Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1861-04-10
T'T-TE GAZETTE.
WEDNESDAY MORNING, APRIL 10, 1861.
AN INCIDENT IN THE SECESSION
PROGRAMME.

ve,l.known merchant Of this city, who
,ras IN New Orleans on the day Louisiana
,oes,d the secession ordnance, ana VINO
witnessed the illumination in honor OF that
act has related to us, with Il request that
we would suppress names, the following IA
c7 incident. 1t so happened that on the
day of the illumination the captain OF Mis-
sissinni steamboat and his lady were stopping
ut the ST. Charles. and occupied Il front
room, on the third foor-the first floor OF
rlambers-rxac:iv in the centre OF the no.
tel The captain was il Union man, and-as
the SEQUEL will shcw--so was his wife. All
the city was agtated during the afternoon
in prospect Of the grand gala night The
St. Charles was 10 be illuminated, OF course.
Accordingly. some time during the AFTERNOON
q servant knocked at the door OF the captains
room, carrying all the necessary trappinSS
for lighting up the chamber windows. Mrs.
----opencd the door, when the following
dialogue ensned:
Lauv-W hat have you got there?
Servant Candles, Missus, to light your
windows for de- Illumination.
Lady--Well. You can return them to
where you brought them from, rs | shall not
allow them in this room.
Servant Not to be loiied so easily, resn-
med)-Oh: but massa told me to put up the
LIGHTS. and so Use got to put 'em up.
L4dv-Can't help that; this is my room,
and shan't allow the windows TO be lliuml-
mated for what am opposed to; so that ends
it,
This closed the first act. The servant re-
ported to the propTietOrs, who Immediately
proceeded to the lady's room with view to
convincing her OF the Importance OF permit
ting the servant to make ready for the grand
evening light up. Said they: This room is the
most central in the entire front, and net to
illuminate it will be to mar seriously the Ell
feet OF the WHOLE" to which the lady re-
piled:
Il am sorry, gentlemen, to cause you any
Inconvenience, but | believe this room for
the time being is ours by right, and must
positively decline, in any way, to al eclat
to y great outrage, as | conceive the whole
disunion movement to be. My husband
(who was out ut the time is Union man, and
am Union woman, and this room cannot be
illuminated" \ few more words were ex-
changed, which ended by the lady politely
requesting the proprietors to leave her room.
Determined not to be outdonc in a matter
Of such grave importance, the captain WAS
next found and appealed to. He heard their
case. said his wife had reported him correct
~ Oh the Union question, nevertheless, he
would 90 with them to the room and see if
the matter could he amicably arranged
Scene third ensued The captains DISPOSE
ton to Weld was not to be seconded by his
better half They next proposed to vacate
the best chamber in her favor in some other
part OF the house, if that would be s.tistacto-
~, but the lady's "Now was still as percmp-
tory as ever. Her point was gained, and
the St. Charles was doomed to have Il dark
front chamber.
Pleased with this triumph, Mrs. - devised
the following manwuvre to make the most OF
her victory: Sumn1oning servant, she sent
him out TO procure for her an American flag,
which at dusk she suspended from her win
dow. This made the fourth act in the play,
and us the fifth is always indispensable, 1t
had its place here. When evening came, the
streets animated by Il merry throng, were
illuminated, but, alas, the St. Charles waS
disfeured by its somhre chamber, when sud
denly q succession Of lamps, suspended on
both sides Of the flag, revealing the Stars and
Stripes, were lit up, and the ensign OF tie
[ 4jon waved from the centre OF hotel illu-
minated in honor of its overthrow. The Ell
feet was 10 gre,the impression that the whole
house waa thus paying homage to the Amer
lean fag, and what is most Significant IS the
fact that the latter was greeted by the pass
ing crowd with vociierous applause. 80
much for the tirmness Of a true Union wo-
mau.-- Philadelphia Press.