Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1867-09-26
MANIA FOR RELICS.

In the early part of the late war, COL Ellsworth,
commanding Regiment Of Zouaves, attempted to
remove q Southern flag from the roof ofa hotel
belonging to man named Jackson, in Alexandria,
Va. Jackson killed Ellsworth, and he in turn was
shot and killed by member of Ellsworth regl-
ment. A correspondent of the St Louis Demo-
crat has recently visited Alexandria, and graphl'
cally describes the mania of our Yankee brethren,
for relics. He says:
We stopped eolored individual and inquired
the way to the place where Colonel Ellsworth was
killed, and were informed that the Marshall
House" was square farther on. There we found
it, three-stoy brick building old and dilapdated,
aristocratc enough perhaps for Virginia as it was
and entirely typical of the old civilization. At the
entrance, sitting upon the wooden steps, was TALL
hard-ooking white man in shirt sleeves, surround,
ed by three or four "plain people, like himself:
As an excuse for entering the house, we inquired
the way to the ''bar," and were directed by the
first mentioned individual to pass through the Of
flee, turn to the left, and 60 down stairs. AS we
left the Office and passed into the hall, we at once
recognized the scene of the murder, from the pic
lures we had seen in the pictorial weekles at the
time Of the sad catastrophe. We found the tall
individual in shirt sleeves to be A. Il. Gheen, the
proprietor, who has been running the machine
since the spring of 1862 Mr.. Gheen kindly took
US through the whole house, and showed US various
evidences of the recent civil war. For long time
Mr.. Gheen was excessively annoyed by visitors,
nearly every one Of whom wanted something OF
other to take away as relic. He has had the
stairway, banisters, mouldings, wash-boards and
flooring repaired throughout the house tWlce' on
account of visitors whiting away the wood to car,
ry off as relics of the place. Since the last repair
ing, we were shown further evidences OF the desire
to secure some memorial Many Of the new ban:
lister rails were whitfield away to kite sticks, and
about half the cornice and washboard have dlsap.
peared. Even the steps have been cut into, and
in some places pieces of the pasterng which is be-
lieyed to have been rubbed by the shoulder or Mr.
Ellsworth as he fell. Mr.. Gheen told us ne assur'
ed people that that which they take away was re-
Gently placed there, and was never touched by
Ellsworth, but it will not satty the rapacity the
reic-seeker. In short time, even at the present
rate of whiting, the banisters and rails Will have
to be renewed.
The flagstaff which Ellsworth ordered to be cut
down is still kept in the house, but the flag was
carried away by the Zouaves. The floor stained
by Ellsworth s blood was cut away long ago. and
that which took its place was disappearing 80 rap:
idly, that the landlord had to be constantly on hand
to prevent the complete disappearance OF his house
In order to- save his building he told US that he
took the remnant Of old boards, oornioe, rails and
bannisters and out them into small pieces, which
he besmeared with beef blood. Visitors were sat
isfed with this stuff as long as it lasted, and the
new bannister rails are now curious spectacle,
suffering as they do from the attack of many
knives. The room on the second floor, out Of
which Jackson stepped when he shot Ellsworth