Heroes of the Confederacy

The names of Southern heroes of the Civil War have not been placed on the tablets in the Arlington Memorial Ampitheater (sic) recently completed. It seems that the money for the construction of this memorial was provided from Government funds. It was dedicated "to the heroes of all the wars of the United States". Representative Upshaw, of Georgia, protested in the lower house of Congress that the names of such men as Lee and Jackson should be included in any list of American heroes. Representative Madden, of Illinois, replied: "Those men were traitors to their country in its hour of need."

Of course it is absurd to call men of the Confederate army traitors. The constitution defines a traitor as one who gives aid or comfort to the enemies of the country in time of war. The Southern States left the Union in a time of peace, and did not fight till they were compelled to do so.

The right of a state to repeal the law which its legislature had passed to put the State into the Unions, was strongly upheld by all New England only forty years before the Civil War. Even when sectional feeling was at its height, such men as Webster and Greeley recognized the fact that the South had as much right to leave the Union as the thirteen colonies had to revolt against British rule. All fair historians, even those raised in New England, will admit that there are no conclusive proofs that secession was illegal.

All the nobler men of the North have honored the bravery and devotion to duty that were characteristic of the Confederate soldier. But some little-minded Northerners, like Representative Madden, have thought that they could show their loyalty to the United States by speaking evil of the "Southern rebels'" We must see to it that this latter class of Northerners do not detract from the glorious fame which the Confederate soldiers so richly deserve.

At the call of duty these "heroes in grey with hearts of gold" marched out to battle and won surprising victories over armies that were far superior to them in numbers, and still farther ahead in the matter of equipment. The men of the Confederate army rank high among the heroes of America, and of the world!

Here is an Honor Roll of the brave men who went from Ellijay valley to fight for the freedom of the South:

Tom Henry	John Dills (?)
Leander Ledford	Alex Ledford
Big Higdon	Joe Higdon
Dr W A Moses	J M O Peek
Mark Moses	Hosea Moses
Bill Young	Larkin Moses
Nerve Frady	Jackson Moore
Jim Ammons	John Ammons
Marion Dills	Rufus Henry
Levi Blackburn	Ed Blackburn
David Mincey	Henry Mincey
Joe Clark	Thomas R Gray
(Deaf) Jim Peek	Ulric Keener
Henry Gregory	Burr Allen
Bill Hasket	Jim Bryson
Bill Corbin	Bill Henry
Billy Postell (?)	John Thomas
Parker Moore	John Ammons
George Ammons	Leander Corbin
Irvin Frady	John Knight
Joe Carroll	Joshua Bolick
J Young	Mellville Gray
H P Carpenter	Jesse Robeson
Emerest Gray	Henry Wright
David Robeson	Rufus Robeson
Bill Wright	James A Mincey
Thomas Watson	_______ Doogan
Isom Franks	Charlie Robeson
John Cornet	Bill Blackburn
George Loudermilk
Joseph Crunkleton
Little Johnnie Coon Ammons

Captain James L Robeson (It is not certain whether Capt. Robeson considered himself a citizen of Ellijay valley or not.)

No doubt many nicknames appear in this list, but it was impossible to get the correct initials in many cases, and probably the nickname will be recognized by many readers who would not remember the soldier's nickname.

R. N. M.