Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1866-02-20
LETTER FROM BILL AGP.

In the following letter, BIZ Arp describes
his return to his home in Rome, from which
he had retreated on the approach of the
Yankee army;
Mr.. Edttur, Sur-1 hav not up to this
time natie any remarks III public ,abou the
trta.s aud tr.bulatIons, the losses and crosses
the buzzards and dead lUsses seen On our
'urney home to the eternal CITY, shall
not ailo ID to 1t now, only to remark that our
coming back wee not 50 hasty us our leuviu
IL was III the dead uf winter, through snow
and through sleet, over creeks without
bridges and bridges without floors, through Il
de;erteI AMI -dcsJ.ate md where no rooster
was lett to crow, nu pig to sIueal, no dog tn
bark : where the runs vi happy homes adOrn-
Ell tue way. and %hustly ch,mmeys stood up
like Sherman ) scntineis a guardim the ruins
he .lau made. A little ole hos cunsern cou-
t;i ne the height Ut my worldly possessions,
cUns sten vi mS numerous aud lovely wife
and children. aud shut basket iu!l of
some second class vitIu4s. Counting our
offspring. there WAS about ten OF lis in about
and around that wagIn, ti,us illustrating what
the p"et has sed, "One GLORIOUS hour oi
"wde lie Is worth an a-e without u name."
thuuSt II the glory Was hard to purSeeve on
sch okashuuS. Mrs. Arp are ul tue uai,-
before III their lie as on that distressing
journey, and she oMvc remarked that there
want nary r'Id Ui the road that dtdeut Ecnr
s"lle "t elm Il hUlierln IUr viItels. NV wife's
husband Is tr'mbled bekaus they aint broke
"f 1t yIt, aud 1t do seem that the uuurer |
get the nore dcvuurI" they bckuu al of
Which Wall cenu i'll sumthiu or other if
srmth'n don hapItn.
We finally arrived within the presimkts of
our l.'vrty humc. ! lie doors cie,ke wei.
com" Oh th'i hinge. the lmppin-huS cher
rupeu on the hearth, and the VIII. in VIM
Was SIng.n the saline old tune around the bed.
roam corner. We were abnut as happy ;,s
we had been miserable, at d when | rem arkcd
that General \and.vcr, who OkkuIi:d our
house. must be Z nt!cman ICr not Lu. min
1t, Mrs Arp replied
- wonder what lie done with nv so;,,,
nlasheen."
" lie dident cut down our shade trees"
sed l.
My buroes and carpets and crockery are
all g"nc," sed she
1t HAY be pOssiiul," scd l, ",hat the
Gcnu -"
Anu my barrel of soap" scd She
1t may he l"Ssltul.' scd l." that the
OVnIu moved "tt our til MS to take keer of
e'" Tor us. neck, IL we'll lct em al lack
aIIer While"
y A''e" wh':r." said Mrs. Arp ke an ckko.
aud ever >Incc thea wien | a!L,ud To ,ur
N"rIhsr" brethren she only replies, ".Itte..
rh[Ir."
By and by the shattered wanderers be gun
to crop III under ihe weicum shades of our
sorr"wlul cry. 1t were delShtiul eui,.y-
hcnt t" greet cm ho"e. and listen to the ll.s-
20 OF Ihe.r suterIngS and nIsf,rtunes.-
I1V.AI
Is past there power ut cvtG.ti,rtIu tax II II
over and fx,n III, as kiyz Il tairus any h,,v
| wer stan din Que day upon the banks of the
l"Ju" yer, Won erin III my mind who would
c"he Le&t to gIauuem our heal U.s. when Jaw
the SlIadder vi an ,jek u dark nin the suu
lit bank. 1t wer not load ut hay nor an ell
etant but shore enuf it wer nv tieud Biz
John, m"vin sI"wly, but surely, IT, the du.,
out landing Oh the opposite side His biz,
r"unh lace aSs"'md mnrc IatItUUd when he
saw me, and without waitin TOR remarks he
sung out III voice sUmc two stales de.ner
thnISthc Southern uarnumv-
''Fh' re "atne to III" ech Poo, exile If Erin"
Make INN t"," SAID |, '.and yo"l fi.l the
DILL Ir"uuer to see III than a monkey
show, l padded the dug "u, over in double
quick am bid hiiu welcum in the nnme of
the c'ernai city and ITS humble inhlbiIau:s
s'"n S''t him an.at IN the little caroo. and
Dcl"re Was awaIe at 1t the water WIS Sl,Sh-
ing over the gummeIs at every wabb,e
lay down. my trend, ;" scd ], and lie laid
which WAS all that saved lis IRON II VARY
grave, aud the nabnOrim larns from iuuuda.
tl"n. hen safely landed | found h,m
wedgcd III 20 tight hat he c"uidemt rise, so
relieved hm hy prize with the eend vi
the paddle. AS his foot touched the sakred
SOL lie gently separated his cUunteuancr aud
sung with teeI'u melody.
'Iio'ne again h, III" gam fro I'll a furrin shore
Tue f'i"ks may cum aud the VI tuo but IN not
run any more"
fecOlekIn some skrups Of bank verse my
Sell, SLld with much "k>cnt, "Ieli mr thou
s"lIt vi iu"t-th"u muucrm A>abcl-Oh tell
me Where Is thy Chariot uuu steer! WneIe
u"iet thou go Wien did src the ur,v,u. Lk.
Jehu as we did flee Tor lie"
= Ill tell you AL seI lie. II want mr. trends
to Know 1t. III now uIum ut war. BlII
aud III glad ut IT, i've dune the STATE some
servIs aud Sue knows it. I've handled Gums
yes, "uns-wrellMS of CriFI. | We stvIt ON
my aims > ice seed you'll. III after m,.ht
hAv sept Un my aims, Win lundIeus OF
deadly weep.ns all around M. Ah Bill
i"'ri"tt>m is Z thing. w em you ut1re
LrcaE the ice, great Slu.res UI "l,rv AS BIZ,
." J"U' an" "I'' jest spring up IKE Iuuah-
ro"''s III Your buzzum; and make you Ie,e
hSe thrown yourself clean away TOR Your
Country. Let me set down anil Ill .e Won
all know. BiI',SsLu The teller said in the
theatre, when you III YOU: letters these uu-
lucky deeds relate speak ut he as | am-
nUth.ng eXlntate nUrs ct down hot in lLulIce."
jest 81. sed |, 'exaAktIy --exuaktiy so.
I'r,ecd, my hero
Well yot see night after you passed me,
my steer got away. lIaus the deseevIm
beast hmrted suIartIy tur HIM the next
m"rnrng; but | hunted more turerGs than
backwards. I-e"v'n my wag'n wrh widder
woman. took 1t atOot across the country bv
set. ieuemt r"al Il ey called the cut 49,