Editorial paragraphs.
The death of General I. M. St. John, which occurred at the White Sulphur Springs on the 7th of April, removes one of the most gallant and accomplished gentlemen, one of the ablest engineers, and one of the most devoted Confederates, whom we have ever known. Entering our service from the State of Georgia (though a New York man by birth), he distinguished himself in the engineer service, and was afterwards put in charge of the Nitre and Mining Bureau, which he managed with an energy, skill and real ability which produced results almost miraculous in the face of the difficulties against which he had to contend. In the early part of February, 1865, he was made Commissary-General of the Confederacy, and discharged his duties with such ability that, in spite of the constantly decreasing resources of the Confederacy, General Lee wrote three weeks afterwards that his army “had not been so well supplied for many months.” He also received the warmest commendation both from President Davis and the then Secretary of War--General John C. Breckinridge. The details of his service as Commissary-General were given in the modest but able paper from his facile pen which, with the accompanying documents, we published in our number for March, 1877 (volume V, pages 97-111). We deeply regret that his death will deprive us of a paper on the Confededate Nitre and Mining Bureau which he had promised us. Since the war General St. John has pursued his profession of engineering with an ability and success which has given him an enviable reputation both in this country and in Europe. For several years he had been “Consulting Engineer” on the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad. He was one of the most active members of our Society, and took the deepest interest in all that concerned our work. The Secretary has sustained a severe personal bereavement in his death, and will sadly miss the frequent visits, kindly words of cheer, wise counsel and active help of this high-toned, genial gentleman — this warm hearted, tried and true friend. Of the loss to his immediate family of this affectionate husband and devoted father we may not here speak, but can only commend them to the God of the widow and the Father of the fatherless. As one after another of our Confederate leaders falls at his post, there comes a trumpet call to those left behind to see to it that the material for a true history of our great struggle is put into proper shape.
The Maryland shaft for the soldiers' cemetery at Winchester has been completed, and will be unveiled in Winchester on the 5th of June--the Confederate memorial day of “Stonewall cemetery.” Our friend, Captain Winfield Peters, of Baltimore, favored us with a visit a few days ago, and imparted to us some of his own enthusiasm as he spoke of the ease with which the Confederate States Army and Navy Society of Baltimore had raised $2,200 for this shaft, and their plans for a grand occasion at the [240] unveiling on the approaching “memorial day” at Winchester. He also spoke enthusiastically and hopefully of the purpose of a number of their admirers to rear a monument at Winchester to the Ashby brothers (Turner and Richard), who surely deserve such commemoration.
The South Carolina monument Association of Columbia, South Carolina, published last year ( “edited by the Rocording Secretary of the Association, and published through the courtesy of the proprietors of the News and Courier, Charleston, South Carolina” ) a beautiful pamphlet contrining an account of the origin and history of their work, begun in 1869 and finished in 1879, together with a report of the proceedings at the unveiling of their beautiful monument to the Confederate dead, and the full text of the eloquent oration delivered on the occasion by General John S. Preston. The accomplished Secretary (Mrs. Isabel D. Martin) sent us a copy of the pamphlet, but, unfortunately, the Seecretary was absent at the time, it was somehow overlooked, and it thus escaped proper acknowledgment in our Papers. We have space now only to say that we hail with great pleasure this completed work of the noble women who, by self-sacrificing zeal, have reared this worthy monument to the Confederate dead of their grand old State and that we shall carefully preserve this record as worthy of an important place in our material for the future historian.
Photographs and autographs of Confederate Generals and other officers or prominent men in our Army, Navy or Civil service are earnestly solicited by General Marcus J. Wright, War Records office, Washington, who wishes them to complete the collection of the War Department. We have frequently begged our friends to send us such souvenirs for our collection, and would be glad to secure duplicates of those sent General Wright. They can be sent directly to him, or, if more convenient, we would be glad to receive and forward them.
