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Title: The Importance of Teaching History To Our Young People
Author: Rogers, Loula Kendall, 1838-1931
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The Importance of Teaching History

      To Our Young PeopleThe history of a country is its life.  Deprive it of its noble deeds, the intellectual vigor of its great men and women, its wonderful inventions, the bravery of its heroes, and that country is dead."A country without ruins is a country without memories, 

      A country without memories, is a country without a history."The great French author Lanartine says, "History knows all

      things, contains all things, teaches all things, not in winged words which strike the ear without impressing the mind, but in great and striking actions".  So it is an important fact that the stirring events of the terrible War Between the States should be understood by our young people.They should not be satisfied with the records of only one side of that War, and give credence to all that is said of the Federal Army by their own historians, but should be thoroughly posted on the actions of both sides.For instance, they should be taught the true causes of Secession, of the many unjust accusations against the institutions of the South such as may be found in "Uncle Tom's Cabin,"  by Harriet Beecher Stow, and other books of a defamatory character by men who openly avowed a hatred of not only the Southland in their own American country but of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence.  They should also have an understanding of the days of Reconstruction, when the cultured high toned men of our country were deprived of office, and their places filled with former servants, "carpet baggers and scalawags."This knowledge of history is not taught in an unchristian spirit 

      

      but in a spirit of justice and that mercy which in all nations should be observed towards the overpowered.Some mothers, who are not members of the daughters of the Daughters of the Confederacy, say that they wish to forget these things and actually try to keep it from their children.  Teachers are often surprised at the ignorance of some of their pupils who know nothing whatever of the history of their own country.  Their parents had never talked to them of the unparrelled bravery of our southern soldiers, that they were the very flower of this beautiful Southland, elegant gifted, brave in peace and brave in battle, and defended our homes with their life's last breath.It should be a delightful task for every mother, and every

teacher to weave into a beautiful story a history of "The Boys in Gray," of their victories on the battle field both during the Revolution, and the later wars between the states, and during the Spanish American struggle.We have too short a time generally in our C of C meetings to impart much instruction, outside of business matters, but it is an easy task to tell them an incident of some great battle, and something concerning the heroes who led forward.The smaller children like object lessons, and when there is some way arranged for illustrating the subject they are delighted.  In this manner I sometimes draw a diagram of Sherman's March through Georgia, with a star at each place where Johnson Flanked him, and on from Atlanta over all the towns he ransacked, until finally through the smoking embers he reached Savannah.At other times I have a table spread with objects to represent a special battle field, and the one who guesses the most in number wins a prize.  One of the questions concerning our own state is, "Where did the Federal General Wilson start from in his raid through middle and South Georgia on his way to Macon"?  This is represented by a picture or toy chicken, and a carpenter's saw, illustrating the Battle of Chickasaw in Alabama, March 22nd 1865.What battle was fought in Tennessee that came near running into 

      

      Christmas Day?  Only a small pile of garden

      beans tell the children of that important battle and hospital at Beans' Station where under General Bragg some of the Companies from my native county were involved.These little illustrations are both humorous and instructive for children and may be multiplied indefinitely.Our General Historian, Mrs. Mildred Rutherford has given us more information about our own country than we can ever find elsewhere, so we recommend all of her publications to be used as reading matter for both the Daughters and the Children's meetings.  No chapter is complete without them.Then let us who are directors, never lose an opportunity of

      teaching the sacred principles of patriotism to all of the young lives

      entrusted to our care, impressing on them the Christian duty of being

      true to the memory of those who sacrificed their lives for us, and

      whatever may happen still to love the "Stars and Bars" under

      which they fought, and to stand up for their own native land through

      time and eternity.Importance of Teaching

      History To Our Young PeopleMrs. Loula Kendall Rogers