Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1870-03-22
St0newau jackson in Rome me-Interesting
Incident. sa4

Miss Sallie A. Brock, of Virginia, who is
now on Visit to Rome, is furnishing a series
of Interesting letters from the Eternal City to
the New York Metropolitan Record From
fer last letter, dated February 18th, we make
the following interesting extract, which will be
read with pleasure by every admirer of that
great and good man Stonewall Jackson. After
describing her visit to the church of st. Maria
di Ava Coeli Miss Brock writes as follows:
From the church continued my walk towards
the palace of Caesar, and as l stood attempting
to read an incription on the arch of Septimus
Severus an incident occurred which | think
we'll worth relaring-at least that sent me on
ward with feeling of pride in my heart which
must have been akin to that which many Ro-
man woman has experienced at mention of GER
tain names that gave brighter glory to Rome.
Wishing some information, [ ventured q
question to friendly priest who passed me =
At that moment French soldier, in the uni
form of the Ponti6cal Zouaves approached
and politely lifted his hat When the priest
had given me answer, he said:
Are you not an American lady p
Il am, replied.
Are you not from the States of the South ?"
II proudly proieSsed my nativity 10 Virginia.
and grati6ed smile lighted up his sunburnt
vlsage
i tuOuSuL Su L 80 uG cAC'dlm-
ed. II cannot mistake the accent. | was a
soldier in the Confederate army! / fought for
the South under Stonewal Jackson
You may rest assured was not slow in ex-
tending to him my hand, and expressing graft
tude In all the language | could at the moment
command.
The priest stood by in astonishment, not un-
derstanding the remarkable demonstration
"A great man la great man Stonewall Jack
son vas |" continued The soldier, while shade
of the deepest sadness settled over his counte-
nance. and 10 touched his hat and passed on
As leaked forward to the Arch of Septimus
Ssverus. and further on to that of Titus, and
still further on to that or Constantine, | could
not help thinking that in generations yet to
come some one might stand, as | did then, and
ponder over an inscription engraven upon some
somewhere on the soil Of my own
dear mother State. recording the name and
deeds of Stonewa Jackson-not less great, and
far more good than those who won for Rome's
mighty men. crowns and arches, and immortal
ity for all future ages. |
This episode ofthe morning almost untitled
me for research.
/ found myself as walked on, seeing and yet
scarcely seeing Inim Imagination was back again
in the capital of the Southern Confederacy, and
from every lip [ listened to the praises Of him
whose praises so gladly leaped from the heart
of the French soldier. and anon | beheld long
military and civic procession. noble hearse
With nodding pnmes | heard the dull. dead
notes of the mufflad drum. and the low wall OF
martial music as it pierced the agonized air,
and saw the star which had given US promise
begin to fade, and darker and darker it grew,
until it went out, and it was night with us
midnight to every hope that had enkindled the
flames on the crimson, dripping altar of patri-
otism.