The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-11-20
NO. 1913.
washlngtsn's Church.

The following extract from letter
written 10 the Boston Gazette from Al
exandria, by q member of company K,
42d Massachusetts,, tells its own story:
| 8 Yesterday we attended service at
church around which cluster memories
OF Washington and the Revolution
the old Christ church at Alexandra,
Va 1t IS plain brick ediGce, sur
mounted by q dome-shapsd wooden
tower or steeple, and was built by the
/ English from imported bricks, in the
/ year 1852, so it Is now one hundred and
twelve years old 1t was erected, and
has always been occupied by the Church
OF England Passing through the
churehyard in the rear, we found on the
old sand and slstestone slabs the names
OF men and women who lived and Wor-
shipped with Washington. Upon en-
tering the church the frat object 70 at.
tract the attention Of the stranger is
the lofty, urn-shaped pulpit, built Of
chestnut, and trimmed with crimson
velvet On the wall, back Of the pull
pit, are Two tables; the one on the
right Is inscribed with the 20th chapter
| OF Exodus 1.-THE ten commandmeats);
the one on the left with the Lords
Prayer, the Articles of Faith, and the
Golden Rule whatsoever ye would
that men should do unto you, even 50
do unto them; for this is the law aud
the prophets) Beneath and in front
of the pulpit is the usual chancel.
Around the three remaining sides of
the room run a gallery supported by
pillars.
The music is furnished by the choir
and an organ. The pews are built in
the usual Episcopal manner, and have
all been Iemodeled except numbers
fifty~nine and sixty on the left, square
family pew, the one formerly occupied
by Washington and his family. When
our troops took possession of this city
the congregation Of this church were so
rebellious that the commanding Gene
raj turned them out, and placed loyal
rector and people in possession, but the
secessionists had time to steal and Sc
crete the communion service, the bap-
tismal font, and silver plate with Wash
ingtOn's name, from his pew. We
should doubtless have had a chance TO
look over the church records, but the
gentlemanly rector informed US they,
too, had been confiscated by the rebels,
who, after the war is over, will doubt
less bring them forward and claim the
church; but don't think they will get 1t.
Ii may be of interest to state that the
rebel General Lee, who now commands
in Virginia, occasionally occupied this
church, and desecrated the sanctity Of
the Washington Pew" The inside
ceiling and walls are plain white.
The building from the connection it
has with the Washington family, as
their regular place of worship, is q very
interesting as we'll as a well preserved
relic of the past Seventy years have
passed away since the portals were
pressed by the feet of that, man 80 be-
loved by every American and so
adoTed by both friend and foe tc tie
Union.
After his arduous public life was over
and he had retired to his beautiful es-
tate at Mount Vernon, to pass his
waning life in the quiet, peaceful pur-
suits of agriculture and in the bosom
of his beloved family, how cslmly and
serenely he must have wended his way
70 and from church What privilege
it must have seemed 10 the Father Of
his Country" to be allowed once again,
after 80 many years Of commotion, 10
peacefully worship the Father Of his
race
But could his body, so long mingled
with the sacred soil, reunite with hs
spirit in worship hero at the present
time, how different and how painful
would be his meditatiOns. Ills beloved
State laid waste by the ruthless march
Of arrnies--his own countrymen-O
what falll-seeking to tear the glo-
rious Union for which he fought so
bravely, and maintained so triumphant
ly, ssunder Rest in peace, 'old man"
we would not if we could awaken you
from your peaceful couch % view this
cruel wars desolation."