Augusta County: "THIRD CONVENTION GRAND DIVISION OF VIRGINIA," by unknown, 1898
Summary: Description of Virginia State United Daughters of the Confederacy chapter meeting focusing on election of new officers and relations with a competing state chapter.
The third annual convention of the Grand Division of Virginia was held in Petersburg October 12, 13, at the A. P. Hill Camp Hall, which was handsomely draped with Confederate and Virginia flags and bunting. The President, Mrs. James Mercer Garnett, called the body to order at eleven o'clock, and the convention was opened with prayer by Rev. H. L. Derby. Mrs. Robert T. Meade, President of the Petersburg Chapter, delivered an eloquent address of welcome. Mrs. Garnett responded, in the absence of Mrs. Meredith, of Manassas. She paid a warm tribute to the historic city of Petersburg and its brave sons and daughters. Both addresses were well received. About fifty delegates were present, though eighty were due.
The usual business-appointing committees, calling the roll of chapters and delegates, reading the minutes, and hearing the reports of committees and of chapters, together with the President's annual report and address-consumed the first morning's session.
Ten new chapters have been added since last convention, as follows: No. 31, Pittsburg, Pa.; No. 32, Abingdon; No. 33, Flora Stuart, at Pulaski; No. 34, Middleburg; No. 35, Palmyra; No. 36, Smyth County; No. 37, Turner Ashby, at Winchester; No. 38, Essex, at Tappahannock; No. 39, Harrison Harwood, at Charles City Courthouse; No. 40., Cumberland Courthouse.
The reports showed that splendid work had been done in all the chapters in caring for the Confederate living and dead, building monuments, collecting war records, and using every effort to have proper histories used in Southern schools. It is a matter of pride that Virginia has adopted for use in her public schools the histories written by one of our Virginia Daughters, Mrs. Susan Pendleton Lee, of the Mary Custis Lee Chapter, Lexington, Va. These histories were warmly indorsed by the History Committee of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, on which Mrs. Garnett represents Virginia.
No afternoon session being necessary, the time was spent in pleasant drives around Petersburg, by which the visitors had an opportunity of viewing the many points of interest about the city. At night a handsome reception was given the Daughters to meet the A. P. Hill Camp, with whom the ladies had much pleasant talk.
On Thursday morning the Rev.Dr. J. M. Pilcher opened the session with prayer. The unfinished business and new business, together with resolutions of sympathy and respect for Mrs. Davis and Mrs. Gen. Stuart, on the deaths of their daughters, occupied the first part of the day.
The convention voted against any successor to Miss Winnie Davis, the first and only Daughter of the Confederacy. The matter of union between the two divisions in Virginia was again brought up, and for the third time in three years a cordial invitation was sent to the First Virginia Division to unite with the Grand Division, so as to have but one body in the State, the chapters in Virginia now representing more than one-fourth of the whole United Society. A committee was appointed to lay the matter of union before the convention of the First Virginia Division, which met at Appomattox October 21. Miss Wiseman, of Danville, acted as proxy for Mrs. Garnett, who was appointed by the Grand Division, with Mrs. Watkins, of Petersburg, to bear friendly greetings and urge union, as all now belong to the same general society and the aims and objects are exactly the same. The request that a committee be appointed from the First Virginia Division to confer with the committee from the Grand Division, so as to arrange the union before the next U. D. C. convention, at Richmond, Va., was "declined," and the matter "referred to the several chapters, to report next autumn." The Grand Division stands ready for union in the State, as she has ever done since its organization, offering equal rights and privileges to all. The fact that "the Grand Division is twice as large as the Virginia Division" seems a strange reason to give against union in the State. As will be explained later, in the "reply to Mrs. Raines," it was an accident that two divisions were formed in Virginia, and because no response was sent to Mrs. Garnett's offer to organize for the general society, though the President stated a year later that she had ordered it to be done.
The election of new officers closed the second day's session, with a vote of thanks for the charming hospitality tendered by the Petersburg Chapter.
Mrs. Garnett, having filled the office of President of the Grand Division since its beginning, declined reelection, and was then made Honorary President for life. She expressed her pleasure at having her name always enrolled with the officers of the Grand Divsion. Mrs. N. V. Randolph, of Richmond, and Mrs. R. T. Meade, of Petersburg, also declined the presidency. Mrs. S. T. McCullough, of Staunton, was elected. Mrs. McCullough is a daughter of Maj. Hotchkiss, an efficient and favorite staff officer to Stonewall Jackson. She is an officer in the "Jeb" Stuart Chapter at Staunton. Mrs. J. E. B. Stuart, still refusing the presidency, for which she is each year nominated, retains her place as First Vice President. The other Vice Presidents are Mrs. R. T. Meade, of Petersburg; Mrs. J. N. Barney, of Fredericksburg; and Mrs. N. V. Randolph, of Richmond. Mrs. Virginius Hall, Richmond, is both Recording and Corresponding Secretary. Mrs. Samuel B. Walker, of Lexington, is Treasurer. Mrs. Col. William Allan, of Lexington, is Historian. Richmond was selected for the next convention, which will be the day before the annual convention of the U. D. C. A beautiful tea was given the ladies at 5 P.M. by the hospitable President of the Petersburg Chapter. The greatest harmony prevailed among delegates, as it ever has among the chapters and individual members.
Mrs. Garnett paid a tribute to the CONFEDERATE VETERAN and earnestly suggested that each chapter should subscribe to it, and so keep in touch with Confederate work at large.
Bibliographic Information: Source copy consulted: Confederate Veteran, Vol. 6, 1898, pp. 502-503
