1900 United Daughters of the Confederacy Convention

Civil War Index

Corsicana Convention of UDC 1900

The fifth annual convention of delegates, Texas Division, United Daughters of the Confederacy—report of which has been unavoidable deferred—was opened at Corsicana on the morning of December 4, 1900, and the beautifully organized work of these splendid women, together with the inspiring earnestness of their spirit, increases the enthusiasm of those who wish a monument erected to the women who have loved and worked for the glory of the cause. At the opening of the convention there were present delegates from twenty-two chapters as follows:

Dallas Chapter: Mrs. Katie Cabell Currie, Mrs. L. C. Thompson, Mrs. Lee H. Hughes, Mrs. Ellen Farris, Mrs. L. R. Goode, Mrs. W. K. Hill, and Mrs. J. L. Miller.

Galveston Chapter: Varina J. Davis, Mrs. C. B. Stone, Mrs. L. B. Knoll, Mrs. Henry Rosenberg.

Waco Chapter: Mrs. L. W. Burgess, Mrs. L. C. Penry, Mrs. Walter Weaver, Mrs. Hallie Dunklin.

Ennis Chapter: Mrs. L. A. Daffan and Miss Katie Daffan.

Victoria Chapter, W. P. Rogers: Mrs. Dunowan.

San Antonio Chapter, Barnard E. Bee: Miss Mattie Walthall.

Bryan Chapter, L. S. Ross: Mrs. William A. Banks.

Tyler Chapter, Mollie Moore Davis: Mrs. Florence Flashel and Mrs. Mary B. Pegues.

Temple Chapter, L. P. Tally: Mrs. Katie Alma Orgain.

Sulphur Springs Chapter, Joseph Wheeler: Miss Mamie Blythe, Mrs. S. Fuqua, and Mrs. Ella J. Bass.

Dodd City, Forrest Chapter: Miss Marguerite Wilson.

Lockhart, J. B. Gray Chapter: Mrs. J. L. N. McCurdy.

Columbus, Shropshire Chapter: Mrs. B. M. Baker.

Palestine, John H. Reagan Chapter: Miss Nell Nance, Mrs. A. R. Howard.

San Angelo, Tom Green Chapter: Mrs. L. M. DeLasamutt and Mrs. Baker.

Beaumont, Dick Dowling Chapter: Mrs. M. L. Watson.

Marshall Chapter: Mrs. N. J. Lane and Mrs. Van Hook

Austin, S. A. Johnson Chapter: Mrs. L. J. Storey, Mrs. Z. T. Fulmore, Miss Mamie Bigley, Mrs. J. H. Alsworth, Mrs. R. T. King.

Fort Worth, Julia Jackson Chapter: Mrs. W. P. Lane.

Corsicana, Navarro Chapter: Mrs. Fannie Halbert, Mrs. V. Brown, Mrs. S. A. Pace, Mrs. Charles Croft, Mrs. Kate Talley, Mrs. J. A. Townsend, and Mrs. William Pannill.

Houston, R. E. Lee Chapter: Miss Alice Kittrell.

San Marcos, Lone Star Chapter: Mrs. Bishop and Mrs. Mary L. Christian.

The convention was called to order by Mrs. Fannie Halbert, President of Navarro Chapter; and Rev. L. C. Kirkes offered a prayer.

Miss Lida Lea, of Corsicana, in behalf of Navarro Chapter, delivered an address of welcome, which proved her a most gifted woman and a loyal daughter of the cause for which she was speaking. Miss Lea said in part: “When we honored ourselves two years ago by extending the invitation which has brought you here to-day, we then wished that you would come animated with one hope, one purpose, one wish, so that when eye met eye and hand touched hand, every heart would quiver with that thrill which only those feel who are struggling together for a holy cause. Meet were it that you had been welcomed by the wife of a Halbert, than whom no better, braver man ever fought for cause he deemed just; or a Winkler, who led his Hood’s brigade, how or where needs not to tell a Texas daughter; or by the wife of a Johnson, whose father, Col. Glover, left her a glorious legacy when he was laid in his Virginia grave, and whose mother (the mother of Texas reunions) is with us to-day to bid you Godspeed; or by a Damon, who might well answer for her gallant soldier father, Col. Rogers, dead on the field of honor; or a Talley, whose husband, with keen blade and flashing eye, made his presence felt on many a hard-fought battlefield; or of a Brown, which name shall descend to posterity to make illustrious the daring of the Confederate navy; or of a Wood, whose husband, brave young soldier in time of war, is still a faithful veteran at his post ‘in the piping times of peace;’ or of a Croft, whose family on both sides made their mark; of a Wheeler, whose major ‘jined the cavalry’ and rode himself to fame; of a Hardy, herself a brave old soldier, and the mother of soldiers and statesmen; of a Mills, ‘red hand in foray, wise counsel in cumber.’”

Seldom do finer words fall from the lips of woman to bespeak her sweet dignity than those uttered by Mrs. Katie Alma Orgain, of Temple, in response to the address of welcome. She said in part…

“This welcome to Corsicana; how gladsome it is, and how, beneath all its beauty of courtesy, its social features, its exhilarating heartiness, we feel the thrill of patriotism, and are conscious of the love for your Southern soil, which underlies in strong basic substance this generous expression of welcome to your beautiful city and its hospitable homes.

In no attitude do Southern people appear more gracefully at home than when acting as host and hostess. “Their foot is on their native heath,” and the element of hospitality is their birthright. This civil war, with its upheaval of all accustomed environments, the tidal wave of retrenchment and poverty which swept over Southern homes, has never been able to put out of sight.

How gladly the Texas Division of the Daughters of the Confederacy journeyed to your enterprising and progressive city! Who has not heard of Corsicana, the city of five hundred oil wells? Though not set upon a hill, Corsicana does not ‘hide her light under a bushel,’ but sends it out to illuminate the world. The people whose enterprise develops such resources of nature, who put capital and labor into orphans’ homes, flouring mills, cotton oil mills, the largest gin in the world, elegant churches, fine schools, a million-dollar cotton factory, will always be the people to honor the brave, venerate heroic deeds, and be loyal to principles and patriotism. We thank you most heartily most heartily for this cordial welcome.”

Mrs. Halbert than gave way to Mrs. Benedette B. Tobin, President of the Texas Division, who took charge of the convention as presiding officer…

Miss Kate Daffan, of Ennis, Sec’y Texas Division, UDC

NOTES:

Fannie Halbert was Capt Halbert's wife

V Brown was IN Brown's wife

Lida Lea was Albert Lea's daughter

Winkler was dead so this would have to be a daughter as it seems

Johnson was A C Johnson daughter of Mrs. Glover

Mrs. Glover of course was mother of Confederate reunions

Damon was wife of Henry Damon

Talley wife of James Talley

Brown or course I N Brown

Wood is A. F. Wood

Croft is Mrs. C. W. Croft

Wheeler Maj. L. T. Wheeler

Hardy well that's who I want to know

and Mills, R Q.

- Submitted by Dana Stubbs