Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 20.djvu/208

 202 Southern Historical Society Papers.

VIII. THE MEMORY OF OUR DEAD. "They never fail who die in a great cause." Response by Hon. Henry W. Flournoy, of Richmond.

VOLUNTARY TOASTS.

The following voluntary toast was made by Colonel W. H. Palmer, who spoke as follows:

The friends of General A. P. Hill have watched with the greatest atisfaction the interest that Petersburg has taken in his career. You have named your Confederate camp after him, and it is so appro- priate. Whatever may come to you in the future, nothing more glorious can come than the defence of your city from June, 1864, to April, 1865; and at every step his deeds form a part of your history.

In the records of every seige that I have read of, the defence had some element of hope to inspire them. At Genoa the French had hope of relief, and back of them a prosperous country to reward them for their pains and labors; at Saragossa the defenders had hope that relief would come in the end; but the defenders of your city, for nine long months while daily in contact with the enemy, knew that they were growing weaker, that the armies of the Confederacy in the field were melting away, that their government had neither reinforcements to send them or reward for them.

The only inspiration that held them to their terrible work was the hope of gaining the approval of the commander-in chief, whose personality dominates them, who they knew shared their labors and trials to the utmost.

On the night of the iyth of June General Hill received orders to move to Petersburg. It was a long and trying march from New Market Heights. His third corps was hurried across the bridge at Drury's Bluff, and part of it was in the line near the Jerusalem plank- road on the evening of the i8th of June. As we rode that day he said that with the force at General Lee's disposal the line fronting Richmond and Petersburg could not be held, and yet our great com- mander held them for nine long months. When the lines were broken General Hill's prediction was verified, he paid the forfeit with his life.

Whenever the Army of Northern Virginia was in fearful peril it was General Hill's fate to hold the post of danger. At Sharpsburg,