Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-08-23
FROM the New Orleans Crescent, August l. .
Down A ln Ong the Dead Men.

20 verify The many horrible reports Of the
q olngs among the dead, we the other day vsi
cd the cemetries. In every street were long
PROFESSIONS, trampIng the solemn music Of
II neral marches In the couneuances of pIod
q Ing passengers were The lines OF anxiety aud
,rlef. and many door was festooned with
b lack and white hangings, The voiceess vii
n ess's of walling and OF sorrow. On the one
l,and slow " swept the corteges the wealthy,
l'odding with plumes and drawn by prancing
h orses rejoicing in their funeral vanit;es;on an.
''ther,the hearse OF he citizen soldier preceded
'py measured music, enveloped in warlike pan.
oply and followed by the noisy tread of men
under arms; " he there again the pauper
was trundled to bis long home on ricketry
cart. with boy for driver who wIistled as
| ne went.and swore a careless oath as he urged
his mule or spawned horse to troi, making
haste With another morse contrihneu to the
! grand banquet of death Now among the
steeples Vas heard the Ginning of the bells. as
oil Ghoules up there mlngug their hoarse vote.
rs az IN chorus of gra,ulalion over The ranks
OF fallen mortality Anon from son q lowly
Henement trllied the low vail OF mother for
| The child OF her affections while from the
corner opposite burst the song If some low
bacchanal, mlnglng rbadry with sentiment, or
! swearing prayer or two as the humor moved
him.
The skies wore deusive aspect Above
was all condless sunshine, but little in kee pin
with the black melancholy that enveloped all
below. Out along the Highways that led to the
cities Of the dead and still the tramp of funer
al Crowds knt W cessation Up rolled the
volumes of dust from the busy roads, and the
plumes Ut the death carriages nodded in seem
ing sympathy to The sway ing Expresses of the
swamp. enveloped in their dun appareling of
weeping moss - fit garniture for such scene
AT the gathering points carriages accnmul,.
ted and vulgar teamsters, they jostled each
Other In the press, mingled the coarse Jest with
me ribald oath; no sound but of profane male
d'cuon and OF rlorous mirlh the clang of whip
thongs and the rattle of wheels. At the gates
the winds brought intimation ofthe corruption
working within. Not puff but was laden
with the rank atmosphere from rotling corpses
Inside they were piled by fifties, exposed to
the neat of the sun swollen with corruption,
bursting their coffin lids,and sunderrg. as if
by physical effort the lgamen,s that bound
their hands and feet, and extending their rigid
limbs In every outre attitude. What a feast of
horrors! Inside co.. pses piled in pyramids, and
wlthou; the gates, old and withered crones
and tai huxter women, fretting in their own
lgrease, dispensing ice creams and confectons.
and brushing away,with brooms made ofbnsh-
es the green bottlefes that novered on their
merchandise, and that anon buzzed away To
drink dainty inhalations from the green and
fostering corpses. Mammon at The gates was
making lh'ift outside 10y the hands ofhis black
and s~ eating minions. that rendered sweet
meats and cooling beverages to the thropgs of
mourners or ofidle spectators, who, inhaling
the fumes of rot,ng bodies, al,,ady "heaved
the gorge" while wihin,,he King of Terrors"
held his Saturnalia. with crowd of stolid la
borers, who, as they tumbed the dead into
bitches, Knocked them "about the mazzard"
and swore dread oaths intermingled with the
more dreadful sounds of demonac jolity.
Long bitches We're dug across the great hu.
man charnel, Wide enough were they to en-