Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-09-29
Letter from Virginia.

Correspondence Of tie Jomnaicf Commerce.
VIRGINIA, sept. II, lS59.-Adjourning
my rural excursions until September, turn
ell my face not to the north, but to the South,
and am well remunerated for my choice
Few people are well acquainted with the
charms of old Virginia. No State perhaps
is SO full of raristy. There are mountainous
States, those that are fiat, and those that are
rolling" the oceanic, the inland and the cold
and the hot, the stony and the smooth, but
Virginia is all these Behold the peaks of OF
ter, inscribing their broad shoulders on the
sky: then pass towards the ocean over Il
young continent and you reach the broad
lowlands occupied by the aristocracy: 20
up into Frederick and Hampshire, and you
will find cool mountains and geld fountains;
natural ice all the year round growing on
the spot, the days vigorous with brcezeS,
and the nights demanding blanket III Ju-
ly and August. A country man coming
down from Monroe Or Wythe county, were
he to visit the beautiful harbor of Norfolk,
woSt hardly believe it belonged to his own
StaSR | have been rusticating in the north
ern section, surveying the ground over
which Braddock urged his weary way with
his ine-disciplined troops, who knew not
how to cope with the stealthy Indians of
the forest. There are still even in Luudoun
county, the visible traces of the road cut
through the woods by BraddOck's troops,
where the entire forest has not yielded to the
axe, to make way for the rich fields Of wheat
that distinguish this section.
Over these hills in the "French war,
plodded Morgan, the wagner, who Knocked
Il British officer down for insulting his free
American feelings and received 100 lashes
therefor, every one of which was u stroke at
British power in the colonies For the in
dignant Morgan swore vengeance against
King George, and satisfied it at Boston, Sa-
ratoga, Eutaw, and Il dozen other places,
where he drew sword, or prevailed i'll strate-
" over the Zoe Here is Battletown, NOW
called Berryvlle,) where Morgan used to
resort in the days of his lusty youth to box,
wrcstle. or tight as chance turned up, he be-
ing the champion Of every ring. That Gus
tom must have been common throughout the
colonies, for it continued even i'll New Eng
land down to as late as thirty years ago.
since which time the prevalence OF the more
peaceful arts and Of religious revivalS has eli
tcctcd its abolition. Agricultural Fairs have
been substituted for rough and fragrant
amusemeuts and the population is much re-
formed. Cock-h.hting seen here. is not
much OF an improvement on the past -
How much better would the practice OF gym,
nastics be as in some parts.
Washington knew Morgan well, for he, as
well rs his favorte physician, DR. Craik,
was with him in the disastrous BraIdock
expedition, where the chief himself and ma
ny with him were trained TO future hard
ships and victories. Morgan enlisted many
of his rihcmen in and about Winchester
where his own brave dust sleeps, Is doe,
that Of some uf his comrades who survived
the perils and trials Ut the revolution. Mr..
GUSTS once told me that these riilemen,
lurking mt times about the island in boats.
were mistaken for women by the British
sailors on board their fleet in Boston harbor,
for be it remembered they were every where
from Canada to South Carolina. They were
The Xouaves and Turcos of tile Revolution
airy army, without their barbarism. Oae
OF them probably decided the battle Of Sara
toga by killing General Frazer with uaer-
ring rifle, ~ the Baltimore boy saved his
native city by layin. low Cen Ross, flushed
with his triumphs at Washington. Through
this county OF Louloun lies the railroad,
which, commencing 1T Alexandria, i to
pierce the superb coal mines of Hampshire,
one hundred and fifty miles from AlcAan-
dra.
Indeed the Aleyanlrians haze done Won
dcrs in the way Of railroad construction
They deserve to reap the richest fruits.
In Lou,loun, Mt place called Aide, the
patriot Monroe had lovely country-Seat,
which he did not occupy long, for he never
enriched himself in the service Of his coun.
try. There too, lived Charles +. Mercer,
the bachelor statesman, the father OF the
Chesapeake and Ohio canal, a'd the friend
of Africa. He died, about year ago, OF Il
WASTING -.