USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > First Annual Report of the Ohio Valley Historical Association comprising the proceedings of the central Ohio Valley History Conference held at Cincinnati, Ohio, Nov. 29 and 30, 1907 > Part 11
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Organizations and societies without number have been established, whose supreme object is to make American citizenship higher and nobler than the citizenship of any other country on the globe. Organizations for the improvement of civic conditions, for the correction of evils and abuses that have crept into the body politic, and, in a word, for the furtherance of every project that promises a betterment of life among all classes, by establishing higher ideals and promoting education in the pure, true, and noble things that make for character and lead to good citizenship. Patriotism, loyalty, and reverence for the worthy deeds of worthy ancestors are but synonyms of good citizenship, and as these
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virtues embrace the cardinal principles on which rest the foundation of the Society Sons of the Revolution, I deem it an honor to speak to you · this afternoon of the purposes of that Society and of what it has ac- complished.
In a speech delivered shortly after its organization, the Hon. Ham- ilton Fish conferred upon the Society Sons of the Revolution the hon- orable title of "Younger Brother" to the Society of the Cincinnati, a most appropriate title, for the younger is practically an outgrowth from the older.
May I ask your indulgence while I briefly mention the conditions that led to the organization of this magnificent younger Society, a So- ciety whose membership extends into every state of the Union, with State Societies in the District of Columbia and thirty-one of the States?
The Society of the Cincinnati, as is no doubt well known to all present, embraced in its membership only the officers of the Revolutionary Army and their oldest male descendants. It was instituted at the Canton- ment of the patriot army on the Hudson River, May 13th, 1783.
General Washington. the first President of the Society, in an ad- dress to its members, closed with the eloquent words, "Let us, then, prosecute with ardor what he have instituted in sincerity ; let Heaven and our consciences approve our conduct ; let our actions be the best comment on our words. and let us leave a lesson to posterity, that the glory of soldiers cannot be completed without acting well the part of citizens."
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The Cincinnati, for many years, occupied the foremost place in the country's celebration of Revolutionary events and anniversaries, but after a distinguished existence its membership became greatly depleted, the Society ceased to exist in. many of the original states, and its members no longer took an active part in the affairs of the country.
The centennial of the Boston Tea Party, celebrated December 16th, 1873, inaugurated a notable sequence of official and public celebrations commemorating the heroic occurrences in our great struggle for inde- pendence, which aroused to activity the hearts of those who cherished the deeds of their ancestors. The inactive condition of the Society of the Cincinnati made a deep impression upon the minds of many who were jealous of the brilliant fame of that Society, and it was hoped that the advent of centennial years would be propitious for restoring that organization to its original position of ascendency; to secure that end an effort was made to have its doors opened to all male descendants of Revolutionary officers. The suggestion was received in a kindly spirit, but received no further consideration. as Mr. Fish, the President Gen . eral, stated that the sentiment of the Cincinnati prohibited any departure from the precedents of nearly a century, and no change could be made from the established rule of eligibility.
Mr. John Austin Stevens of New York, by whom the matter was presented, was gravely impressed by these conditions. Endowed with a
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· spirit of patriotism, he felt that the time was ripe for the organization of a great patriot 'society upon the broadest foundations, catholic as to its membership in right of ancestors of the Revolution, and which might be made a factor for good in the direction of public affairs and the inculcation of principles of honor and patriotism in the hearts of the people of the Nation. With faith in the goodness of his cause, he pre- sented the matter to those of his associates whom he knew to be in full accord with his sentiments. His proposition was heartily endorsed, a Society was organized, and, by a happy inspiration, a name unique and descriptive was selected for the new Society.
In 1765, on nearly the same spot, and under the vows of Masonic secrecy, was organized "The Sons of Liberty," whose purpose was re- sistance to the Stamp Act, and the insidious encroachment of England upon the rights of the Colonies. The movement spread rapidly from Boston to Savannah. and its members were the leaders in all those ag- gressive acts of opposition which finally compelled a repeal of the law.
In adopting the name, "Sons of the Revolution," the committee chose an appellation significant of its purpose to conserve those eternal principles of honor, patriotism, liberty and justice, the heritage from "The Sons of Liberty," and which name we most devoutly believe will endure until time shall end.
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Public attention was immediately attracted to this new Society, and. an increase of membership followed, not alone from New York, but from the adjoining States. Its increase was so rapid that, at the time of the centennial celebration of the adoption of the Constitution of the United States, it had upwards of four hundred members,, and the material of which this membership was composed was of such substantial and good standing in the community, that when a committee of two hundred was appointed by the Mayor from among the citizens of New York to take the management of the magnificent celebration, thirty-six of its members were found to be members of the Society of the Sons of the Revolution. A number of them were again placed upon the most im- portant sub-committees, and were entrusted with the most responsible and laborious duties. The Society itself was given the highest place of honor next to the Society of the Cincinnati, and paraded as an escort to the President to their full number.
Just here permit me to refer to the unjust criticisms, that have. from time to time, asserted that the Society Sons of the Revolution rep- resented only an exposition of sentimental ideas; that its dominating principles were pride of ancestry and class exclusiveness; that its most important work was devoted to the establishing of a genealogical descent through four or five generations of American progenitors. that its mem- bers may say "We are not as this publican whose father came to us in the steerage."
Such criticisms, if made at all, have been made by those who have no conception of its purposes. That one should not take a reasonable
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pride in a worthy ancestry, indicates that such person is possessed of a perverted mind, or, at least, an utter indifference to the higher ideals of life. It is true, the millionaire, the political leader, or the social autocrat cannot be enrolled in the membership of this Society unless he is de- scended from a participant on the Colonial side in our war for inde- pendence, and unless he is a man of integrity and respected by his neighbors; but every man, whatever his position, even the laborer who earns his bread by the sweat of his brow, if a good citizen and qualified, is as welcome to its membership as he who sits in the executive chair or presides in our courts of justice. As to its patriotic character, an eminent member of the Society, the late William Leverett Chase of Massachusetts, in an address, said: "The only good from such orders as the Sons of the Revolution may be the highest good, if we realize the sacred trust of duties, a proud legacy committed to our faithful keep- ing; to preserve in their purity, to broaden and ennoble by our own self-sacrifice, and transmit to those who come after us, with no spot or stain, unless it can be our holy privilege to pour our blood upon the altar of American liberty, and go to our God and our fathers with the only crown we revere; that of martyrdom for principles which have dignified and elevated the living, and will shed eternal lustre over those dying to maintain and perpetuate them."
The Society Sons of the Revolution has, through its State Societies, given object lessons to the young in our schools by awarding prizes for excellence in essays upon subjects connected with the Revolution; in the presentation of portraits of Washington, and the embellishment of school houses with tablets, busts and portraits,-a daily incentive for conscientious work and love of country.
In other fields, the Congress of the United States, and our State Legislatures have been petitioned to designate June 14th-the anniversary of the adoption of our national banner-as Flag Day and to pass stringent laws prohibiting the use of the Stars and Stripes as an advertising medium; and many battle fields and camp grounds have been purchased and restored to the public domain as parks for all future time.
Its literature has been voluminous and characterized by artistic merit in its publication. Over two hundred volumes have been issued by its State Societies. all of which are replete with biographical and his- torical data discovered in old garrets and extracted from family archives, which are unknown to our public libraries and which have thrown new light upon the story of our Revolution.
It aims to keep alive the spirit of patriotism, to revive . the memories of the heroic deeds of the fathers, and to foster among all the people of our land a fervent devotion towards the institutions of our common country; to encourage historical research in relation to the Revolution, also to provide for the preservation of documents, relics, and the individual records of men, who, by their devotion, gave us the free- dom we enjoy, and which we hope to leave as an inheritance to those
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who come after us; to bring together in a friendly brotherhood, the men of the North, the South, the East and the West in non-political, non- sectarian gatherings; and to promote the celebration of patriotic anni- versaries, and by these, and other means, to impress upon the present and future generations the patriotic spirit which actuated our ancestors when they established the Republic of the United States of America.
Further than this, one of the sacred duties which the Sons of the Revolution have assumed is that of perpetuating by imperishable marks the memory of those devoted heroes, their illustrious deeds, and the places which they consecrated in their great fight for freedom and justice. This work has been, and is being, prosecuted with the greatest patriotic zeal under the bountiful contributions of its members all over the United States.
The bronze statue of Nathan Hale by MacMonnies, erected in the City Hall Park of New York, has been accepted by the people as an ornament to the city and an honor to the patriotic society that erected it; the noble equestrian statue of Anthony Wayne, erected by the Penn- sylvania Society, and the numerous statues, monuments and bronzes erected in all of the original states, and in many of the other states, indicate how thorough its work has been in establishing patriotic mem- orials that will endure until time shall be no more. To enumerate the historic grounds and buildings that have been secured by the Sons of the Revolution and preserved for the people of the Nation, would greatly exceed our limit of time. Nor can we undertake to describe the mag- nificent tablets of bronze that in endless number adorn the cities and beautify the country, telling in their mute language of heroic deeds and historic events, and we confine ourselves to the mention of two tablets, one erected on the old wharf in Boston, beautifully designed and artistically decorated with tea leaves, bearing the inscription :
"No! Ne'er was mingled such a draught, In palace, hall or arbor, As freemen brewed and tryants quaffed That night in Boston harbor."
The other, the. Society's latest tablet work of art in bronze, erected upon Frauncess Tavern, New York City, bearing in relief the bust of Frederick Samuel Tallmadge, through whose interest and munificence the building was secured for preservation, and for the use of the Sons of the Revolution, and bearing the inscription: "Frederick Samuel Tall- madge, New York. 1824-1904. To live in hearts we leave behind, iş not to die.
Frauncess Tavern, erected in 1719.
Chamber of Commerce founded here 1768. , Washington's farewell to his officers. December 4th, 1783. Centennial Celebrations of Washington's
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farewell, 1883. Sons of the Revolution organized liere December 4th, 1883. Building purchased and restored by the Sons of the Revolution as a memorial to Frederick S. Tallmadge, 1905. Ceremony attending restor- ation. December 4th, 1907."
This historic building contains an invaluable collection of souvenirs of the Revolution and houses the library of the New York Society, and it will be a home and headquarters for Sons of the Revolution of the entire country, who will always be welcomed to its halls.
I shall only take further time to mention some of the things that have been accomplished by the Ohio State Society, which has contributed liberally of its funds for patriotic and educational purposes. For some years it gave money prizes to pupils of the Ohio public schools . and universities for the best original essays on revolutionary topics, the subjects for which were prepared by a committee of the Society, and led to contests that not only interested a large number of students, but resulted in the securing by the Society of a number of thoughtfully pre- pared and valuable papers. Having discontinued the giving of prizes for patriotic essays, it has contributed to a well known college a large sum annually, to be used in the education of descendants of Revolutionary soldiers, of whom there are a large number on its rolls.
The Ohio Society has contributed to the erection of tablets and monuments commemorative of Revolutionary events, and maintains a regular committee for the purpose of locating and marking the graves of Revolutionary soldiers buried within the State.
It has regularly celebrated Washington's Birthday. and other patriotic events, and introduced to its meinbers as speakers many eminent men of letters from different parts of the country. It has established a position that is second to no other State Society, and the Ohio Society Sons of the Revolution is today faithfully and diligently prosecuting its work, elevating so far as it may, the standard of American citizenship, and teaching the virtues of patriotism, loyalty to the government, and reverence for the worthy deeds of worthy ancestors.
V. DAUGHTERS OF THE CONFEDERACY.
MRS. JOHN J. SHEARER.
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen :
It gives me pleasure to appear in this interesting company to assign the raison d'etre of the organization known as the U. D. C., or United Daughters of the Confederacy.
It would not be possible in the "five or ten minutes" allotted to me on this program to give even the bare facts of our history, but I hope to make clear in outline at least the plan and the objects of our or- ganization.
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During the war between the states, numbers of Southern women on adjoining or neighboring plantations banded themselves together to give all possible moral support and material aid to the soldiers of the South. Long before its close these bands and many others became memorial and charitable societies. The Kentucky women in Jefferson County decorated graves as early as 1862. At the close of the war the locating and marking of graves became secondary to caring for those who came back to the ruins of their homes with "all lost save honor." Long before our legislatures were able to provide hospitals and homes for their wounded and now poverty-stricken heroes, these noble women- who had themselves little else than the will to do-nursed and fed, clothed and comforted, hundreds of sick and needy ; but it was not until September, 1894, that these numerous and widely scattered local groups were brought together into a national organization under the name of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.
Those women who are entitled to membership are the wives, widows, sisters, mothers, nieces, and lineal descendants of such men as honorably served in the Confederate army, navy, or civil service: or of those men unfit for active duty who gave aid to the cause; also women and their lineal descendants who can furnish proof of personal service and loyal aid to the Southern cause during the war.
Seven or more eligible women in any state or territory in which no chapter exists may form a chapter and be chartered on application to the "United Daughters of the Confederacy." All subsequent chapters shall apply through the first chapter for their charter until a state di- vision shall have been formed.
The national organization has now fifty thousand members, scattered yet united throughout thirty States. Kentucky has fifty-seven Chapters, with some twenty-four hundred members; West Virginia. twenty-five, with a thousand names enrolled: Indiana one Chapter with thirty-nine members : Ohio three Chapters, with some hundred and thirty members. -Of course, the States farther South have very many more Chapters to the State and a much larger membership for each Chapter. I have men- tioned only the four States comprised in the Central Ohio Valley, because this region is especially under consideration now: here the United Daughters number about three thousand five hundred and eighty- there may be many other "daughters" not yet members of the national organization. So much in brief for the organization-itself; now for its work :
Summed up, its objects are three :
1. Memorial.
2. Benevolent and social.
3. Historical.
I have already spoken of the decorating and marking of graves even during the war. Well, that work of love has continued and ex-
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panded. In some communities May 30, in others June 3, is observed às Decoration Day.
We have been very diligent in our search for the graves of our beloved dead, finding many here in Ohio-there are two thousand six hundred in Camp Chase cemetery, some at Gallipolis, and some here in Cincinnati, in Spring Grove. As we have been financially able to do so, we have erected fitting monuments to our heroes in various parts of the South and in some places in the North also. The broad and beautiful Monument avenue in Richmond, Va., furnishes many magnificent evidences of the loyal liberality and the stout-hearted persistency of many struggling Chapters of the U. D. C. Indeed, in almost every city of the South and in many small towns are to be seen statues and busts of her heroes in marble and bronze. We have fixed Memorial Days. June 3 (Mr. Davis' birthday) and January 19-Lee and Jackson Day, for the whole organization. These are observed publicly throughout the length and breadth of the Southland and in the North wherever a Southern heart throbs, while each Chapter has its special anniversaries and services.
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'Tis little we can do for the dead but mark the places of their last sleep and burnish the shields that show their brave deeds.
But many of the survivors are now so disabled or feeble that they cannot work and must be cared for; while the States provide homes for aged and indigent Confederates, it is the work of the Daughters to furnish through their Chapters or from their private purses, very many things that add to the comfort of these homes. Mrs. I. Z. Duke, a Southern girl who married in New York years ago, has just built an Assembly Hall for the Home at Pewee Valley,. Ky.
Beside food, clothes, shelter. etc., which these Homes provide, the old soldiers have their tobacco, their reading matter, their visitors, their weekly or monthly entertainments-it is home in every sense possible- not an alms house. An old Confederate soldier in the poorhouse! Never ! Unworthy daughters would we be!
Not only to these survivors of the war, but to those dependent upon them do we strive to fulfill the duties of charity and love. We are doing much for the education of the children of needy Confederates. We, of the Stonewall Jackson Chapter, have a boy now in his third year I believe at Miss Berry's school-this truly remarkable woman is de- voting her home and farm near Rome, Ga., and herself to the cause of industrial education in the South. We pay for this boy's clothes, board and tuition, and a number of other boys there are similarly enabled by other Chapters to obtain an equipment for their life work. Lately the Columbia University, I think it is, has offered a scholarship each year to a Southern student, and the U. D. C. has agreed to give $350 yearly for living expenses to the recipient of this scholarship.
Any stranded Confederate is sure of aid upon application to a Chapter. He is helped out of his predicament or assisted to his desti-
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nation with few questions asked. Crosses of honor are bestowed by the Daughters of the Confederacy upon the Confederate veterans and de- scendants of deceased Confederate soldiers and sailors. The Daughters are quite active also in helping to make the annual reunion a delightful occasion for the "Old Confed." They send their fairest maids and most accomplished matrons to grace these gatherings, to strew flowers along the line of march. to bow and smile and wave flags as the dear old boys limp joyously along, to join with them in the "Rebel Yell," in a word, to make them believe that the women of the South will ever be as they have ever been, an inspiration to her men-that love and loyalty live now as in the sixties.
Our national and state organizations, through their annual conven- tions, together with our local Chapters, through their regular monthly meetings, foster a spirit of sociability among our women themselves. What the camps are to the old soldiers and their sons, these U. D. C. Chapters are to mothers, wives, daughters, etc. Sometimes we have a fancy to revive old traditions and usages, and make a party for our- selves along the line of anti-bellum hospitality, and our friends on this side of the river who are now and again bidden, say they quite under- stand why we like to do so.
The third and perhaps the greatest object of the U. D. C. is historical.
"History, as written," says Dr. J. L. M. Curry, "if accepted in future years will consign the South to infamy." It then behooves the men and women of the South to acquaint themselves speedily and per- fectly with history written and unwritten, that they may disprove any untruth, finish out any half truth and bring to light any hidden truth. The Daughters have come to realize that most people do not know, but have only impressions and traditions. We see as never before the necessity of having the facts and well established authority for those facts. So the study of history has a most important place in the work of this organization; each Chapter has a historian, each State its historian, and the national organization its general historian. At most of the monthly meetings of the U. D. C. Chapters, there is some sort of history work on the program. The Stonewall Jackson Chapter has this year a systematic study of "The Southern Colonies." We wish to know the facts of our history as far as possible from the beginning.
Being desirous that our children as well as ourselves should know the nature of our government and the love of our country, we have urged our organization to use its influence toward the removal from our school curricula of many histories whose authors were manifestly both ignorant and prejudiced. I am sure you will be glad to know that several malicious ones have been thrown out.
We are also protecting and restoring historic places of the Southern Confederacy, collecting and preserving historical material and stimulat- ing to historical research and authorship the literary genius of the
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South, and throughout our deliberations and in all our intercourse with those whose views may differ from ours, we seek to put ourselves in that others' place in order to see Truth with clear vision and spread it abroad with ungrudging spirit.
"There is no nobler work in this life than to help the Truth." : .
REPORT ON THE CONFERENCE TO THE DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.
MRS. T. L. A. GREVE.
Madam Regent and Daughters of the American Revolution, Ladies :
Few of us seem to have fully appreciated the importance of the meeting of the Central Ohio Valley History Conference in our city on November 29th and 30th. It was the first formal conference called for the expressed purpose of perfecting a permanent organization of history workers in this locality (I think) whose purpose is the gathering to- gether and preserving in an intelligent manner all historical data relating · to this Valley. We are told by Dr. Thwaites that right at our door the oldest historical remains in America, perhaps in the world, are to be found. Are not their preservation of paramount importance ?
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