Winnie Davis Camp No. 108 UCV
The Passing of Camp Winnie Davis
Taps will sound Saturday afternoon marking the end of regular meetings
of Camp Winnie Davis. As the ranks have steadily thinned, those few left
are now too old and feeble to continue. For more than half a century, these
veterans have done well - in business, politics, education and spiritual
fields. They have built the Old South into the New and their work stands
as a living testimonial. And when war clouds again gathered, these Confederates
sent their sons into battle to fight for a "war to end all wars." Hundreds
of thousands of men came from the South to fight shoulder to shoulder with
sons of Yankees for a common cause. Jovan Marchbanks, son of Adjutant B.
F. Marchbanks, was among those from Ellis County who made the supreme sacrifice
in France and the American Legion Post here is named in his honor
Today there are only a very few heroes of '61, less than a squad of gray-clad
figures who marched off in the prime of young manhood to uphold the Cause.
There are six active members: John Gilbert, 94, president of the camp;
L. O. Wilson, 89; B. F. Marchbanks, 88; T. B. Jackson, 85; John Claunch 82
and W. R. Norman, 82. For 62 years these stalwart sons of the Old South have
carried on. Though they fought for the Lost Cause, they came back not in
bitterness, not with rankling spirit, but despite ravages of war, they built
anew. They worked for a united nation and gave their sons in later
wars for the glory of the United States.
Camp Winnie Davis has been in Waxahachie for many long years and the news
of its closing was received with regret. The old soldiers still here
have only a few years longer as they become more feeble. When they
have all been laid to rest and when Memorial Day comes around:
"From the silence of sorrowful hours We may ardently hope for the day when war shall be no more but so long
as our race endures we shall never forget the illustrious heroes who have
fought for this glorious land of ours. It would be most inglorious
to deny honor to our heroes of their valorous deeds and the Old Confederates
will be remembered long after they have crossed over the river to rest under
the shade of the trees. They heeded the injunction to beat the swords
into plough shares and their work stands as a living testimonial to altruism
that while it is noble to die for one's country - it is more so to live for
it.
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The desolate mourners go
Lovingly laden with flowers
Waiting the Judgment Day
Under the roses the Blues
Under the lilies the Gray."
