As time grew near for the unveiling of the monument so
did the number of articles about the event.
In several editions, entire pages were dedicated to information about
the state conference and unveiling. As
you read the articles, you can actually feel the excitement mounting. Our fellow daughters worked years to make
that occasion a reality. Oh to have
photographs for our archives taken throughout the event!
1913 Nov 8 The Columbia Record
Plans for the unveiling were printed in the
newspaper. The event was to take place
on the first full day of the conference and was expected to be the most popular
feature of the conference. The members
of the unveiling committee were: Malvina Waring, Sara Richardson, Mrs. David
Hemlee, Sr. and Mrs. A.E. Legare. Mrs.
Legare would represent her mother, Annie Robertson who as the committee
chairman since the monument’s beginning worked tirelessly for its completion
but died prior to seeing this monumental occasion, pardon the pun. Isabel Legare, her granddaughter, would also
have a place on the stand with “little” Miss Sarah Martin who would represent
her aunt, the late Miss Isabella Martin who was also a member of the committee
since its beginning.
In addition to the unveiling committee, descendants of
the three generals would be seated on the stand. The cord that would remove the veil would be pulled by four boys who were descendants of the three generals.
The orator for the day was Yates Snowden, LL.D. of the
University of South Carolina. The
program for the day was the unveiling of the monument followed by an address by
Snowden. Music of approximately 100
voices featuring the best musical talent in Columbia would be led by Miss
Izard, music committee chairman for the conference. Two patriotic anthems, the chorus “Carolina”
and “America were the selections. The
invocation was to be given by Rev. J.O. Reavis, D.D.
Once again, a description of the monument was given
stating that is was all Southern as far as the granite part of it was concerned. The article stated that at the Tuesday night
opening session the address of welcome would be given by Robert W. Shand on
behalf of the mayor who would be unable to attend. It concluded by saying that the unveiling
“promises to be the most brilliant event held in this state.”
1913 Nov 9 The Columbia Record
Anticipation was mounting for the state conference which
was to be held in Columbia for the first time in several years. The event would begin with a reception at the
Jefferson hotel. The decorations would
be elaborate and in the DAR colors using a profusion of palms and cut
flowers. Two spinning wheels would be on
the stand representing the one used for the motto. Champagne punch, ice cream and cakes would be
served during the evening.
Each group would be wearing badges to signify their
role/position/responsibility to those in attendance. The badges for the delegates and chapter
regents were colonial blue with [the insignia and] engravings [lettering] of
silver held by a gold bar. There were
ordered from St. Louis. The badges of
the state officers were made be Miss Fannie McCants [the same member who taught
the art of basket weaving using long needle pine to the members of the Columbia
Chapter]. Her creation was a blue ribbon
with a natural palmetto tree design held with a bow of palmetto [with “South
Carolina” in silver]. The badge for the
monument committee was a white ribbon bearing a cut [stamp] of the victory in
blue and the words “Monument Committee, Columbia, S.C., 1913.” The unveiling committee was a white ribbon
with victory engraved in blue with “Unveiling Committee.” Both of these designs were by Mr. Muller of
Columbia. The pages would wear white
ribbon with the word “page” on it [stamped in old blue] of which we are
familiar [pinned with butterfly pins].
If any chapter has one of these badges, I would love to have it for our archives!
Directions were given to the delegates concerning the
location of the credentials committee and when delegates needed to
register. The article reminded the
readers that this was an election year since the state officers had served the
maximum time of two terms. Mrs. Virginia
Mason Bratton, Vice President General, would be one of the guests of
honor.
The state officers were listed as well as the members of
the credentials committee. This list was
followed by the list of the original monument committee: Bacon, Richardson,
Robertson (deceased), Gantt (replaced), Waring, Martin(deceased). The central monument committee: Bacon,
Richardson, Waring, Earle (Columbia Chapter regent), and Mayes who served as
chairman. The monument committee at large
1913 was Mrs. D.S. Henderson, Mrs. E. Walker Duvall, Mrs. A.G. Sinclair, Mrs.
W.B. Cox, Mrs. Arthur Craig, Mrs. C.O. Cain, Mrs. G.G. Byers.
Included on the page were two large pictures. One was of Miss Alice Earle, chapter regent
of Columbia Chapter, and the other was of Malvina Waring, Honorary State Regent
and member of the original monument committee.
1913 Nov 9 The State
“There are names which should not pass away, And names
that must not wither, though the earth Forgets her empires with a just decay,
The enslavers and the enslaved, their death and birth.”
“Tuesday there will be unveiled and committed into the
custody of the State a monument erected upon the State house grounds as a
memorial to Francis Marion, Thomas Sumter, and Andrew Pickens, foremost of
those doughty patriot chieftains who kept alive the spirit of resistance to
tyranny during the darkest hours of the Revolution. These partisan leaders brought security to
their State and assured themselves a perdurable fame during a period of confusion
and terror by resisting the vastly superior enemy through every means in their
power ‘revealing the greatest fertility of invention and inexhaustible
resourcefulness.’ They ‘harassed and
thwarted the British under Cornwallis and the most daring and able of their cavalry
leaders, Colonel Tarleton.’ In these
trying times each showed himself ‘Most master of himself and least encumbered
When overmatched, entangled and outnumbered’
“Primarily commemorative of Marion, Sumter and Pickens
though it is, the Victory-crowned shalt [shaft] which is to be unveiled Tuesday bears
witness also to the valor and virtue of those lesser partisans without whose
aid the trio of more conspicuous officers could not have wrought so well as
they did – the Horrys, Hamiltons, Harden, Kolb, Benton, Thomas, McIntosh,
James, Baxter, Postell, Hampton, Taylor, Bratton, Brannan, Winn and Neel.
“South Carolina members of the order, Daughters of the
American Revolution, have long had it in contemplation to raise up some such
memorial; and Tuesday will see the consummation of their devoted labors through
many years”
The article then included a description of the monument
using Ruckstuhl’s words to describe it.
All plans had been completed and were waiting on the arrival of the 126
delegates. One of the most important
matters of business which would be conducted would be the election of
officers. None of the officers of the
time could repeat in that office as they had already served the maximum time of
two years for two terms. The officers of
that time were then listed.
The business of the conference would be held in the ball
room of the Jefferson hotel which had been decorated with draped smilax used
with white and old blue bunting, palms, cut flowers, and two spinning
wheels. The decorating committee was
desperately searching for an old grandfather clock to borrow to place on the
rostrum with the spinning wheels and asked for someone to offer one to be
used. The reason for the grandfather
clock was “to time the deliberations of the D.A.R. by an ancient time piece or
even a copy of the one of the originals.”
A description of the badges with
some additional information concerning the detail was given.
The social features of the conference included two
luncheons at the Jefferson. One would be
given by the Wade Hampton and M.C. Butler Chapters of the U.D.C., and the other
would be given by the Columbia Club of the Federation of Women’s Clubs. Two receptions would also take place. One would be at the home of Mrs. Robert
Moorman, William Capers Chapter regent.
The other would be given by the two hostess chapters for the conference,
the Columbia and William Capers Chapters, at the hotel on the mezzanine floor
decorated with foliage and chrysanthemums.
Two hundred fifty guests would be entertained by an orchestra. The receiving line would include Mrs. Childs
(for Miss Earle) and Mrs. Moorman as well as the state officers. The officers of the hostess chapters would
mingle among the guest to “make things easy and pleasant.”
The members of the committee were listed as well as the
members of the credentials committee.
Delegates were asked to notify their hostess of their arrival time on
Columbia.
The remainder of the article was a sketch of the
monument’s history as told by Sara Richardson, a member of the monument
committee since its inception. She
complied with the request by State Regent Mayes to provide details and dates to
correctly record the work for D.A.R. history from the notes kept during the 12
years of the undertaking. Some
information was clarified which added to the understanding of the monument’s
history. She did state that Bacon,
Robertson, Gantt, and herself were the original members of the committee and
that several months later Waring and Martin were added. She wanted to ensure that the Columbia
Chapter be recognized as the parent of the monument but also that this chapter
accords the SCDAR with their just portion of the story after all the years.
1913 Nov 9 The Columbia Record
The young people involved with the unveiling of the
monument were all descendants of the generals.
Reid Johnson (member of the Charles Town Chapter S.C.S.C.A.R.) was a
collateral descendant of Marion. Calhoun
Shiver, Masters Rembert and [David St. Pierre] Du Bose would represent Pickens
(another article states that DuBose represents Marion), and Master [Thomas
Sumter]Tisdale would represent Sumter.
The article then described the monument in detail and gave a snippet of
information concerning the conference.
1913 Nov 11 The State
SCDAR members from across the state would arrive this day
for the 17th annual state conference which would convene that night. Members would first assemble on
the state house grounds for the unveiling ceremonies which would begin at 4:00
P.M. Taking in part of the ceremonies were Bacon, Waring, Richardson, Legare,
and Denning,Sr. Masters Shiver,
Johnson, Tisdale, and DuBose would pull the cords. Snowden would be the orator. Timrod’s poem “Carolina” which was set to
music by a South Carolina girl, Miss Annie Burgess, and “America” would be sung
by a chorus of 100 voices. Marshalls
would escort the group from where they were supposed to meet at 3:45. The invocation would be given by Rev. J. O. Reavis.
The article then told readers about details about the
state conference which would be held in the ballroom of the Jefferson hotel and
interestingly all sessions would be open to the public. The first session would begin at 8:00 with a
welcome by Blalock in the absence of the Mayor Gibbes. Waring would send welcome from the two
hostess chapters which would be read by Chapter Regent Earle with Mrs. McColl
responding. The Women’s Federation of
Clubs would also bring greetings along with Richardson . Miss Izard, music chairman for the
conference, had arranged for a musical feature for each session of the
conference with vocal and instrumental selections.
1913 Nov 11 The Columbia Record
In a feature called “One Minute Interviews,” it seems that the reporter asked Ruckstuhl
about the location of the monument. He
responded as follows. “Location of the
monument to the three partisan chiefs is ideal.
The surroundings give effectiveness to the setting. Placed directly in front of Trinity church
adds to the impressiveness. Located near
the sidewalk, the benches around the base of the shaft entice the passerby to
sit, and think of the lives of Sumter, Marion and Pickens, the three great
partisan leaders.”
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