The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-06-25
Reconstructed.

Grace Greenwood writes in the Advance the
following anccdote of Gen. Longstrcet:
"James Longrtrcct was rebel by accident,
rather than by nature and malice aforcthought,
at least, so his friends declare. He by no means
answers Shakespcarc's description OF one.
True, when once he plunged into the Rebel
lion. It was up to the chin, and he made a gall
lant struggle of IL brcastlng the turbid waves
like Leandcr, or Cassius. But when the
glorious new COnfederacy he struck out so
bravcly for, proved an Isle of cnchantment,
Fdia-lforgand, that ilcd away before him
when hc was flung back on the hard, duh shore
of the old Union, spent and chilled, he gathered
himself up, thanked Heaven there was firm land
for him of any sort, and resolved to make the
best Of il.
The Lord lOyeth cheerful giycr-in. as well
as giyer. and il is pleasant to sec one really,
thoroughly reconstructed chief, who neither
weeps nor gnashes his teeth, snecrs at negro
suffrage, nor scowls at the Union ilag,-onc who
even in his dreams is loyal, and "rides on his
raids no more"
A fine photograph of Gen. LOngstrect, given
me by Washington friend Of his, lies before
me. It shows good, strong, evenly-balanccd
head, q genial face, and full, soldlcrly figure.
Il is the portrait of a man sensible and philo-
sophin gh to take life easy-to accept the In
eytable Of one not likely to make bad mat
ter worse by "kicking against the pricks."
From the friend who bestowed upon me this
pleasant picture Of one who hal 50 much to do
with the '.late onpleasantness, lave received
several amusing anecdotes related by the gal
liant prodgal during his recent visit to his ia
TIERS house, to be invested with the ring OF re-
newell favor and the robe Of Office. When he
laid down his arms, for once and all, he first un-
dertook. he said, to reconstruct his own house
hold. Mrs Longstrect did lot long hold out,
and the children dutifally accepted the situa-
ton, down to little fellow Of some three years
old, born under the Stars and Bars. Beng told
to say, when any one should say what he was,
that he was Yankee, he accepted It as novel
truth, aud proclaimed II from the housetops.
But finding that this bold declaration Of infant
apostacy shocked some Of mammals lady friends
almost to the point Of syncopc, he adopted the
Yankee trick Of answering the test question by
asking another, "What are you!" lf the re-
ply came ~ rcbclr" accompanied by fash of
fiery southern eyes, a curl Of defiant lips and an
sniff of unappeasable nostrils' his
polite answer was, "Oh, then am rebel y
II that boy lives he will be in the Uni,e'l
States Senate yet
Gen. Longstrect says that Ice and Mcclellan.
clucated in the same military school, hal much
the same system of military operations. They
were almos, equally given to digging and ditch
ing. They dug against each other In cl''alr'c
Lee was actually callci by his men
'',hc Jack OF Spades"
So II seems that both should have for new
coat Of arms, shovel eouehaH', and pick-axe
for a ..bar-sinster,'' crow-bar, AMI
e,r the .blot on the 'escutcboon" Virginia
mud.
when the news Of McClellan's removal reach
II Confederate headquarters, Lee sorrowfully
hook hi. head, saying, "Ah that's a pity.
always knew where TO find little Mac"