The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1868-04-15
A Mixed Medley,
BY "sESEx OF THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY. ,


Well, no, we cannot in truth say. that
was our only object, for money, yes, mon
ey, vile trash for which we have ever had
such contempt, and which in days of yore
we knew not the want of, is now our one
all,eonsuming thought. Yes, "green-
backs" " Yankee money" thou hast thy
reyenge-thy triumph is complete. 4
repentant rebel, who once scorned and
rejected thee as-so much vile Trash, in
comparison with the pale-faced issue ofour
own dear sunny South, now bows before
thee, in AFFECT submission to thy power, a
worshipper OF thy shrine. Ha2i.
Reader, didst thou ever possess this
worlds goods beyond thy wants, or know
what it was to have ansestablishment regn-
lated as by enchantment; servants to do
thy every bidding; wines of the, choicest
and most costly vintage to sparkle in the
solid silver tankard around thy ever-ex-
tended and hospitable board /; to dust thy
feet upon silken mat, and walk upon vel
vet of the finest texture to see the happy
smile of the beloved wife, as she, with a
lavish hond, dispensed her charity to the
poor and needy, or hear the joyous laugh
ter of the little ones, who have never
known want-in word, to be surfeited
with this worlds goods, and then, when
old time begins to frost your brow, letters
to fade before your vision, the step become
less elastic, when reason bids ambition to
lower its flight, and your lofty aspirations
fade away to give place to the dawning
hope which centers in the dear ones so
soon to take your place; then, when you
are no longer able to battle with life, for
the smooth waters, which have So long
borne your bark in safety upon their placid
bosom, suddenly to become turbulent the
silver lining" to become overcast, the
storm-cloud to burst in its fury and leave
you shipwrecked, ruined? ft'a
] Dear reader, this is why we love money.
We have little ones, unused to hunger aud
cold, to feed and clothe; hence it is, when
the hand has grown tremuIous, we take up
the pen to amuse you with an incident so
painful to Others.
I TWAS the second Sunday Of April, 1865,
the church bells Of Winchester, with So
lemnity in accord with, if.not inspired by
the gloom which enveloped the South,
rang forth o doleful summons to the house
of God. Richmond had fallen; the heart
of the Confederacy" had been pierced !;
Lee, the idol Of every Southern heart, with
his heretofore inyincible army, lat last
given back before Overwhelming Ldmbers,
and was now with his little band Of heroes
slowly falling back with his face to the foe.
Yes, Lee was on theretreat- ten thousand
halfclothed, halffamished soldiers, against
the g grand army of the Republic" one
hundred and fifty Thousand strong hope
was dead, the cause. lost, our dear ones
sacrificed in vain. Every Southern heart
palpitated to learn the fate of the devoted
patriots who to the last rallied around their
beloved chieftain. Such, we say, was the
condition Of things when the different con-
gregations were called together to worship,
as all knew, upon this, the last Sabbath Of
the .sGonfederacy." Sad indeed was the
scene, one-half draped in black for those
heretofore fallen, the rest in hourly expec-
tation of a like fate to the survivors,
Hard and cruel must have been the malig-
nant heart of the fend that could make
merry and rejoice at such scene, but alas,
such there were.
The solemn and beautiful Litany of the
Episcopal Church had commenced. The
subdued, yet earnest voice of the minister
could be heard:
Remember not, Lord, our offences; MOI
the offences Of our forefathers; neither
take Thou vengeance Of our sins. Spare
US, good Lord, spare. Thy people, whom
Thou hast redeemed with Thy most pre-
cious blood, and be not angry with us for
ever"
Then could be heard from the two brass
bands at the church door--each instrument
appearing to vie with one another in shrek
ing forth Yankee Doodle, Yankee Doc.
die, Yankee Doodle Dandy then, as this
horribly discordant music would slightly
die away, would come up the response o.
| the congregation, "spare us, good Lord.
Then the minister, in distressed, pitiful
supplicating voice, would be again heard
/" From all evil and mischief, from sin, from
| the crafts and assaults Of the DEVIL The
rest was lost in the frantic shrek o
/" Yankee Doodle" Again from the con
gregation came the response, "Good Lore
deliver u.s."
"That it may please Thee to forgive GU
enemies, prosecutors and slanderers, and tt
turn their hearts," could be family heart
from the minister.
1--WE beseech Thee to hear us, goot
Lord" was the undistinguishable response
then came a mixed medley Of Yankee
Doodle" Spare us, good Lord" Hal
Columbia" "Good Lord deliver US" 9Th
Boys in Blue" We beseech Thee, goot
Lord to hear u.s." ETC., ETC., equalled onl,
by the confusion of tongues at Babel.
Finally, Mrs. General W. s, Hancock
who was present, was seen to whispe
something to some officer present with her
who not at once responding to her request
she was heard to say in an excited tone
l"For pity sake, 60 out and say to the off
Ger in command if he has no respect 70
himself, or the service of which he is a
| officer, at least he should have some 70
the day and house Of God. Ii you do no
1 60. sir, I will" At this the officer retired
and after some time the crowd left, pei
haps to visit some. other church. Never
whilst life lasts, can any one present forge
that day. He was Christian indeed VIII
then called for blessings and not curses o
his enemy's head.
/ tits but proper to say General Hancocl
who was then in command here, was in n
way to blame forthis outrage, or the man
other public annoyances perpetrated upo
unarmed men and helpless women. Hi
conduct was always that Of brave, higl
toned, gallant officer. Should his beaut
full and accomplished wife ever visit VIII
chester again, now that the war is over, 81
will find our population ever willing
testify their high respect and admiratio
for her.