The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-07-02
IsH!a[lE. !, GITY'


Aast SAnDRDAH JULY 3.
-. -
Roaayaga8e.
B. r Taylor ssiting :fpon Nohing
ton, speaks thus Of the great number ,
transisn. steppeUp ths 3isyl ND cam.
from all parts Of the coustry TO end, If n
6sapossibIe, ths'uussdsd, o. y{sk % pef'
hsps dead loved one. There are parents,
and children, .nd brothers, and pisss7s
aud friends who 60. They may not b
fashionably clad, nor sversed in the con.
ventionalism Of society, and unused to the
display OF cities. What difference q Il
they may but End their, own bright bra4e
soldier boy ere tie messenger has borne
him white robed away, What il all the
pomp and splendor to them? a
The war has brought . new element iu-
to Washington; Il has entered socistp. d
silently as the Potomac meets the sea-
Go to the hotels--W illard's. the Nation.
al, the Meropolitan, the United States,
and you shall find them thronged. Go
throughout the city. vherevsr--and that
is 'almost every wlisre-you see, posted
beside door, or modestly looking through
the corner OF. window pape, q little
written placard, Furnished rooms, Nth
or without board" and you shall End
one, two, three strangers therein gray
fathers end old-kshioned mothers. youpp
wives and sisters. You will End they
come from New Eogland valleys and
Gud's Western pastures; From every
State that has soldier in the Front, his
brave breast between our homes and harm.
You viii see men in the homo made suit,
and women 10 the garments Of some dead
aud gone fashion. Altogether, it is
strange mingling Of this new element of
homeiiness and heart with the gay uhirl
Of Vanity Fair. Five hundred, . thou
sand miles these wanderers come, and
they ali have one errand: they seek
soldier languishiug, brother wounded,
q husband dying. 6rst born dead. The
arch-traitors of this rebelIion-in name
and fame, be they accursed through all
the ages
Scenes meet my eyes almost every day
that stand at the door of the heart and
knock audibly for entrance. Take one
incident from hundreds. A friend of
mine was fellow passenger with an elderly
lady, bound for Washington, and she
was going upon the one errand. She had
son, young Lieutinant Of Company E.
ed Michigan, who was wounded the other
day. All, how brave George was, and
how dutiful be was, and hOw--but il il
all told in this He had mother to love
him. Aud she vas fastening to take care
OF the brave soldier she that hs young
eyes had worshiped looking up as he Law
smiling in her arms, JUS. twenty years
ago.
''How long will you remain in Wash
ington 2 was the question. "Till be is
ready TO 60 heme," was the quick reply.
So, through the mountains of Penns,l-
vania, through the monumental city, sped
the iraio. the capital was reached J the
location Of the boys hospital ascertained,
and the mother hurried away. The next
day my friend went to tie hospital, but
the mother was not there. He accosted
an officer: "is Lieut.. George S Williams
Of colnpany L, I'd Aichspan, here r The
leaves Of the record are slowly turned, aud
the finger moves down the fines, Of name
after name, in that roll Of honor. The
finger halted at ast /; the officer reads, 's
"Iieut. George s. Williams. ID Michigan 3
turns with quick look towards my
friend, and says. '..died day before yester-
day - 81 shall stay. till be is ready 70
go. we're the words 81 the mvther. aud
he acas ready, even while she uttered
them. Why not write upon his head
stone for eulogy aud epissh,
CHE WAS READY To Co."