Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 27.djvu/126

 118 Southern Historical Society Papers.

that eventful period of our country's history by men both from the South and the North that spirit which is beautifully portrayed by Thomas Gray, Jr., when he says:

" No fearing, no doubting thy soldier shall know, When here stands his country and yonder her foe; One look at the bright sun, one prayer to the sky, One glance at our banner, which floats glorious on high; Then on, as the young lion bounds on his prey; Let the sword Hash on high, fling the scabbard away; Roll on, like the thunderbolt over the plain; We come back in glory or come not again."

Fellow citizens, small indeed, was the population of our State dur- ing the war, yet "the soldiers of Florida" had "a place in the pic- ture near the flashing of the guns" on almost every battlefield of that unequal and unparalleled conflict. Though rations were short, though clothing was poor and scant, though superior numbers op- posed, and though loved ones were dependent and suffering, yet they never faltered, but with undaunted courage followed where duty led, and fought and bled and died for their homes and their native land.

I do not err, I think, when I say, that Florida, in proportion to her population, gave to the Confederate cause, more men than any other State of the South. A gentleman, who was a gallant Confed- erate officer during the four years of terrific strife, and who is now an official of the State at Tallahassee, and in a position to be well informed, kindly handed to me a few days since, the following:

" Florida sent to the Confederate armies eleven regiments of in- fantry, two regiments of cavalry, and five batteries of artillery, ag- gregating at the first enlistment, 10,527 men. To these must be added a regiment of infantry reserves, and Munnerlyn's battalion, which was organized to gather and distribute the beef supply for the armies in the field, besides eight or ten companies of ' Home Guards,' consisting of old men and boys, making in all about 15,000 combat- ants, out of a voting population of about 13,000."

"The soldiers of Florida" came not only from every section of the State and every vocation in life, but also from every age, indeed from the " cradle to the grave." What a glorious record and what convincing proof that they battled for what they believed to be right.

As the years come and go, their patriotic service will be remem- bered as long as men shall admire and love heroic virtue.