The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-10-10

NORFOLK, 9Th October, 1870,
Monday night. !
There were several burials to-day The names
of the deceased l cannot give you until my next
| regret to state that there were fourteen buried
Yesterday III Portsmouth. Several families having
returned too early, most of the members were at
tackled with the fever, and expected by many,
they were soon dead and buried. Some have re-
turned to Norfolk to-day, and fear the sad
fate awaits the larger portion of Them The dan
ger of returning before cold weather has been fully
stated and is pcIhaps quite well understood now by
the abseentces and temporary exies from their
homes.
Mr. Hawkins, DIS Wright and Whitman are re-
covering.
have visited all the cemeterics-Ccdar Grove
Elmwood, the Catholic, and PotterS Field, and seen
the numbers of new-lnadc graves that there
the footprints of the angel of Death" / expected
to see very many; but had no conception of the
number, no idea of witnessing strange and mel
ancholy q sight In Cedar Grove they are to be
interSpersed i'll every direction, impressing
the mind most sensibly and painfully with the fear
ful and rapid work OF death that has been going
in the city for ten weeks. The fresh shoyecd earth
rises to view in whichever way the eye turns with
i'll the spacious grounds Some of the private lots
full In others there two, three, four, five,
six, sc. l counted fifty within circular space Of
a very few rods from the centre, where stood; and
it WAS i'll every part of the grounds. But looking
further and wider area within the range of Wis
ion, brought hundreds to view. Lots that have
been vacant for many years, untouched by the shi
ming spade of the SEXTON have been almost filed
up and there is but little if for morc-in-
deed there are few if any more to lie there Hus-
band, Wife, children and friends resting side by
side Sometimes two or more went in company,
and often but an interval of few days occurred be-
tween the visits of each member of the household
to the sad city of the dead 1t is painful to say
but the records of pestilenta vstations death and
burial, furnish scarcely parallel Mournful
thought! Who, in his widest dreams of death 5
doings, conceived the idea of destruction of
human life so APPALLING, in short time, and in so
small population.
Passing on to Elmwood where the greateripor-
ton of strangers of note who have died placed
the graves are close together in regular consecutive
order, row after row, thickly and conpactly ar
ranged side by side, Il melancholy evidence of the
frallty OF man, and the rapidty with which life
closes, when Gods mandate goes forth. Alice
tions tears being shed there; bereaved hearts
were there. Turning off to Potters Field the por-
ton of the grounds occupied by the colored people
who have died. presents regular succession of
graves, also arranged in many rows of equal length.
Then upon the banks OF stream that glides quiet
y by the graves of the poor and riendess are seen
ranged along and occupying Il large space beneath
the outrageous foliage of beautiful natural grove
OF oaks among whose green clad branches the
winds sigh and moan i'll sad keeping with the death
silence OF the numerous stirless sleepers below
ANA then upon the gentle slope of the bank, were
those pts dug in whose ample limits are crowded
the loathsomc bodies that could not wait for sepa-
rate places of internent. if indeed they could have
been opened Side by side, and back to face they
are closely packed ill., Their bones will colnningle
and crumble in close companionship till reused up
to hfe again by the echoing roar of the trumpet
that shall sound" Some were placed in collins
some in mere shapeless boxes, hastily and roughly
sawed and nailed together But at one period the
sweeping pestlence ragged with such appalling yio-
lence that these could scarcely be had in time
for the accommodating, purifying eorpses
Verify, ii is no wonder the heart siekens and
shoulders at the recollection of astounding a yis
tation Nor could the dead be buried sufficiently
rapid The eoffins with their contents were pilel
up in the burial places, awaiting the opening of the
earth to hide them from the sight, and secure them
from the reach of the offended senses of the living
Enough of this awful picture of the death scenes
that have been witnessed here during this calami
tous period There are deeper and darker shades
that could be added but these would thrill the SON
sitive heart with horror. There were scenes that
were calculated to affect and torture the hardest
and most callous heart. Forever uniescribeJ
let them remain"
We have another frost here this morning