Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-11-26
Eretsi 4 leXunGria,
Especial Correspondence Of the Enquirer.
a1ESANDRIA Nov 49, 1850.

flicted town is almost forgotten by our iellow-
citizens Of Virginia, and feeling how much sue
needs and how much she deserves the sy"Pa'
thy of the South, and particularly OF ner own
State, cannot refrain frcm rcmlnutne 'u'
public of her existence and her mstortunes
through your much read columns, ru.''
down.trodden. oppressed Maryiand! IS the
cry throughout the Southern press WINE ou'
few words of sympathy seem expended On
still n,orc unfortunate Alexandria; anu Yet
MARYLAND when she turns her eyes towards
| nc hos much cause for congratulatlon Not
onlv entirely cut off from all communication
| With our own State and people. but not even
| allowed to leave here for Washington or The
North without taking an OATH Of allegiance to
the United States What can be more pitiful
than the condition of the unfortunate prison.
ers confined within this little strip of land,
completely bowed down by oppression and ty'
rannyy And that is not all, or one-halLN1
Our beautiful country, for miles around, en-
hibits traces of the destroyer. In whatever
spot the Federal troops have planted ther
footsteps, desolation and ruin prevails. -
Houses, trees, fenccS-al exhibit the same
marks Of RIGHTEOUSNESS and uichcdnsSs, for no
other word will apply to the wanton dcstruc
ton of the beautiful woods which God has
made. AS an instance Of the discipline Of the
army, will mention the following: An order
vas published by Gen. Mcclellan, and read! to
every regiment, that all soldiers found destroy
ing fences should be shot instantly, on the
spot; and yet every day witnesses their de-
Structon, for use as fuel or tent floors, right
in the face Of their officers, without rcbuke
or reprimand, until at length the farmers seem
to have almost given up their property, IN
despair of its preservation. If there at" any
Union men or reconStrurtioniStS in the Sonth,
they should be sent Immediately 20 h!cxan
dria, to be cured Of their folly by witnessing
the kind consideration ri their Northern
brethren, and, ahnve all, they should te com.
PEELED 70 read tho Northern newspapers
These latter would certainly be pl! whic'!
could not fall of the desired ttlcct; ard itany
thing we're needed 10 arouse rur men CT tfc
day OF BATTLE sight Of he icrcctircs, chuS"
and scorn which is hurled m ts- ''rehelS" and
TRAITORS" would surely serve to inspire them.
If Gen. Beaureeard could have known the
intense suspense and bitter disappointment
which followed the battle q Bu!! Run, he mast
have been moved to compassion.
When We were a; last assured. nowi,h
SEanVnH tI.C FSNci-i tti' s !HS ~ liG So'i'i'i
rv, that we we're indeed victorious, hy The
presence Of the retrca;cs for, our hearts hca'
high with hope, and. seeing tow utterly panic
stricken and demoraliZad the cn"my was. we
thought surely noIc our release is 1T hand; hut
when days and weeks passed hC ard no traces
Of our delirerers appeared. instead Of which
we beheld troops pouring in and forts and ba.'
teries erected il every direction--then, indeed.
we felt how hopelesSly our chains were rir.tcd,
and would not, if We could, bc released by
such sacrifice rs u must cost. Bat could any
one have witnessed the wrctched remnant VI
the "Grand ArmJ" which passed through here
on that never o,be forgotten 22ud OF July, lie
could have had little doubt how easy it must
have been for single regiment Of cavalry to
have ridden triu,pphantly over Washington
and Alexandria. The poor creatures looked
wild with terror, and so intense was the fear
Of an approach Of the Confedcrates that mum.
bers were scarcely restrained from plunging
into the river The Government having taken
measures to prevent the immense influx Of &c
moralized soldiers into Washington; and, as
the redoubtable Fort Ellsworth was left with
only few sent!EcS rs protection, il certainly
would not have been defended by the nanic-
stricken, demoralized army which hal il.d in
such wild confusion from tho awfuily tr;um-
plant foe
A little incident occurred here, which must
not omit to mention. One OF our soldiers was
shot last summer, near the outpostS, aud per.
mission was obtained to hurry him in the Gene
terry of this place. \ citizen some DAYS age,
on meeting some little girls carrying flowers,
asked for what they were intended, and ives
told that they were for the soldiers grave, and
on enquiry found that since toe poor fellow
had been consigned to his last resting place,
his grave had f:cvcr been without fresh flow
ers!
There is one spot in Alexandria scarcely less
an object OF interest than the home and burial
place Of Washington, and which The stranger
rarely fails to visit. This is the old ivy.clad
church, hallowcd by having been the place Of
worship of the Father Of his Country. Bu.
now, alas ! it is polluted BIZ being appropriated
to the services Of the military; and It's walls,
which in his time heard nothing but tue sim
pie praise of God, now resourd TO the ''Star
Spangled Bsnner!" It's services are conducted
By the army chaplains, usually admitted 10 be
the worst men. in the regiments, Us we'll as the
fercest Abolitionist; and the very pew for
nerly occupied bv Washington is now appro,
oriated by Gen. Montgomery worthy repre-
sentative Of hin who toilcd and fought FOR our
liberties
OF the latter have not spoken ard must 60
him the justice to say that he is more kind and
enient than any master we have yet had, and
seems rather disposed to conciisto 50 far rs is
possible; 50 much so that the friends OF Liberty
II Washington talk Of removing him, it is SAID,
Ind substituting some on" who will told us
With the iron grasp VIC deserve.
There is one grievance which we ladies' Of
Alexandria consider sore trial. 1t Is that
while we read and hear Of The large amount Of
voluntary contributions IL tho ar'uY, and the
BUSY female fingers 2rcry where AZ work, we
must sit down idle, with chr ha"ds tied, and
'nly SIGH and wish and alternately hope and
despair. Our own soldiers VIC mas; -ecCr7
nerd to tho kind care and attention .; .t!"Ir
friends elsewhere, ard We have no doubt ,ha:, !
cut Oft as they arc. from oil CONTAMINATION
Sith their homes, They will o. promptly a.d
gladly supplied with every Necessary.
One Of the most painful of the Inhrr changes
which have come over our unfortunate city. t.;
he number Of strange faces, of people, as
he Maryland "NeTs Sheet" expresses i with
'egart TO Baltimore, who 'scttn 10 have NJ sym
,a,hy with US in habits, tastes, o. manners"
These are the & mites G! TIC officers. Or Yam
lees VINO have c1coa here fer tie putpcso Of
making money CT ;ta government CT soldiers;
md to one familiar WIKI, Alexandria. as il was
me year ago, to drop in ca lis now, it you'd
'eem as though a new raca faH! sprung ~ IN
hat short time in place Of thus: l;c VAS "unt
% meet OF the Union. Association! here, will
,nly say, that OF the ALP who compose it, pro.
oat!y not thirty are citizens Of the place, and
IF the thirty not more than SIX arc native
the rest being composed OF IAN.
tces and soldiers.
And now, after saying thus much in behalf
If ou: poor afflicted city, will Close with the
nope that when showers Of tears arc shed in
he South for the sad, untimely fate Of poor
Maryland, word of pity and cornmisscralion
nay occasionally be heard for poor Alexandria,
Shichwc think has prior claim 10 both your
sympathy and your regard.