United Sons of Confederate Veterans
Biscoe Hindman, Commander in Chief, issues General Order No. I. in which he states:
It is with a feeling of deep responsibility that I hereby assume command of the United Sons of Confederate Veterans. When I think of the high objects of our Confederation; of our duty in perpetuating the proud records of our soldier fathers and of their gray clad comrades whom we love so well; of our devotion to the sweet memories of our mothers, and of all those Spartan women of the South, who must share the honors with the old heroes themselves; and last, and above all else, of our everlasting pride in the power of our nation and eternal love for our country and our flag — the feeling of responsibility becomes likened to one of consecration.
We have seen after many years the flower of respect between the sections deepen into one of esteem, and finally blossom into the strength and fullness of brotherly love and national patriotism. And we have come to know that among all the starry gems set in the azure field of “Old Glory,” none sparkle with purer patriotism or greater brilliancy than those of the Sunny South. Under that flag many of you first saw the light of day and the strength and glory of our great republic. We place it above wealth and preferment; we love it better than life itself. Our love for it began in the cradle and will end only in the grave. There was a time when our Union was shaken with the shock of contending armies and bathed in the blood of our best and bravest men. But that time has long since passed away, and the few’ remaining scars of conflict disappeared forever when the nation’s defenders, young soldiers and old veterans alike, from all over her broad lands, marched shoulder to shoulder to drive the Spanish tyrant from the Western Hemisphere, and to raise the flag of freedom over an oppressed and down-trodden people. Put you and I, who were strangers to the great conflict between the States, are no better patriots, no truer defenders of the Union to-day, than the fast decreasing gray army which meets once a year in the sweet comradeship of the olden time.
Our fathers fought for State rights, local self-government, separate nationality and constitutional liberty, and no people ever maintained a grander or more glorious struggle. But their Confederation failed, and they accepted the arbitrament of the sword and turned with strong hearts to their desolated and impoverished homes, to take up anew the struggle of life, with the same magnificent courage which they had shown on the battlefield, and which had won for them the admiration of the brave soldiers of the Union and the plaudits of all enlightened nations.
The passing of the war-begrimed remnants of the gray-clad army from the red carnage of the battlefield, from the scenes of glorious victories and terribly contested defeats, to build up the ruins of their fortunes and their homes, to associate with manumitted slaves whose ignorance made them the pliant tools of unscrupulous adventurers that always follow in the train of a victorious army, presented a problem before which the bravest and stanchest souls might well have trembled.
But these Confederate soldiers were equal to that problem. They had been heroes in battle; they now became heroes in peace. They had been undaunted on the field, but they became grander in their citizenship. With unfaltering steps and superb manhood, and with a courage and a patience beyond the imagination of the human mind, they laid aside their honored gray uniforms to put on the quiet clothing of the citizen, and have served their country and their God with a sublimity that shines resplendent above the fame of war, and stands unsurpassed in all the history of the world.
OUR DUTY TO THE CONFEDERATE SOLDIER.
What supported these men, I ask you, under the great burdens laid upon them? I can hear your answer as it comes swiftly on, “The consciousness of having done their duty.” Are we their sons? And shall we not do our duty to their names by rearing monuments to their memories, and establishing in history the plain truth of their proud achievements and imperishable renown? Is it not our obligation and our duty to erect a suitable memorial to the immortal women of the South, to aid in maintaining and establishing soldiers’ homes, and to urge all reasonable legislation in the Southern States for these ends and for granting pensions to needy or disabled veterans of the brave army so fast fading away? I speak for you, my comrades, when I say to the old heroes: “We could not escape these responsibilities if we would, and we would not escape them if we could. You knew how to meet cold steel and leaden hail, and you knew how to die! In every station where you have been placed you have sustained yourselves with conspicuous honor. You have endowed us with the proud heritage of your soldier names, and the debt which we owe you is so full of tenderness and love that we shall endeavor to pay it over and over again. ’”You have nobly done your part and are entitled to call on the corporal of the guard for relief. We will grasp you by the hands and take you to our hearts.”
Among the most loyal of the nation’s defenders are the leaders of the South, who voice the sentiments of their whole people. Our Joe Wheeler and our Fitzhugh Lee have lived to serve both the South and the Union, and have served both causes well, and they now wear the uniforms of generals in the army of the United States. Truly we now have
“ One flag, one land, one heart, one hand. One nation evermore.”
This excerpt is from the June 1900 issue of the Confederate Veteran magazine, penned by Biscoe Hindman, a Spanish-American War veteran and the son of CSA General Thomas C. Hindman. These men are the epitome of patriotism, seamlessly blending their Southern pride with a deep love for America. While Commander in Chief Biscoe Hindman was passionately pro-Southern and fervently supported Confederate monuments, his unwavering patriotism for the United States was undeniable. Reflecting on his words, I feel it’s essential for us to reconnect with our foundational values. Today’s SCV could gain much by revisiting and embracing the timeless principles and dedication exemplified by our predecessors.
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