundtrip in one day,
the savings offered by
the vendor made the trip
more than worthwhile.
From the stories I'd
been told about Mr.
Woods, I expected to be
meeting a disagreeable,
cantankerous ,
unreasonable villian in
a black hat. In reality,
I met a very proud,
humble, and dedicated man
of action, compassion,
conviction, and concern.
"I'm a country boy from
Hoke County in Raeford,
right up the road. I was
raised by simple, hard
working people who taught
me, above all else, to
respect and treat others
as you would want to
treated." It's an anthem
he lives by.
As we talked I came to
understand and appreciate
the committment to
excellence that enabled
him to earn a Master of
Music Degree; a
committment to excellence
See Respect Page 11
INSIDE . . .
Local/National News
-Sports.
Contributions by
Vincent Wilson f
■ " ■
Photagraphy by33