Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/103

 Ceremonies at Unveiling of Statue of General Lee. 9T

gatherer was too sorely needed for the necessities of the living to be spared for building monuments, even to the most illustrious dead.

In the course of years, it came to be remembered that the small fund v^fhich had been accumulated by the first efforts of the founders of the association was lying idle in bank, and a meeting of the di- rectors was called on February i8th, 1876, for the purpose of deter- mining whether the association should not be dissolved, and its funds returned to the donors, or distributed to charitable associations.

A call of the roll at that meeting revealed the fact that, in the years which had passed, the president, the treasurer, the secretary, and eleven (11) of the original directors had died.

A reorganization was then effected, constituting the following offi- cers and directors : Charles E. Fenner, President; G. T. Beauregard, first Vice-President; M. Musson, second Vice-President; S. H. Ken- nedy, Treasurer; W. I. Hodgson, Recording Secretary; W. M. Owen, Corresponding Secretary. Directors : W. B. Schmidt, Geo. Jonas, Lloyd R. Coleman, R. S. Morse, E. A. Tyler, Jas. Buckner, Thos. A. Adams, Saml. Choppin, S. H. Snowden, W. T. Vaudry, Henry Renshaw, E. A. Palfrey, Saml. Boyd, Arch. Mitchell, W. C. Black, B. A. Pope, Jas. I. Day, I. L. Lyons, J. J. Mellon, E. D. Willett.

The times were scarcely more propitious than they had been before, but when the directors stood face to face with the proposition to abandon the work, their patriotic impulses refused to accept it, and inspired them with the determination at all hazards to complete it.

It was then resolved, with the means which could be immediately commanded, to begin the monument, as the best means of assuring its completion.

Of the numerous designs submitted, that of our distinguished home-architect, Mr. John Roy, was selected, not only because of its artistic merit and beauty, but also because its plan was such that its construction could proceed just as far and as fast as our means would permit.

And so was built the monument which exists to-day.

The difficult and expensive foundation, the massive mound of earth, the granite pyramid and the shapely marble column were all constructed under a contract with Mr. Roy, which provided that his work should progress just as fast as our means would allow, stopping when the treasury was empty, and proceeding when it was replenished.

Slow and tedious was its progress, often halting, while fresh ap-