Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-03-25
Eliza Van Lew-Who Was Lately Al
polluted Postmistres at Richmond.
81 fbaT

Eliza Van Lew-Who Was Lately Ap-
pointed Postmistres at Richmond
From the Troy Times.
Miss Van Lew was a resident of the
city of Richmond, residing in an elegant
mansion on what is known as Church
Hill, when the rebellion broke out
Thoroughly loyal at heart, she early
found away to make herself known t o
the "Yanks" who were confined in tn e
tobacco warehouses of that city after
the disastrous battle of Bull Run. Books
and comforts were sent to the starving
captives while Captain Todd Ia brother
of Mrs. Lincoln) was commandant of
the prisons. Butt that worthy. gobbled
up every thing of the kind, and vented
his rage in drunken curses on the giver
and those to whom they were sent. But
where there is will there is way, and
woman's wit will always find it. Moth
ing daunted by her first failure, Miss
Van Lew managed SO as to offer rooms
in her house to Captain Gibbs, the sue
cessor of Todd. Under this cover sh e
could, and did, exercise a degree of
hospitality to the prisoners, in the way
of books, provisions and clothing
Gibbs was an old soldier, and q kindly
man, though, in many respects, a severe
disciplinaarian. Evidently, he winked
at the acts of the lady beneath whose
roof he was sheltered. Her kindness
were many, and were continued, when
it was possible, through the war. The
writer is indebted to her for comforts
that were not only substantial and
helped to ward off the effects of rebel
starvation and cruelty, but for the still
more exquisite comfort of knowing that,
even where the rebel flag waved, the
Union had tried and trusty friends
Said this lady, on the day when we left
Richmond for the North, as she pointed
to the stars and bars that waved above
the capitol at Richmond, when the So
oalled Confederate Congress was in ses-
sion, ~ would gladly see my home laid
in ruins if [ could once more see the
Government of the United States res
tored here. Tell your friends at the
North that there are some of us left still
who pray day and night that the stars
and stripes may take the place of that
rag of rebel ::on!"
1t was through the kindness of Miss
VanLew that home was offered to the
Hon. Calvin Hudson, of Rochester a few
days previous to his death. The rebel
authorities kept this distinguished gen.
tleman confined in the room where
nearly a hundred officers passed their
days and nights where the noise made
by them and five hundred soldiers in
the rooms above was incessant and hard
to be be born by we'll man-until de-
liIium had set in from typhord fever
They then yielded reluctant consent
to the entreaties of his faithful friend
and fellew-prisoneI, Hon. Alfred Ely,
of Rochester,, aud allowed the invita-
tion of Miss Van Lew to be accepted
There Mr.. Ely closed his friends eyes
from this hospitable mansion, follow
ed by two of his late fellow prisoners
(under Confederate guard) and the
family of the host, the body was car
ried to the cemetery-in a grave in the
burial plot of the Van Lews it was laid
to rest until it should be claimed by kim
dred-and waiting until the grave was
filled, the hands of the loyal lady plant
ed a rose bush upon the mound that
covered one who had been 80 long a
Yankee prisoner.
But neither time nor space will suffice
to repeat the gaod deeds of this friend
of the Union that have come with our
ken. 1t is enought to say that theiy
name is legion.