Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1861-08-21
Washington Correspondence.
WASHINGTON, August 10th 1861.

to finish the description of my tour over the
Potomac and give you few items of interest
pertalng to the city Of Washington.
This splendid estate, the Arlington proper
ty, was lately the residence of Gen. Robert
Lee, to whom it came through his wife, who is
a relative of G. W. p. Curtis, deceased the
former owner, Gen. Lee, being Southern by
birth and education disregarding all the rela-
tionship Of the former owner, to the Father of
his Country-all the hallowed associations
connected with the piace-all its historical re-
miniscences, and all that he personally, owed
TO his native country. left that country's SER
vice in the hour of need, and took a command
in the confederate army of the South. The
house has been dismautled-the paintings,
statuary. and reliques left by the former pro-
rrietor removed, and now strangers occupy it.
l have been somewhat lengthy in describing
the Arlington property and its surroundings,
but as it is at this particular time spot of ex-
ceeding interest, l hope my description has
not been entirely uninteresting.
From the Arlington House we passed south
ward, by Forts Albany and Runyon to the
city of Alexandria. Fort Albany is about
two miles from Fort Corcoran, on the top of
the heights or bluff. 1t is on the land of no.
ted secessionist named Roach. was inform
ed that his crops had been but slightly injured
by the Union troops, and that his employees
We're busy gathering in his harvest. Bnt the
same regard had not been paid to his timber
land, of which he had fine body of at least
a hundred acres around his dwelling and slo-
ping down towards the river. 1t being con-
sidcred in the way of the guns of Fort AL
bany the AK was laid to it. and as we passed
over the grounds New York Reg iment was
busily engaged in telling trees and erecting
block houses. The public safely required that
it should come down, in order to give fair play
10 the guns of the Foit; and it is fair to pre-
sumo that the owners wishes were not consul
ted as to which way the trees should fall
neither was the question propounded as to his
views of the present war. Fort Runyon is
built close to the river to guard that channel of
communication and prevent the ascent OF en-
emies either by land or water.
From these Forts we proceeded to Alexan-
dria, and on our way could evidently see that
the country for miles around was one vast
camp OF soldiers. 1t is varlously estimated
that from forty to seventy thousand men sur
round the Ca tol of the Nation. There was
absolutely nothing doing in Alexandria-ei-
lencc regned supreme in the streets. House
after Lo; sc aud store after store was closed,
and their former inmates gone. The only
place in the city of interest was the Marshall
House. the scene of the Ellsworth tragedy,
and so we visited tie various apartments. No
part of the house is occupied except the for
rner bar room. which is used as station or Of
flee by company of soldiers. BY permis-
sion of the officer in command we were al
lowed to visit the scene OF the murder. The
whole stairway from the third to the fourth
fioor-the boards of the floor where Ellsworth
fell-the railway down the second floor, and
the chair-boards and door-facings have all
been torn off and carried away as relics OF the
occurrence And if that class of people who
have an inordinate passion for securing and
preserving relics continue to visit the house,
before another year has passed away there will
not be a vestige left of the entire building to
mark the spot where Ellsworth fell by the
hand of jackson.
From Alexandria we returned to Washington
by steamboat, passing close by the Q. S. Ar
senal where there appeared to be any amount
of cannon, cannon balls, and other implements
of death and destruction, from which place
they were busy transporting them into Vir-
ginia. |-
The Fo4ts that we have spoken of have
been eI ected by the soldiers now in the service
of the country. and have been built only fol
tcmpory defenses. s
The newspaper accounts that are frequently
published about the desecration of Mount
Vernon by the hands of the rebels. are simply
base falsehoods. manufactured out of whole
cloth. The Union forces have possession of
Mount Vernon and their pockets extend for
several miles beyond into Virginia. and i
think 1 am truthful in saying that not rebel
has visited Mount Vernon for the past two
months. 4 rJua
Having been highly pleased with our trip
over the Potomac we returned in the evening
into the District of Columbia, and l assure
YOU that stronger feeling of safety pervades
ones mind while on this side Of the river than
on the other.
WASHINGTON, August ii, 1861.
This morning took occasion to visit the
unfinished W ashington Monument. No work
of any consequence has been done upon it for
several wears for want OF funds, and doubt
very much whether there viii for years to
to come. The site is low and unsuitable-the
design extravagantly large, and the result thus
far an abortion, the Monument having much
the appearance of mile stone, magnified
few thousand times There is no beauty nor
comelincss in or about it. The various slabs
and stones contributed by the corporations
and societies in the Union are in frame bull
ding near, and will well repay visit.
No person should leave Washington City
without visiting the Smithsonian Institute
The collection of paintings, statuary and for
e,pn curiosities now there, is the largest and
most interesting of those belonging to the
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