The 10th of May Memorial Exercises were very pleasingly carried out by Junius Daniel Chapter U.D.C. in Weldon Tuesday, the chief event being the presentation of a war cannon given by the War Department of the United States, through the Chapter, to be mounted on the grounds of the Graded School. The cannon is about 14 feet long and weighs about 3,000, and is mounted on a concrete base 10 feet square with 18 inch elevation. There are granite columns at each counter and the center surmounted by 10-inch Confederate cannon balls, with a heavy chain enclosing the whole.
The exercises began with a street parade led by the Weldon Band, consisting of the local Post of the American Legion, the Boy Scouts, Confederate veterans and their wives, widows of veterans, the Junius Daniel Chapter, and many friends. The procession started at 3:30 o’clock from the Opera House, halting at the beautiful monument on Washington avenue, where a short memorial service was held, as follows:
Bugle Call
All stand at attention and salute Confederate Flag.
President—“Daughters of the Confederacy, this day we are gathered together, in the sight of God, to strengthen the bonds that unite us in a common cause, to renew the vows of royalty to our sacred principles; to do homage unto the memory of our gallant Confederate soldiers, and to perpetuate the fame of their noble deeds unto the third and fourth generations. To this end we invoke the aid of our Lord.”
President—“Hear my prayer, O God; attend unto my prayer.”
Response by All Present—“From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” President—“For thou Lord, art good and ready to forgive; and righteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee.”
Response by All Present—“Give ear, O Lord, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.”
Hymn 415
Faith of our fathers living still
In spite of dungeon, fire and sword
O how our hearts beat high with joy
When e’er we hear that glorious word,
Faith of our fathers! Holy faith,
We will be true to thee till death.
Faith of our fathers! We will love
Both friend and foe in all our strife
And preach thee, too, as love knows how
By kindly words and virtuous life
Faith of our fathers holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death.
Prayer
Dixie by Band
On reaching the school grounds Lieutenant Charles R. Daniel was introduced and very pleasingly presented the cannon and Prof. W.B. Edwards, Superintendent, accepted it for the school. Lieutenant Daniel is a Weldon boy, one of the first pupils of the school when organized, and is of noble Confederate lineage, his great-grandfather having seven sons in the armies of Lee and Jackson, his mother a charter member of the Junius Daniel Chapter of Weldon, and his father literally the father of the Graded School. Lieut. Daniel is also himself a veteran of the World war. Having graduated at the University, he entered the Law School of the University, but when in 1917 the call came he entered the first Officers’ Training Camp, was commissioned, went overseas, saw the horrors of war in France, remained in Germany for many months with the Army of Occupation, came home re-entered the University where he received his degree. Then licensed to practice law he returned to “our Main street,” entered into partnership with his father, and is making good even in Weldon.
After the speaking, Confederate Crosses of Honor were given by the President of the Chapter to two veterans, Mr. Samuel Trueblood and Mr. J.L. Harris.
A pleasing feature of the program was 20 little girls, whose grandfathers were Confederate veterans, in middy suits with red sashes carrying flowers to be placed on the cannon and also on the graves of veterans in our cemetery. These sang “America” while little Margaret Johnston Sledge lifted the folds of a large U.S. Flag with which the cannon was draped. This flag flew from the masthead of the “Sagadahoe,” a large U.S. ship on her trial trip after launching, but for cause was removed. The “Sagahahoc” several times crossed overseas, safely carrying high explosives to France, but she at last fell victim to a German submarine and was sunk.
As this was a Confederate Memorial Day, another coincidence may be given. During the war between the States Weldon was a strategic point and the bride across Roanoke River was guarded with great care. During the spring of 1864 Capt. Webb’s Battery of Light Artillery from Richmond County was sent to Weldon and stationed on the cliffs just across the river for the protection of the town and bridge. The Captain and his men made many friends and often ladies of the town were invited to witness the maneuvers of the Battery in drilling with their horses and big guns. On one occasion Captain Webb said to a party of girls, “Now select one of the boys for a sweetheart and I will bring him to see you.”
A bright young girl replied, “That one on the black horse is my choice,” though she had never seen the young man before. The sequel is, they met, after the war ended, he returned to Weldon, they were married, are both living yet, have raised a large family of sons and daughters, and the young man of that day was one of the veterans who received the Cross of Honor.
A surprise feature of the occasion was the presentation in loving and beautiful words by Mrs. C.W. Gregory, a handsome U.D.C. pin to Mrs. Ida Wilkins, President of the Chapter. This was so entirely unexpected, that Mrs. Wilkins seemed not to be able to express her deep appreciation. The exercises all through were well planned and very effectively carried out.
The ladies of the local Chapter feel very grateful to all who assisted in the exercises and hope at some time to carry out their original plan of adding a tablet to the cannon showing its purpose and bearing the name of every boy from Weldon who enlisted in the great world war.
From The Roanoke News, Weldon, N.C., May 12, 1921
The Sagadahoc was a cargo ship built in 1918 and taken over by the Navy on completion and was commissioned in the Naval Overseas Transportation Service on July 9. 1918. "Operated by the War Department account, Sagadahoc carried munitions, supplies, and vehicles for the American Expeditionary Force during the last months of World War I. After the Armistice, she continued to carry Army cargo between New York and France and completed her last run, at New York, on 31 July 1919. She was decommissioned and returned to the Shipping Board on 18 August 1919," from http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/steamers/sagadaho.htm. The Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, V. 6, 1976, p. 226, contradicts the newspaper article. I don't know which is correct.
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