Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 16.djvu/212

 206 Southern Historical Society Papers.

the Cross of the crucified Christ; ask them what was the message they received from the lips of the dying? Was is not something like this : " Tell my mother I died for my country, in the fear of God and in the faith of Jesus Christ. Go, messenger; go tell her, who gave me my being, that the lessons I learned in the long ago at her knee, nerved my arm in battle and comforted my soul in death. Go tell her that hers is the honor I won, hers the glory I reaped, and mine the proud consolation that I have been true, in life and in death, to my God, my country and to her."

And now, does one need to ask will such men fight ? I tell you that is the stuff of which heroes are fashioned and martyrs made. I tell you that there is no deed of high emprise they will not dare; there is no peril in the presence of which their cheeks will blanch ; there is no foe before whom their hearts will quail.

And standing here this day I charge the historian of these times that he shall not fail to tell to future ages that the Southern soldier was a Christian warrior, and that he was brave, he was irresistible, because his faith was in God and in the justice of his cause. But that cause was lost, that faith was apparently misplaced.

Gentlemen, the beautiful window which we are here to dedicate this day to the memory of our dead, is veiled; a curtain shrouds it from your view. Presently that veil shall be withdrawn, and you will look upon it as it came from the hand of the artist. It is an allegory. There is a veil over it all. But I look on. The hour shall surely come when God will draw it aside, and we shall see the wonders of His ways and the glorious vindication of His providence.

And I know not what legend you have inscribed upon that win- dow, but I would write there to-day, memorial though it be of those who fell in a cause that was lost : " In the God of battles is the soldier's trust."

H'DQ'RS PEGRAM BATTALION ASSOCIATION, RICHMOND, VA., June ist, 1887.

Rev. H. MELVILLE JACKSON :

DEAR SIR The Pegram Battalion Association return their sincere thanks for th^ beautiful address delivered on the 3ist ultimo, at the dedication of their Memorial Window, erected in the Chapel at Lee Camp Soldiers' Home, and most earnestly request a