Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-09-10
letter fronn CuIpeper Co.

lsCs.-Your correspondent knows of no town
which has improved more rapidly since the
war than Culpeper Courthouse. Neat rcsiden-
oes have sprung up on every side, number Of
business houses have been erected, and the
business of the place has very largely increased.
| Tho neat enclosures, beautiful yards, and clean
! streets, present very striking contrast to the
appearance Of things during the war, when
the Federals and Confederatcs used to chase
each other through the town. or IN turn use 1t
as barracks. There is scarcely q county in the
State which was more desolated than Culpeper.
So long the camping ground OF both armies,
every PANEL OF fencing was destroyed, the
fields were laid waste, scores OF houses were
burnt or torn down by aruth!eSs enemy thardIy
church in the county, outside or the toWp,
was lett standlng), and the whole country was
one wide scene OF ruin and desolatlon. But
three years of industry and persevcrlng energy
has changed ali this-the fertile soil has yleI-
| ded generously to the labor bestowed upon 1t,
and the land now smiles with its pristine YER
durc and beauty. The churches OF the town
have caught the spirit Of improvement. The
Baptist church has thoroughly repaired the
damage done their handsome house Of worship
by Federal soldiers; the Me1hodists arc now
remodel!iug their house, and the Prcsbyterans
arc now completing very neat and convenient
house, for which they deserve great credit.
| Nor is the improvement less marked IN the IN
creased activity and zeal shown BY the church
es. Instead of a service once a month, as tor
merly, they now have their resident pastors,
and preaching every Sabbath. All Of the ehur-
ches have had additions to their membership,
and the Baptist church (under the labors OF
their efficient pastor, Rev. J. B. Taylor, Jr,
formerly of your city, has had within the past
two years. largely upwards of one hundred adj
ditions.
The schools are keeping pace with the gen
eral progress. Colonel Charles Llghttoot,
widely known as the gallant and sklltul com
mander Of a battalion Of Confederate States
artillery, and J. W. Button, Esq, have each
academies for boys, and Captain Nathan Penlck,
one Of the bravest and best artillery oti1csrs
which even the Army Of Northern Virginia
contained, is the accomplished principal OF the
| Culpeper Female Institute.
The Federal Cemetery here is very beautiful,
and certainly it ought to be, as it has already
cost 1--WE learn) one hundred thousand dollars
The people have done what they could to I'M
prove and embeIlish the cemetery in which
Sleep our ''boys in gray" but it is in sad con,
trast with the Federal cemetery. We'll so be 1t!
The CASE OF WIRZ-From recent letter
from Mr.. Louis Schade, the counsel for Wlrz,
who was tried in Washington, condemned by
military commission, and put to death, on
charge of cruelty to prisoners at Anderson
7ille we extract the following:
"Col. Oold had a narrow escape from be.
coming an inmate Of the Old Capitol, and
sharing the fate poor Wirz. Had the real An
Jacksonville murdcrcrs only imagined that some
years LAGER he would expose to the world their
| terrible and cruel crimes towards their own
soldiers, doubt very much whether Colonel
| Guild would ever have been permitted to return
| to Richmond-for dead men tell no tales
| It is almost superhuous, alter citing the above
extracts from the official record, to state IN adj
ditiou that the subpoenas OF General Lee, Col.
| OuId, and other Southern witnesses we're
stopped or revoked, without the consent, and
even the knowledge of the counsel Of Captain
Wirz. As the whole trial was nothing but a
most wretchcd farce, those gentlemen, even il
they had succeeded in appearing as witnesses
before the commission, would not have been
permitted to say anything in favor OF the prls,
oncr and the cause of justice and humanity. y
Perhaps they might have shared the fate OF
one of the witnesses for the defence (Duncan)
who was arrested in open court before he had
testified At any rate, they would have been
subject to the overbearing lnsolcnce OF the
president Of the Commission, General Lew
| Wallace. whilst at the other end OF the table
the Judge Advocate, by snccring questions and
| Insulting insinuations, would have taxed to the
utmost the forbearancc of the rebels, as he
politely used to dcnominate the Southern wit
| nesscs. In fact after it had become apparent
that the defence would not be allowed to pro-
duca any evidence in favor Of the prisoner,
| particularly after the above mentioned sub
| penas had been countermandcd or revoked
without our knowledge, no further attempt was
made on our part to bring those gentlemen be-
tore the commission. Capt. Wirz told me
several times that even to save his llfe he
would not place his cherished, brave and noble
chieitain, General Lee, in the position OF being
| exposed 10 the insults OF such man as Lew
| Wallace.
The Recommendations by Colonel Ould must,
| indeed, be a terrible blow to the participants
in the murder of Capt. Wirz; for murder it
was and has so been decided by the highest
| tribunal OF the country. WirZ, as he promised
before his death, is already haunting them by
! day and night. No Loyal Leagues and Grand
Armies of the Republic can protect them
against that terrible spectre
IQe TeLltllnS Vi Tile uau VIII SpuluCu Illc dI
the cost of becoming traitor or suborned wit
ness against his former compatriots lie still
side by side with those of poor Mrs. Surratt
buried in one of the warehouses Of the Arse
nal in this city, and still denied the right Of a
| Christian burial. Nobody any longer doubts
that they have been murdered. The Supreme
Court has declared those commissions by which
they we're convicted to be unconstitutional
Yet their orphan children are not even permit
ted to weep at their graves How savage this
nation has become
Can it be true that the star spangled banner
still waves ''over the land of the free and
the home of the brave ?" Respectfully,
LOUIS SCHADE.