UDC has annual luncheon at library

The Robert F. Hoke Chapter No. 78 of the United Daughters of the Confederacy placed a wreath at the Rowan County Confederate Monument Jan. 15 in honor of three historic figures prior to holding its annual Lee-Jackson-Maury luncheon.

The luncheon was held in the Stanback Auditorium of Rowan Public Library.

Since 1992, the chapter has remembered the January birthdays of Matthew Fontaine Maury, Robert E. Lee and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, who served in the U.S. Army or U.S. Navy prior to their service to the Confederate States of America.

A birthday cake decorated with Civil War soldiers was presented in memory of Maury, born Jan. 14, 1806; Lee, born Jan. 19, 1807; and Jackson, born January 21, 1824.

The ladies and their guests sang "Happy Birthday" to Lee, Jackson and Maury.

The Salisbury chapter members were joined by UDC members from chapters in Asheville, Butner, Charlotte, Concord, Graham, Greensboro, Lexington, Lincolnton, Mooresville, Newton, Raleigh, Statesville and Winston-Salem.

N.C. Division officers included President Emily Champion of Butner, 2nd Vice President Aillen Eizell of Canton, Lori Cook-Folger of Hot Springs, 3rd Vice President Michele Miller of Kernersville and Recorder of Military Service Awards Laura Griffin of Selma.

Hoke Chapter President Sue Curtis welcomed the assembly. Vice President Trudy Hall read the poem, "Birthdays of Lee and Jackson," and Sandra Boyer gave the blessing, which was a prayer used daily for 34 years by Commodore Maury.

Barbara Upright, 2nd vice president, gave the benediction. Chris Hilton and Cindy Webb joined the other members in giving out door prizes.

Caterer Debbie Suggs served chicken in acknowledgement of the hen that provided eggs for General Lee and his staff during 1863-1864, lemon cake for the reported fondness that General Jackson had for that fruit and salt to recognize Commodore Maury's nautical background.

The guest speaker, author Dan Barefoot of Lincolnton, was introduced by honorary associate member Ed Curtis. Barefoot's talk was titled, "A Celebration of Southern Leadership and Valor."

Barefoot spoke on the contributions of the three southern military leaders to the Confederacy. He is the author of a biography on Maj. Gen. Robert F. Hoke. He spoke of Hoke's connections to Lee and Jackson during the war and shared stories of the dying words of Confederate soldiers from his book, "Let Us Die Like Brave Men."

The luncheon concluded with an invitation to everyone to return next year for the Lee-Jackson-Maury Luncheon and the singing of "Bless Be the Tie That Binds."

Later in the afternoon, members from Concord and Raleigh chapters were given a tour that included the Old English Cemetery and the grave of Salisbury Gov. John W. Ellis; the Old Lutheran Cemetery, which includes 175 Confederate tombstones for those who died in Salisbury hospitals or at the prison; East Bank Street area, which was site of part of the Salisbury Confederate Prison where approximately 5,000 prisoners died; and the Salisbury National Cemetery, where the men who died at the Prison were buried in individual graves and in mass graves between 1861-1865.