The Confederate Memorial Literary Society's Roll of Honour

The Confederate Memorial Literary Society's Roll of Honour W. Jackson Dickens, Jr., and Robert C. Kenzer On June 15, 1893, the Confederate Memorial Literary Society convened in Richmond for its annual meeting. During the proceedings a short letter was read to the organization from Miss Elizabeth D. Watson expressing her desire to see the creation of what she termed a "Biographical Cyclopedia" to memorialize those men who fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War.' Although this idea was overshadowed by more pressing matters, it planted a seed in the minds ofthe Society's members that would eventually grow into a collection ofnearly 350 volumes, some 60,000 names, which became the Roll of Honour. The creation of the Roll of Honour began at the end of the nineteenth century and proceeded well into the twentieth century, a period known for the creation of many monuments to the "Lost Cause."2 In particular it was the 1 880s and 1 890s that saw the foundation of many memorial societies whose purpose was to preserve the memory of the Confederacy. These societies, made up largely of Confederate veterans, their widows, and their children, built the statues and created the museums that are still in existence today. One of these societies, the Confederate Memorial Literary Society, founded the Confederate Museum in Richmond and also compiled and bound the information found in the Roll of Honour. The Roll ofHonour differs from most of the monuments created by the other organizations of this era in that, unlike a statue, it was intended to contain biographical information as well as commentary on war experiences. An earlier produced and similar work to the Roll of Honour is The Roster of North Carolina Troops in the War Between the States, or as it is familiarly 1 Minutes of the Confederate Memorial Literary Society, June 15,30, 1893, Eleanor S. Brockenbrough Library, Museum of the Confederacy, Richmond, Virginia (hereafter cited as MOC). The initial letter was read on June 15, 1893. At the June 30, 1893, meeting, when it was learned that Miss Watson sought compensation, the Society declined her offer. It is impossible to determine where Miss Watson resided as the original correspondence from this period has been lost. 2 Gaines M. Foster, Ghosts ofthe Confederacy: Defeat, the Lost Cause, and the Emergence ofthe New South (New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 1987), 104-14. Civil War History, Vol. xliii. No. 1 © 1997 by The Kent State University Press 60CIVIL WAR HISTORY termed, "Moore's Roster."3 During the 1870s and 1880s John W. Moore dedicated himself to carrying out "the behest of North Carolina in her noble effort to embalm the memory of her living and dead soldiers" by compiling the names of all North Carolinians who had fought for the Confederacy. He began his "Roster" by using muster rolls of North Carolina soldiers that had been compiled by the government of North Carolina through 1863. Because the rolls were not well maintained for the last two years of the war, Moore attempted to fill this gap by sending muster rolls to survivors asking them to add any missing names. When only a few of the rolls were returned, Moore traveled to Washington , D.C, to examine the muster rolls captured by federal troops in Richmond at the end of the war. "Moore's Roster" included such basic information as the name of the soldier, his date of enlistment, and his county of residence. Also reported, if known, were promotions, dates of capture, wounding, death, and whether the man was discharged or deserted. Moore admitted that his compilation was far from comprehensive. While he estimated that there were 150,000 North Carolinians in Confederate service, his roster only included the names of about 80,000. While "Moore's Roster" represented what could be accomplished for a single state, the Confederate Memorial Literary Society's Roll of Honour attempted to compile the names of the soldiers who fought for the Confederacy regardless of their state affiliation. In addition, the Roll of Honour provided space for commentary on each of its forms by permitting veterans to describe their military experiences. Despite the great amount of information in the...