Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-06-10
For the Standard.
LIEUT.. ALFRED 8 WIGGINS.

The generous noble-hearted, faithful, CONSCIENTIOUS
brave soldier dead Upon no battepan Of this mighty
revo uton has there fallen truer manhood The Dsran
ger OF these times out his soul in ealyrcs
he weeps over the departed heroes of Southern Israel
and yet he shall sing strain any heroic spirit
than that which animated the noble form of Sleep
inr friend The Tenuyson of young Confederacy may
quench his grief in the breathing numbers OF his In Me-
moriam," he recalls The imposing virtues of his dead
served conservation to the great o human freedom,
Of unbanch courage than that which expired
with Alfred Virgins Alas! alas 1t is too sadly true,
that the generous minded good hearted friend is gone
Never shall grasp that hand of cordial friendship
gaze with pleasure into that brightly beamng eye
That hand lies powerless and that eye glazed with the
oa:e and again shall echo to his familiar footsteps
whilst that father sits beside his darkened hearth
and weeps over his dead hero and that mother who
loved him tendery and SD WELL bows her head in ago
ny beeds in her heart of hearts, But thanks be unto
God in the hour of their mournul bereavement and in
the depths of their woe, they are not left alone. The
blessed Jesus when earth promised his disciples that
He would send them another CUmiorter" " when He
gone "even the Spirit of truth" 1t is to this Divine
Comforter they must look Human aid and human SYM
pahy poweress. In the presence of mighty DEATH
stands appalled, and the tongue forges its Office But in
an hour like this the Paracee of the skies aud
suages the ntensest ge and binds up and comforts the
saddest heart
Lieut. Virgins practcing physician before the
war in the county Of Halifax, NorthCarolina. He
the son of Mason L. Virgins. we'll known citizen and at
present Senator from that county. Dr. Virgins
gagged 10 lucrative practice. and held in high esteem
for bis professional skill by intelligent community He
belonged the Conservative Union party and was anx
ous that all honorable should be exhausted by the
South before the terrible appeal to made He
more than remarked to the writer that although he
deprecated resort to arms much and willing to
try every honorable expeden to avert the dire caamties
of war that sfno original secessonst should respond
with more aacrty to the call of his country than he when
the last effort had been made and had failed He noby kept
his word The rude clash of hostile speaking fear
full propheses of coming troubles had scarcely thrilled
the South before he found volunteering private,
in which capacity he faithfully served his country for
than year. BE was afterwards promoted to irst Lieu
tenancy the Scotland Neck Cavalry and met his death
in the brilliant skrmish which took place recently in Isle
Of Wight Virginia, where largely superior force Of Yam
kee cavalry driven bore the irresistible charge of
boys leaving ls of their dead behad
them. He fell at the head Of his gallant column while lead
ing his men TO victory.
surrounded by the abundant comforts of happy home
and blessed with the most be might
easily have avoided the exposures of long protraced life
in camp, and have escaped the ghtfu horrors of the
death conflict but grandy and noby he preferred to do
his duty and went down to the gates Of death still fash
ing his cleaning blade in the Of his and in the
face Of the malignant and ruan fos Requiecat pQcs
thou friend of my manhood! Green be thy memory May
thy lofty herosm-hy true and unsesh devotion be oil.
ways enshrined in the hearts Of thy countrymen.
T.B. K
Leasburg, N. c., June /, 1868.