Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1875-11-05
Juau-uratI ION of Jackson Statue,


The following interesting letter from
Richmond we copy from the Capital, pub
lished at Washington city:
Although l have not the pen of ready
writer, cannot forbear giving You II birds
eye viex of the doings in our City of Hills
within the past week. Sundays sun rose upon
us bright and glorious, and seemed fully de-
termined to add his quota in doing homage to
one of the dead heroes of the 'lost cause. -
The remains of General George Pickett, (who
died in Norfolk last July,) were received in the
city on Saturday by suitable escort of his late
in arms, carried to the capitol, where
they lay in state until Sunday afternoon, and
then the whole city turned out en- masse to pay
the last sad tribute to his beloved memory
He now sleeps with the many of his brave men
who fought so nobly under him at Gettysburg,
and are together waiting the roll-call at the last
great day.
Monday was a busy day for old and young,
finishing up the preparations for the grand
event to which all have looked forward with
pride and emotion, the Inauguration of Foley S
statue of Stonewall Jackson, the gift of Britain
to Virginia, the foreign tribute to christian
valor, to the Havelock of America. The gi-
gantic preparations for this eventful day in eur
history were intrusted to General Harry Heth,
a brave scion of a noble stock, who soon mar
shaled to his aid the whole talent and ability
of our city to render every service in their
power to make the whole affair complete sue
cess; and right nobly did old and young re-
spond to the generals call and with eager
hands and willing hearts, bounding with en-
thusiasm, they set to work to erect triumphal
arches, to paint appropriate coats-of-arms, to
make flags of every nation under the sun, to
Irvine together the cypress and the laurel ; in
word, to do any and everything by which
they could show their love for and alteration
of the christian warrior.
Mrs. Heth, the fascinating wife of the mar
shall, collected as her aids bevy of lovely
young girls, whose plastic fingers wove the
wreaths and garlands, made the flags, the
sashes and other adornments for the officers of
the day, and finished their labors of love by
these insignia of honor upon the
many braves of the late war, from the general
in-chief General Joseph E. Johnston) down
to the little markers" who were very con-
spicuous in the performance of their duties.
Tuesday, October &c, was day never to be
forgotten by those who witnessed the grand
procession. The memories of the sorrowful
days Of 81 were brought back so forcibly to
our minds that for a moment we forgot the
cause Of the great pageant. But soon we re-
membered that the man whom We were honor
ing would never have proved false, even in
thought, to his parole, which binds as as loyal
citizens of one common country; and We
smothered the remembrance in its incipiency,
resting well assured that the time had passed
when any feeling of animosity or uncharitable-
ness could excite one heart in any section of our
widespread land; for now that the tempest of
feeling has blown over we can calmly admire
the bravery and skill evinced by the once con-
limo ri RnfT off nd
VIII forget TO tell you who composed the grand
and glorious crowd.
The procession. which formed at IL m, was
headed by General Joseph E. Johnston and
staff, followed by Generals Harry Heth and B.
L. Johnson, each with their respective aids,
the latter commanding the old first Virginia
regiment. Then came the regiment of cadets
from the '. VI. l., a most soldierly corps /; the
Blacksburg cadets; the Wise light infantry,
from the classic capitol, old Williamsburg the
Monticello guard, from Charlottesville; the
Petersburg greys, West Augusta guard, Nor
folk city guards, Norfolk light artillery blues,
and the Richmond howitzers, commanded by
the gallant General Lindsay Walker, all fol-
lowed in due order.
Then came a long line of carriages contain
ing many celebrities, among whom we recog-
nized Governor kemper and W. W. Corcoran,
the friend of the widow and orphan; also cx-
Governors Smith and Le,cher, Lieutenant
Governor Withers, the judges of the court o.
appeals, Auglo-Virginians headed oy the Pres
ident of the British Association OF Virginia,
General Barton; General Sleighton Of the New
York South, Hon. James Lyons, the Mayor o;
the city, and the Common Council; and last,
though by no means least, Mrs General Jack
son and Mrs. J. E. B. Stuart. Immediately
behind the carriages came the great feature OF
the procession, the survivors of Jackson 5
staff, followed by the veterans of the Stonew all
brigade, grown old in their disappointment
They mustered, we were told, about four hun
dred strong. There was an incessant cheering
and waving of handkerchiefs all along the
line as they passed, TO which the brave fellows
responded most Justify. General W. II. F.
Lee came next, followed by another line OF
carriages, in which we noticed Generals Fitz
Lee and Jubsl A. Early. This ended the mill
tary, and then came the civilians headed by
the Gesangverein Virginia, and including sew
eral societies, both Catholic and musical
Bringing up the rear was the fire brigade, pre-
ceded by detachment Of marshals under Gen.
]. R. Anderson. The FIRE engines were taste
fully decorated with flowers and evergreens.-
The whole procession was two miles in length
and occupied about an hour passing any given
point. In passing up Main street the process
sion passed under the first triumphal arch
of supporters of evergreens, from
which were stretched ropes hung with flags of
all nations. Among the most prominent were
the Union Jack and the crest of the Prince of
Wales with bis motto ''Ich Dieu; :" the
British coat-of-arms on one side and the colo
NAL arms on the other; the coai-of-arms Of
hope, and on the revtrse side that Of
the Commonwealth. Above the arch were the
names of Wellington, Havelock, Cardigan.
Jackson on the reverse, British tribute TO
Virginia valor." Another arch was composed
Of immense pillars of evergreens interspersed
wjb brilliant autumaal leaves and flowers,
and Embedded in these vernal columns were
portraits of Jackson on the one side and Foley
on the other, the whole hung with various
"cross'' standards of British and Virginia
flags. Stationed at the base of each pillar of
the arch were two sentinels representing the
two branches of the service-infantry and ar
fillery--in their old worn and faded uni
forms, who saluted the troops as they filed
through. The last arch, constxneted by one
of our native artists, Mr.. Sheppard, spanned
the western gate Of the capitol square, and
"bristled with q thousand bayonets.' The
columns were surmounted by stacks of arms
and cross-swords, which gave a very martial
air to the entrance. The throng entered the
gates and listened TO patriotic and stirring
address from His Excellency Governor Kemp
er, who upon closing, introduced the orator of
the day, Rev. Moses D. Hoge, ''the man of
God, and the close friend of Jackson After
the unwilling of the statue, (which we are glad
to learn is considered by Mrs. Jackson per-
feet likeness, little girl of thirteen summers
was brought forward BY Governor Kemper and
shown her farther's effigy. AT sight of Stone
wallis child the applause was deafening. Then
followed the firing of musketry, echoed by the
din of artillery, until we were completely en-
veloped in smoke, out of which we escaped as
soon as possible, and the ceremonies were over
and ended and without contretemps or fail
ure in any one respect. The night not proving
the fireworks which were to have
been exhibited on the square were postponed,
and We contented ourselves with walking
about admiring the illumination in all the
houses on the principal streets. But our en-
joyment was not to end here. Besides the
great fair and cattle show that awaited us we
had the pleasure of looking upon the far-famed
beauty, miss Cabel, arrayed in her bridal robes
and led to the hymeuiai altar by Mr. Albert