Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1869-01-27
Correspondence Of the Transcript
Leffe!. from RichmOnd.
RICHMOND, VA, Jan.

Il long silence, | hnd time TO wrltc
YOU, and this time from the late capital
of the late Confedcracy.
1t would he very natural for me to
write YOU about that which has filled |
our thoughts and our dreams during
the last great months--to tell ytu how
that great struggle was regarded from
this POINT how the hopes of the " UNI
reconstructed rose and fell as the
news came fiom Kentucky and Yer
mont and Maine, and how, as they
saw the Republicans, burdenod by the
sins and follics of Congressional action
by the whole weight of an admins
tration they could not direct, and a.
policy they could not execute-rise with
all the old power, and battle with all
the old faith, and triumph with all the
old grandeur, they learned again what
mighty power there is in party con-
trollcd Joy high principles and Inspired
by mighty faith but know | would
most interest you if | were to tel! of men
and places of interest about here.
RICHMOND.
This city il one of the best built and
most beautifully located that we have
except in the burnt district; it did not suf-
fer much during the war and there have
been many fine buildings erected here
since. 1t will sometim, take rank with
our large cities.
THE PRISONS.
Castle Thunder and Libby Prison are
still standing near the wharves, and
looking just as you have all seen them
in photographs. They are now occu-
pied, and men hurry and buy and sell
and test their tobacco, and record their
losses and pr, fit, and hear no cry or
groan within those walls that still re-
sounds through half the nation, and
over the sea.
| BELLE ISLE.
Standing upon high bridge of the
Petersburg and Richmond Railroad,
over the James, you may see most of
the city. At your right, and in the
centre of the river, stands Lew flour
ing mill, one Of the largest in the world,
a type of the new era that is upon the
city close about you, to the right and
left, lie the ruins, the topping walls and
great chimneys, that reach for squares
a little beyond the immense sign,
Spottswood Hotel" reminds you OF
the dark deeds that have been planned
within those walls; beyond, looms VI
the State House, where the COME derate
Congress sat, plain granite building OF
the Corinthian style designed byThomas
jefferson just at the right of this you
may see the four-sided wing of the Eek
eculive Mansion at the left reaches VI
against the sky the famous Washington
monument the finest monument that
have ever seen. The Washington j:
not the one we see in other bronZes, bu
the young man that Virginia best re
the French war. Under the left hoo
of the charger stands Patrick Henry
a wonderful figure, in wnich the bronz
seems hardly strong enough TO bind tn
spirit. And the heavy-browed Jeffer
son, and Randolph, and Madison, AM
Marshall in his great cloak, all stan,
there, where all the Senator'S and Re
representatives. of the South seen then
daily and received their re, roof. Still
> at the left reaches up the spire of tn
>. church, an editice closely resembling
the COngre gational Church of YOU
tOwn-where Davis received the fata
news. Down amid the ruins and at til
river bank at your left hand, under
mountain of smoke, the great fires @
\ the Tredegar works reach through tn
gloom, and just at your left foot lies
J.. little island without tree or shrub q
q blade OF grass, made of cinders in tn
= centre of the river. Along this, ii
a whole length, runs Il low hospital shed
= light bridge connects with the mail
land, and this lite pile of cinders, il
:, the swift river, shut in from the wind
v by the high banks, exposed to all tn
"a ticrceness of the sun, resting under tn
q AM every da} long trains of carts ar
"a bearing down the cinders from tn
a FORCES, as if they feared the pityin
,r waters might sometime bear the fearfr
II monument away. And when | thin
ic of the horrible ingenuity that selecte
II this fit place for torture, and remembe
20 Seymour, Green, Moody, and OF
az Brainerd, and all the other brave boy
4 that suffered there, l cannot bear til
20 thunder of the mills, or the war of til
of FORCES, or see the Toasted commerce tn,
threads the city.