Delta Kappa Epsilon - University of Alabama

Sighs of Psi 5 FROM THE HISTORIAN Edwin S. Rogers, The Battle of Cold Harbor And The True Story Behind "Brothers in DKE" PART II (Continued from the Spring 2014 Sighs of Psi) (Continued on page 6) theRe ain't no FRee Rides E arly humans banded together, at first, to survive. Everybody cooperated in order to eat, to fight, and to protect one another. Brotherhoods and secret societies took root when men bonded together as close friends, or "brothers", to promote common interests and the interests of their communities. Alexandre Dumas' Musketeers captured this idea with the motto, "all for one, one for all". Countries, armies, tradesmen, scholars, revolutionaries, and families thrive, or go away, with the precept of "all for one, one for all". The simplicity of the idea makes it so profound. It is that "all for one" we hear first. It sounds wonderful. Everybody has our back. "The brotherhood is working for my personal interests." Things get more complicated when we consider the concept of "one for all". "One for all jerks us into the reality that, individually, we are responsible for the brotherhood. Without "one being for all", a brotherhood fails. "One for all" means personal accountability. The truth is that the concept of fraternities and sororities is under attack. As of this writing, the entire Greek system at the University of Virginia is being reconsidered. The possible falsity of rape allegations against a fraternity will become beside the point. Popular culture is looking for reasons to bring down what it perceives as a privileged, secretive system of fraternities and sororities. This movement does not consider the incredible good, for all, produced by brotherhoods. The University of Alabama is an easy target for the anti- Greek sentiment because its network is large, old, and rooted in history. We live in a time of purposeful destruction of even positive traditions. What do we do? Do we assume we are immune? Do we turn inward and try to bar change? Psi DKE can best embrace change, by embracing its traditions! We return to the core reasons our founders created the brotherhood. "The Objects of Delta Kappa Epsilon are: The Cultivation of General Literature and Social Culture, the Advancement and Encouragement of Intellectual Excellence, the Promotion of Honorable Friendship and Useful Citizenship, the Development of a Spirit of Tolerance and Respect for the Rights and Views of Others, the Maintenance of Gentlemanly Dignity, Self-Respect, and Morality in All Circumstances, and the Union of Stout Hearts and Kindred Interests to Secure to Merit its Due Reward. " We have to seize our tradition of "One for All" and ask questions of ourselves as individuals. "How am I responsible for my brothers? How am I accountable to my brothers?" How one studies, keeps up with his house bill, respects the opposite sex participates in DKE projects, avoids drug use, plays by the house rules, and plays by the rules of decency are those things which make us "One for All". There is no requirement for perfection in all ones affairs. There IS a requirement that we try every day. There will always be a DKE active, alumnus, or perhaps an active's parent who insists that personal independence trumps that "Union of Stout Hearts and Kindred Interests".. Our existence is based on the very idea that we are NOT independent…that we are a brotherhood, and answerable to each other. The railroad conductor tells everybody, "Get on, or get off, but there ain't no free rides." The truth is that DKE traditions became old because they always work. They are not even difficult to follow. In fact, those traditions are how we are supposed to live, anyway. Our traditions are our keys to change and survival. In the Bonds, John A. Nielsen '83 I n the Spring 2014 issue of Sighs of Psi, which coincided with the 150 th anniversary of the Battle of Cold Harbor in June 1864, during the American Civil War, we explored the true story behind the famous Deke poem, "Brothers in DKE." This poem tells the story, in verse, of the mortal wounding and death of Union soldier and DKE Brother Edwin Searle Rogers, a member of the Theta Bowdoin chapter of DKE, Class of 1865, at the Battle of Cold Harbor in Virginia, and of the encounter of the dying Rogers with a Confederate mem- ber of the Psi Alabama chapter. If you missed the Spring issue of Sighs of Psi, you can find it online at: http://www.epageflip. net/i/302013. When our efforts to identify the Psi Deke who tended to the dying Rogers by looking at the story from the Psi perspective were inconclusive, we shifted our focus, and been examin- ing the story from the perspective of Edwin Rogers and the 31 st Maine Infantry Regiment, in which he served during the American Civil War. We examined other accounts and records of Rogers' death, including a separate account written by John Clair Minot, author of "Brothers in DKE," which was published in his history of the Theta Bowdoin DKE chap- ter. Most significantly, we found an eyewitness account of Rogers' wounding and capture by Confederate forces which was written by Leander Otis Merriam, a fellow member, with Rogers, of both the 31 st Maine Infantry and the Theta DKE chapter, Class of 1866. The result of this extensive analysis was that, while John Clair Minot had gotten some of the details wrong in his poem, we were able to substantiate that the basic underlying story told in "Brothers in DKE" is true, at least insofar as it pertains to Rogers' mortal wounding at the Battle of Cold Harbor, and his subsequent death while in Confederate captivity. This Another photo of Edwin S. Rogers apparently wearing his DKE pin, 1864. (Photo courtesy of George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, Bowdoin College Library)

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