Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-08-29
Letter from Washington.


DEAR CHRONICLE. Washington in the
dog-days may be all very delightful and re-
freshing to those gentlemen sojourners here
who are still on the anxious seat Of political
expectancy, and like the hopeful Micawber,
waiting for something to turn up, but to
one held here by a military necessity as
your correspondent happens to be, the city,
its atmosphere and general belongings, are
perfectly repulsive. During the latter part
Of July and the first of the present month,
the heat was most oppressive, and the 'hot
and copper sky" was warmly suggestive Of
the tropics. l do not now recollect the ex-
act number of 'stinks" attributed by Cole
ridge, to the city Of Cologne, but this do
know. that in this respect, Cologne is no
more to be compared to this city, than q
vial of otto Of roses to decayel onion, or
the "spicy breezes" of Ceylon to slaugh.
ter house. The only redeeming feature in
this peculiar institution" of the city is the
endless and innumerable variety OF stenches,
and it is surprising how Indifferent the resi-
dents here are to this abomination. If it were
not for the name OF the thing" u slight
purgation by fire might be conducive to the
health and comfort of the city, though il
they wait for the rebel torch to purge it, |
fear our otactories will have lost their sensi-
biiity before the present exciting cause
is removed.
Rumors are prevalent of an attempt BY
the rebels To gain toothold in Maryland,
below here. May they succeed in doing SO.
is the wish Of every Union man here, for in
that case, speedy and signal defeat is in store
for them. Let jeff Davis cross his entire
army, and while wss shall witness bloody
aud terrible contest, the head and front OF
the rebellion will be broken, as he will never
recross the river. D ..'s -.
While the rebels have spent their force
and vented their spleen upon all loyalists
across the river, the tomb of Washington
and the sacred haunts of Mt. Vernon are
as yet unharmed The scoundrelsspare the
shadow, while they would destroy the spirit
and substance of the Father OF his Country
That insignificant monument, beneath the
shades of Mt. Vernon has thus far beer
spared from their ruthless hands, but that
other monument, than which grander maus
oleum was never reared to the memory o
mortal man, it seems their special aim t
shatter and destroy Destroy this Republi
-dismember this Union-and Mt. Vernon
must cease to be the shrine of every tru
American heart-the Mecca of every loya
citizen of the Republic! If this war shoul,
result in dissolution of the Union, Wash
ington will have lived in vain-the idea fo
which he fought will have become obsolete, (
/ the glorious memories of our Revolutionar
struggle will become as the forgotten histor
of the Pyramids But this rebellion is t
have no such history-no such sequel tn
cities, the towns, the hamlcts of the North
the East and the West are teeming wit
stout and loyal hearts, burning to avenge tn
blood Of their fathers, brothers and son.
who are ready to fly to the battle field.
Since this war commenced how clOsel
allied seem the heroes and martyrs of th
struggle with those of the Revolution J.
! Warren and Ellsworth seem almost to hav
!. fallen ON the same battle field, as they Gel
tainly did in the same great cause and th
victims of that Plug Ugly en,eate of the l9t
of April, seem to us now to be resting in th
same grave with those other victims, O
that other 10Th of April, nearly centul
ago. Our long years Of peace, and happ
ness, and prosperity since our other revoll
, ton seem chasm dropped out of our hi
tory, and this war has thrown bridge aero
connecting the heroes of to-day with thoi
Of '76-Scott with Washington, McClella
r with Greene, and while the aurels Of Ii
. old heroes seem greeDer to-day than ev,
. before, we already see the leading spirits {
this war embalmed in history, as the pr,
J servers of that boon which the blood
, those other heroes purchased for us and b.
: queathed us as their only legacy. er
. The Departments here are being thorough
ly purged of treason and traitors, though
was surprising how some Of the, scoundre
! held on TO lucrative positions under the Go
( ernment they are striving to overthrow.
/. Hon, Chas. j. Faulkner, recently returl
ed foreign minister, was arrested here a fe
days ago, as you are doubtless aware, Fl
! supposed completely with traitors. 1t is sal
be acknowledged the authority Of the WI
/ and submitted TO itas gracefully as need b
This was exceedingly clever in Charlie
particularly when it is known that the wr
wai served by the patrol guard Of Provo
Marshal Porter. b,