i,:STO,(Y OF fHE NORTH CA~OU"A Dh ISION OF THE UNITED DAUGHn~S OF TH£ CONFEDERACY 1895 TO 1934 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from State Library of Nqrth Carolina https:llarchive.org/details/historyofnorthcaOOlond Thinking it would please my friend Mrs. London, for whom I had the greatest respect and love; I am finishing for her the History# she began of the North Carolina Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. I have followed her example, compiling from the minutes and reports of the different Chairmen, the accomplishments and achievements of the North Carolina Division, United Daughters of the Con­ federacy, beginning with 1928 to 1934. It is my pleasure to present this work to the Chapters of the N. C. Division, U. D. C., as a Memorial to my mother# Charlotte E. Bryan (Mrs. Bryan) Grimes, and to my friend Mrs. Henry Armand London, for it links Mrs. London with my mother, Mrs. Bryan Grimes, both pioneers in the work of the U. D. C., the latter having been President of the secopd Chapter organized in the Division, the Pamlico Chapter Of Washington . And too, Major Henry Armand London served well as the boy courier to my father, Gen. Bryan Grimes. Major London also contributed a sketch of the war services of his old Commander. Faithfully, Charlotte Bryan Grimes (Mrs. Alfred) Y/i lli runs, President Johnston Pettigrew Chapter, U. D. C. Raleigh, N . C. April, 1934 A BRIEF HISTORY OF' T:t-U: N)-)_~ '_I I{ G AC.CJ LIN rl DIVI SION U. D. C. (Prize Winnir~ g Essay in 1928 Contest) by Mrs. Henry Armand London, Past President of the Division During the War between the st ates, there were "Soldiers Aid Societies", throughout North Carolina, and the whole South. After the War, Memorial Associations were organized wherever there was a grave to be cared for, or a living sol­ dier to help. In 1866, the "Columbus Times" of Georgia, called on the whole South to observe as Memorial Day, April 26th, the day Gen. Joseph E. Johnson Surrendered to Sherman. In 1881, North Carolina changed the date to May loth, in memory of Gen. stonewall Jackson's death. On May 10th, 1866, the "Wilmington (North Carolina) Journal" called upon "all survivors of the 'Cause', to band ' themselves together into an .~sociation for collecting the Remains of those who fell". This was done, wi th Col. Rob Cowan as President, and they worked with the Ladies Memori al Association for years. The latter was org anized July 20, 1866, to decorate the graves of 700 Confederate dead buried there. Mrs. J~m8nd de Rosset, who had been President of the Soldiers Aid Society during the WAR, in Wilmington, propo s e d I that the Memorial Association should be a permanent one. ~d so the Memori~ Associ ation o ~ the Wilmington sectlon was organized, but the City was still unGe~ Martial Law and nothing could be none. Some Scallawae; or lJarpe-c Bagger s ent I word to Washingt on Ci ' ~Jr t h at the ':Reb0:l. \J'iomerJ. of n ilmingt on ,were plotting tre p,s o:'.1 'I ,_ The ,t;:lthorit:_e s wired Colonel Frank, ' (Federal OfficerJ--il\J\lllE.t are the fF.e l).3 ~ v'~"Jme n' doin g in : WilmIngton It? Ha re:p:i ed o'+: he wome n .1.1'( q-..l i e t ly c..t home doing nothing". For this nns'Ner : h e gained f:rim.i.cs amcng ' those 'Rebel' (?) women. The Memor5_a1 As soci aoc:_or.. had b een given a plot for their d e ad---and the last soldier bur ied i n it, was the body of an unknown sol Ci er who ':1 as kill ed while the Yankee Gun Be at s were c oming up t he Ri ver In 1865 and buried by his JOIar ades ~ ~li ~ bod:- was taken up and bur:t ed with the 700 v J:h8:::' her~es . Scne yeers aft er the War, there was unveiled i n t h e b eautiful Ce rr. e ":-;e ry, a beautiful Monument t o the ConfeC3rdt: e de '1_c. T h av.3 seen and admired it often. The Confederate AiJ. sri) ~.~vr.iO)'''i.al S ) (:oletie s of Nashville, Tenn., first organi z e d tl""\_ err'8 e ~ _"'IT8 s as II Daughters of the Con­ f ed er acytl, about 1 891 anrl f or.. lle<i thp. N as~vil1e Chapter in May 1893. The same ac tio~ followed in other stat es . The women of Savannah asked tr.e Supr eme Court to grant them a Chapter -- at the same time the women of Wi lmingt on, N. C., appointed a Commi t t ee headed by Mrs . William M. Parsl ey to investig at e t h e i de a. Mrs . P arsley wrote t o Mrs . Anna D. Raines head of the wo r k i n Geor g ia, t o l earn how the 7 212 :-3 2 Wilmington women could join the Daughters of the Confederacy. Mrs. Raines told her of the Organization in Nashville, on September loth, 1894, with Mrs. C. M. Goodlet of Nashville President, and urged her to apply for Charter with authority to form Chapters. Mrs. Parsley called a meeting December 27, l894--appli­ cations being signed by twenty-four women. The Charter was received and they organized with fifty odd mombers, the DAUGHTERS OF THE CONFEDERACY ~ Then j to their distress~ they found that only lineal descendants ~ould jo~n--thus cutting out wives, mothers and sisters. Mrs~ ?ars: ey at once wrote to Mrs. Goodlet, National President , of the e. D. C. about it. That they could not join unJ. ess t h E; ~ li g i1J ility clause was changed. She replied that s he h3rJ. c .s.' led a s econd meet­ ing in Nashville for March 30 aBC. 31, 1 895 ; end asked Mrs. Parsley to be present. The Constitution's Clause on Eligibility was changed at Nashville, and it proved satisfactory to all. Upon Mrs~ Parsley's return to Wilmington the North Carolina Divisi on of the UNITED DAUGHTEHS OF THE CONFEDERACY VI as completed- --­ and they were officially organized -~ril 28~1897; with Mrs. Parsley, President and Miss Kate McKirnrnon (Raleigh), Recor d­ ing Secret ary. F ACTS ABOUT ADMINISTRATION It is impossible to accurately record all tLe ac c o~p l i sh­ ments of the North Carolina Divi sion of the U. D. C. during its thirty-one years, but having the minutos of each of the se Conventions it is my purpose to briefly record the main ob­ jects carried out during administrations of each president. THE FIRST STATE CON VENTION was held in Wilmington, N. C., Oct. 3rd, 1897, at t he Armory of the Wilmington Light Infantry, wi th Mrs. · Parsley, as Pres­ ident (she was a Confederate widow). All the Chapters in the State were represented, the Division being entitled t o 19 votes. Chapters were, C ape Fear, Rowan, P amlico, Raleigh, I Asheville, Vance County. The P amlico Chapter I Was hington was the Banner Chapter so far, with 79 members. Gre at honor was shown to our beloved President, Mrs. Parsley. She urged the Chapters to collect Confederate Relics, for a State Museum and Chapter Museums-- and offered from t he Wilmington Light Infantry, its Armory for the state Museum. This was the FIRBT CONFEDER ATE MUSEUM in NORTH C~ :\R O LI N A. At thi s Wilmi ng­ ton Convention the Constitution was f ormally adopted, being largely that of the General U.D.C. Convention. The objects of the North Carolin a society of the U. D.C . , according to the Constitution are sti ll "Historical, benevo- 3 lent, educational and social". "lst--To honor the memory of those who served and those who fell in the service of the Confederate states; to pro­ tect, preserve and mark places made historic by Confederate valor; to collect and preserve the material for a truthful history of the War between the States and to see that same is taught in our schools; also to recall the part taken by Southern Women in patient endurance of hardship and patriotic devotion during the struggle as in untiring efforts after the WAR DURING THE Reconstruction of the South. 2nd--To fulfill the sacred duty of benevolence towards the survivors and towards those dependent upon them. 3rd--To assist descendants of worthy Confederates in securing proper education by securing scholarships for them. 4th--To bring into the organization all women eligible to membership and to cherish the ties of friendship that bind us in one great organization"~ THE SECOND CONVENTION of the North Carolina Division or U. D. C., was held in Washington, N. C., October 12th, 1898, our Honored President, Mrs. Parsley, presiding. After prayer, an address of Welcome was given by Mrs. Bryan Grimes. Reports showed five new Chapters since last meeting. Plans were discussed for assist­ ing the Soldier's Home. The Washington Grays, first Child's Chapter of 88 members, organized by Mrs. Margaret Call, of Washington, unveiled a life size portrait of General Bryan Grimes, for the Richmond Museum's N. C. Room. THE THIRD CONVENTI ON was held at Henderson, October 11, 1899. Miss Lida T.Rodman, President and Mrs. William Overman, Secretary, with 27 del­ egates. The chief work for the coming year was to be the Jefferson Davis Monument, in Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond,Va.