Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1865-01-27
FER the Delaware Gazette.
NOT Es IN DIXIE.
XIII.
NEAR SAVANNAH, GEORGIA,
January 5th, 1865.

second, had crossed the Savannah river, an
effected lodgment on the rebellious soil G
South Carolina. This movement, Threatening
as it did the enemy's only chance of escape
probably did more than anything else to hast
| en- his evacuation of the city of Savannah
Indeed, bad the entire division been precipitat
ed across the river at the beginning, this loop
hole might have been easily closed and Har
dee's forces all captured. But the adventur
was thought too hazardous and was conse
qeuntly delayed until too late to be effective
This incident illustrates how much easier it is
in military affairs particularly, to see how
thing ought to be done after it has been &C
complished than before.
Our new encampment was allotted to US oi
| McAlpine's Plantation, one mile from the city
Our flank rested upon the Savannah river, ou
line circing about among the venerable live
oaks, whose huge, spreading tops completely
embowered the camps and seemed in tbeiI
gnarled and messy stateliness like the bending
forms of so many fostering patriarchs Tht
troops, well pleased with this delightful locali
ty, Immediately fell to work gathering board:
and building quarters. The continual clack
of their hatchets resounded merrily through
the forest, making it vocal with busy life. The
triangular star color of the Third Brigade
| was uufurled from the McAlpine mansion, sig
nifcant of Head Quarters. And now amid
these spacious, richly painted walls, let me NOR
alize and speculate a little about their former
occupants
Were l a writer of romance would re-
vel in the matrrals here afforded for a story
rivallirg the most thrilling productions oil
Bulwer or Charlotte Bronte. The mansion
stands upon the bank of the Savannah, oil
which its reverse front commands a fine view.
1t is fire, two-story building, displaying a
style of architecture and finish which indicates
abundant means and cultivated taste, border
ing on the aristocratie order. 1t wears a sort
of selfish, independent aspect, standing as it
does widely isolated from all other buildings
except the multitude of out-houses and the
colony of negro-quarters that surround the
mansion of every rice planter. In front a
magnificent avenue canopied by stately col
onade of live oaks stretches away in an en-
chanting vista as far as the moss hung leafy
bower will permit the eye to wander. Around
the columned verandas the hand OF taste has
trained rich vines to climb their arching trell-
ises and planted the rarest' shrubs and flowers.
Such are some of the outside adornments of
the beautiful home of the McAlpines. Let US
go inside the uncarpeted, untapestried parlors
and hollow sounding halls, aud see what we
can learn of the domestic life of their quon-
dam inhabitants.
Here lies chaotic pile of books and manu-
scripts, doubtless from the library and private
papers of the Meal pine family. Here are
old, thumb worn French and Latin lexicons and
scientific works of ancient print, bearing the
the rampant English lion on the title-page, in
dicating that the McAlpines were leisureiy,
educated people, of foreign extraction, and
possessing something of a taste for antique
literature. There is jumbled mass of news
papers and phamphleLs, among which we dis
cover frequent copies of "The Albion" 1.-The
GentIeman's Sporting Magazine "Porteris
Spirit of the Times" "Journal of the Turf"
ETC. 1t is plain therefore that the McAlpines
we're given to am1sements as well as study
They evidently delighted in hunting, angling
and horse-racing. am told that number of
fine race-boats were destaoyed in a building
close by, indicating that the fine, manly exer-
else Of boating was also part of their sport
ing creed. Methinks see them, too, in glossy
broadcloths and Haunting silks enjoying a
moonlight sail on the ripliug Savannah. =
Dulcet notes of music and silvery song waited
from the water tell the grave old oaks, who
stoop to bathe their tops in the flood Of har-
moDy, that the McAIpines are happy tonight.
A gentle sea- breeze whispers something to the
long reeds that grow by the river side, and
they. in turn, like a myriad of gossips, betray
the secret with ten thousand gathering
tongues Far away through the dazzling
moonlight blue veil futters in the breeze and
reveals but, for the conclusion of this in
terestiug story see the New York Ledger
Here is a bundle of old letters, real domestic
tell-tales, and containing within themselves
whole volume of romance and family history.
Here is one post marked Berlin, Havre, Amer
lea it relates to business matters. but shows
that the McAlpines had business connections
abroad and were widely known in the COM
mercial world. Here is another from duti
full heir in England, who manifests most anxious
concern about the health of his aged progeni-
tors. Here is filial missive from the delicate,
ieweled hand of daughter in South Carolina.
All these documents are old, being mostly
written score of years ago. They are, there
fore, suggestive relics of an arstocratic, very
respectable, wealthy, Travelled, and ancient
family, proud of its family name and genealo-
gy. They created in my mind an anxious de-
sire to know more OF their authors. I moused
about the old corridors and sidebsards in pur-
suit of something that would crafty curiosi-
ty that became every day more prurient and
Unsuitable. My nervous condition became
very similar to that which Irving so admirably
describes in his Stout Gentlemen" Indeed
l fancied that this might be the time-honored
habitation of real prototype of the Brace
bridge Family. pictured in my mind the
gallant Captain and his gentle Julia ecursing
up and down the long avenue on their nimbe
chargers, the blue veil" huttering in the wind.
'fancied 1 saw them in loving moonlight con-
ference slowly psrambulating among the deep
shadows OF the live-oaks, or discoursing loves
sweet sorrow while seated by the gnarled roots
Of some confidential giant of the forest. My
mind had just been well filled with these wAims
and like sail sweled with empty air, was
rapidly drifting me among those romantic
shoals so dangerous 10 bachelor craft, when my
reverie was broken and nay dream dispelled by
one of those most un-romantic aud mater.oG-
fact things in the world, an order to march,
1t was cruel to thus tear my mind from the
soft mesbes of the "blue VEIL" but was never