Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-09-07
CENT EN- NAL TOURISTS
LETTER.
Mt. VernOn--Ai exandris- w ashfng ton--HeSO'
lutionary ond Historical Scenes.
On the Potomac, Aug %, '76.

On the IOtomdc, aug 20, ~
To the Editor
Thinking that line from this point
Of our journey east might be OF inte-
rest, / follow in the wake that many
on board are making, i. G. writing OF
what they observe Alexandria for
merly of the District Of Columbia, is
one of the oldest cities in N orth Amer
ioa, with the finest harbor on the Po-
tomac, with population OF $4,000,
half of whom are colored people, a
compactly built city in rich country,
yet undeveloped. The city is in decay;
grass is growing on her streets; docks
are crumbling to pieces there is no
animation. The capital city, six miles
above, is an agreeable contrast, to q
nnr4ho-., .-.~->. H. - = go. Tvu
observe there is go-ahead about the
people. Here is the dividing line on
the Potomac. South of Washington
there is no marks of thrift. Two
forts on the Maryland side below
Alexandria are the only objects that
attract the passengers on board. Both
sides of the river are covered with
timber with scarcely habitation in
sight. The river is grand, full mile
in width, and at Fort Washington has
a depth of % feet. Unlike the Mis-,
sissippi it is clear of islands no OBJ
structions. AS we approached the
the Mansion of our first President, on
the river, one is impressed with this
thought that he wished to retire in
the full sense of the term, as there is
no habitation near-almost hid in
timber, located handsomely on rise
100 feet above the river. We visit
there. A guide accompanies visitors
and explains ALL No one should fail
to visit Nj. Vernon. Three hundred
passengers on board are from almost
all of the western states. Centennial
visitors make the point first, as they
purchase tickets to Philadelphia via
Washington as cheap as direct We
return to Alexandria at o'clock PM.
We spent three days in the old city
visiting places of interest Masonic
Hall, of w ashington's time, and place
of membership Braddocks House of
Revolution times old hotel where
Gen. Washington registered while in
the city on business. Places of more
recent date during the Rebellion are
the Marshall House, where the first
Confederate flag was raised and the
consequences following you are famil-
lar with. The building has more no.
torietyand has undergone more change
from its original appearance than any
one business house in the city. 1t
bears the name of Marshall House, as
an advertisement for boot and shoe
store. The National Cemetry is at the
south end of the city, where the Coy
eminent has built fine residence and
inclosed 10 acres with fine rock wall
of sandstone, The grounds are taste
fully laid out out in drives and walks
decorated with flowers and shrubbery
lakes and fountains. Here in this
beautiful cemetery are buried 1000
bodies from all the Western and East
ern states. Marble head stones have
recently been placed at each grave
with name and state where known.
Many prisoners of war are buried here
marked with wood head.boards. The
contract price of furnishing marble
tomb-stoncs at this place was 1865, A
inches by IL inches, 18 inches
above GROUND, with shield depressed
and lettered upon same. A monu-
ment erected near the Fountain bears
the names inscribed of four persons
who lost their lives in attempting to
capture Booth, the assassin. They
were firemen detained by the govern
ment, and crossin gthe Potomac the
night of the assassination of President
Lincoln, they were drowned.
The Capitol is quiet. The speak
er's desk is in splinters,
showing the frequent use of the
gavel No drapery about the hall to
remind you that Speaker Kerr is no
more. There | find desks side by
side occupied by the most ultra
members Of both parties. Lamar of
Mississippi and you know his equal
of opposite views.
I expect to finish up the Centen-
NAL about the 18th of September and
return to Wisconsin soon after.
w, BARLOW.