The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1864-05-21
FROM THE FRONT.
BY REV. TUEo. /. CUYLEE.

CULPEpPER. VA, April %, 1864,
never thought that should become
High Churchman but | am cnsconced
to-day in the gallery ola deserted Episcopal
church in the ancient, aristocratIe~C ul-
pepper Ny writing-dcsk is a candIc-box;
a cooking-stove besides me bolS the coffee
Of the Christian Commission delegates !;
the dining-table on three packing boxes is
beyond it; in the opposite gallery is our
dormitory, whore we spread our blankets
on the floor, and slept swcctIy after our
days marches among the tents. Down in
the broken pcws on the lower floor, the
Pendlctous, Hills and MERGERS. and other
Culpepper pstricians. have ''said OF sung
the English liturgy for a generation or
more
Immediately under the church-wiudow
lie the family of Gen. 4. 7. Hill, who
was born in yonder old brick house on the
corner. The tents of our men stand close
up to the graves of the proud old aristoc-
racY of the DAYS Of Madison \ few rods
off is the Methodist church (pro-stavcry
though bearing the sainted Ncsley's
name j and BY an awful rctributjon it is
now used as a cavalry stable. Hard Ivy it.
in a once elegant mansion General Grant
is now sitting with New York paper in
his hand quietly enjoying his cigar. My
true yokc-fcllow," Bro. Anderson, of
Ncwtown, and myself, dropped in for a
chat with him. and like all who meet him
were charmed with his quiet, nodes sim
plcity and manly bearing. lie is low
voiced, diffdent man, with fair skin an
brown hair-looks younger even than Ere
mont, and talks slowly, like ono used to
keeping his own secrets. lie says he
never had even n headache. God
grant he may have no heartache during
the coming eventful month :, When
rallied him pleasantly about the tradition
al cigar" which he used as Napoleon
did the snuf-box he smiling replied -
"When the war is over, I am going to
give it up" He had the most unbound
| ed confdecce in the teoops; in every tent
we hear the same spontaneous tcstimcut
Culpepper-which is now the central
point of interest to the ciyilzck worlds
in the lap of lovely landscape. Before
war rernorseless plowsharc dosolatec its
field, swept away its lenses, felIed its for
csts, and tore up its lawns aud orchards. it
was one of the garden-spots Of Virginia.
John Minor Bolts fine old mansions and
gronnds-now in sight--are almost the
only estates which has been spared. In
the princi 1al mansions of the village, the
wives and children of Confederate army
officers still ltnger. many Of them gaining
their daily bread BY boarding the officers
of our own army. This morning, ono of
the F. II. VS. vas milking his surviving
cow, the scores of slayes having IIoug ago
walked of into liberty, under the light Of
Father AbrahanA's Proclamation. : Oppo-
site his house reside an aged aristocTatic
widow and her two invalid daughters
| wives Of rebel officers who are entirely
supported BY shs hard hsbsr d tive hose
hold slaves, who are practically free, and
yet cling to the helpless family, under
whose roof they were born, And this Il
the "barbaroas >, race whom the loud
Times said would cut the throaas &c f
former masters! & 1900 s.
onsthe.sdas Z