The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-11-07

Poplar Grove Cemetery elaborate trnanifn
.ation-Thc lesson II Teaches Enthusiasm
at the Result ofihe elections
PETERsBuRG, November s, 1867.
The Notifications erected by both armie:
around the city continue to be an object Of
curiosity to visitors, and few stranger:
make any stay among us who DO not cX-
piorc them TO a greater or less extent
Except where they have been ievelied Tor
cultivation, the lines may all be easily
traced but they have everywhere lost
their freshness, and arc gradually crum-
bling beneath the touch o! time.
1t is not my purpose to go over these
works again: it would only be as a twice
told tale, though there are numerous points
that can never lose their interest should
they be described for the hundrcdth timc.
Thcvare connected with associations which
will survive when they will exist only in
memory or tradition.
There is one spot, however, within the
limits of the Federal lines which deserves
some mention, in the hope that a useful
lesson may he CLEANED from it by our own
people. Around the romantic locality known
as Poplar Grove church the grounds have
been converted into cemetery for the
proved in the most tasteful manner. II is
divided into q great number Of Irregular
plats, with handsomely gravclled walks, al
the sides os which are cutters laid will
bricks, afordipg as good a drainage as the
level surface will admit Of. Each plat, OF
compartment, according to its area, con
tains from thirty to fifty, and some many
as seventy gravcS-in all amounting 10
five Thousand four hundred. Every grave
is neatly iurfed, and the intermediate
spaces sowcd in grass. lIeadboards,
painted white, are placed at the head OF
every grave, which present, rs one APP
proaches the gate Of the cemetery, quite
picturesque appearance. These boards
arc inscribed with the names Of the sol
diers as far as ascertained; but in many
cases they are simply marked unknown"
with the name of the battlefield from
which the remains we're taken. A few
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES twenty! five or thirty
are assigned to plat hy themselves, but
the same care has been bestowed upon
them as the others. It is supposed that
many others are mixed up with the Fcdc
raj soldiers, as it was moi always practlca.
bic to discriminate between them. When
found in various stages OF decomposition
but in few Instances they were in a.
perfect preservation as if death had cnSucd
only q day or two before.
The lesson for our people to learn from
this is: not that we should now attempt to
initiate 50 much display aud adornmcut,
but that the remains OF the Confederate
dead should be gathered as far as practi-
cable; and when not practicable, that
their graves should he marked and regis
tered, in order that they may not be over
looked when the day comes for paying
them appropriate honois. The country is
noN too poor 10 justify any lavish expense,
even in such 4 matter; but if the white
people ever get the government OF Vlr-
ginia in their hands, as we believe they
will, this holy work of giving decent Scpul-
ture to the sons who died in her defence
will be public as well as a sacred duty,
and she may then raise costly monuments
to their memory. Mean time the various
memorial associations can he putting eve
rything in train for this contamination,
Saoud this duty he neglected now, it can
never be repaired; and the Federal Gene
tericS on our soil will be standing rebukc
to the State for her dcGcliction to the
memory OF her own children.
The news from the North las been re-
ceivcd here with the greatest enthusiasm,
and inspires IL conviction that all things
will vet work together for our dclverance.
1t will be prudent, however, and not I'M
manly, to receive the good tidiugs with
becoming dignity, and not suffer ourselves
to be betrayed into any kind Of extrava~
ganceS. As the people here Gan do no.
thing for themselves, let us rest our cause
i'll the. hands Of those who have the power
and the disposition to befriend us. We
have now good reason to hope that negro
rule will not be fastened on us.