Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1867-12-19

the lnqer lines. they were finally undefended
Az last there was but one soldier 10 fifteen pa
ces. and the Feieral army had scarcely an OBJ
stacle before them. The struggle against THIS
fearful odds was the brayest and most sEilliul
known 10 history. The North ought to be
pr ,ud OF the people who did such deeds, aud
would be proud of them were II not Tor the de-
nnrazing influence of Methodist Bishops
We went 10 see " The erater, as 1t is called. IL
is the fort under which the mine was exploded.
We traced the mine from tie bottom Of the hill,
where its opening was concealed TO the fort
where the ten tons of powder wereexploded.-
Into the hole it excavated-a columnof FEEDER
al soldiers was driven ON the afternoon of the
explosion: and from that hole nine hundred Of
Heir bodies ,cere taken. Five thousand fell Oh
that terrible day on the narrow field between
the lines. not more than eighty yards apart
This field was covered when | saw 1t with cot
ton llaHts-the dethroned king in the midst OF
the ruins of his empire. 1t was melancholy TO
see the young peach trees that marked the me
of Confederate entrenchments, where the secd
had been thrown by the soldiers. Alas now
few of those who carelesSly planted those trees,
survived the horrors of that awful strlle.-
There is National Cemetery here. We VISIT
ed it with painful feelings. Five Thousand DO
dies of Federal soldiers are decently buried III
it. and with them few of the CouiedeTates.-
We were pleased to see that the tombstones oil
the latter were marked, not for Re6d but Tor
/ Confederate soldiers. How sad that these
Young men from Maine should have fallen here
| hy the hands Of those young men from Texas
| What awful plaques of a country are mediocrl-
/ ty in high places, aud ianaticism in low
Petersburg itself is wonder Since the
seige of Troy, few cities have been 50 surround
cd with armies. For years the sound of cam
nou by day aud night, was perpetual. Bombs
were frequently thrown into the town. The
people lived as in besieeed camp: some had
caves in their yards some resorted to cellars
! the women lived in continual danger OF the
city being taken by storm. The men were
all constantly exposed 10 death. Yet the beau
| tful little city came out OF the hre nnhurt,
! and the inhabitants are rs serene, ana courte-
Gus. aud hospiGble as ever. We were never
entertained more elegantly.
We extracted some tales of gallantry ahd
/ selr-sacriice, but 1t is hard to get them. These
peuule are 50 familiar with heroic deeds OF meh
| and women, that they seldom mention the sub
/ icct. Indeed, it would be very dull to tell
! story of daring or endurance TO company,
| every one Of whom, perhaps, could tell as re-
markable one OF himself. heard pretty
GOOD one-not uf the fighting klnd-Nboul
! General Lee. He was in the cars, going TO
/ Rchmond. aud had a seat at the extreme end.
/ The other seats were filled with officers aud
| soldiers. An old woman uf humble appear
auce, entered at one of the stations, and hndinS
no seat, aud none having been offered her, aP-
preached the General. He Immediately rose
aud gave her his seat. Immediately there was
u general rising and pro.ierng OF seats to
" Mass. Robert but he calmly SAID: No,
Gentleman. If there was 10 seat Tor the hllrm
/ old woman. there can be none for me. The
effect was remarkable. One after another got
out of the car. as if the seats were too hot t.
! sit on, and the General and the old lady soon
had tie cars before them where b chouse.-
| Such stories are better than talesOt blood. III
| Is harder u be a gentleman than soldier, anu
a great deal better OF General Lee himself
the most rgunaIkabl thing Is not his military
talent; it is very great, but not perhaps, oi
tine highest order but the singular thing j.
that. during the whole war, he seems never To-
nave said. ur uttered, or done anything that
was not credhtabe to him. After the most
dlgeut iuqusition, Northern slanGercrs have
not been able even t. manufacture a lie which
had cnhesiveness enough to stick to the public
mind for day; aud the lrecgossip of his own
camp had not produced a single anecdote that
could not lie tuld to lis hnnur. lie VIII z
down to history as personally hu,tlesS. No"
we are satisfied that Mass Robert has faults.
We worship no man; we do not ch"Se, IN our
own disparagcmenl, t, think ton well oi other
ope. But we do wonder at the perfect self
dominion uf General Lee, and the perfection ol
that qenFeaanHess which, even IN It's lower
egreps. is 50 hard to attain and which Is SUI
lcrins dangerous violence ia this carnival OF
vulsarity through which we are living. But
we are n It wriuug biographical essays We
leave our readers t. imagine how we got home.
We give them the raw materals-cars, steam
boats. and a melancholy cup of detestable coi-
Zee. with the scenic accompaniment Of ruined
country on one hand, aud a ruinous Govern
ment on the other.