The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-05-18
by Request. From the Sunday Telegram
Striking Contrast.

In a recent issue of that most excellent paper.
| the Savannah Morning Neacs, we read of your
generous-hearted citizens putting handsome
| railing around, and tasteful monument over
the grave of one extensively known and uni
vcrsally beloved here; yet a stranger to him,
we set him down as Enthusiastically Il christian
| 1t never entered into the thought OF any one to
inquire If he had been blest with wealth, The
generous impulse that prompted it, and the
hand that executed it, stamped him one of ma
lures noblemen.- We remember that an inter-
val OF twenty years elapsed after this fair
daughter OF Virginia, far away from home and
friends, ar.ong strangers, in search of health.
found grave, and strange hands laid her away
beneath the beautiful trees and shrubbery of
Bonaventure. War, relentless, cruel, bloody,
ragged four long Years. The beautiful city that
sheltered her was visited and suffered from
ruthless soldiers. fortunes changed hands. and
those IN a1f1uencc at its beginning, if they
survived. were Otter i'm want at its close. How
much does consideration of all these crcum-
stances enhance the character of his generous
act
just before the war, perhaps year or two,
awalf in the person of a sprightly, manly youth
OF fifteen summers, found shelter under the
roof OF wealthy citizen in one of our valley
counties. Ills needless to Inquire how wealth
was acquired, whether interest was improperly
compounded, or the widow and fatheress were
mace to contribute more than they ought to its
rapid accumulation. Nothing so soon quiets
all questions about the accumulation of proper
ty as success. because in their wake is always
found those ''who bend the pregnant hinges of
the knee, that thrift may follow fawning." This
youth made himself useful; was genial, kind.
industrious, and made friends of all who came
in contact with him. The war came on, this
generous youth promptly volunteered, and from
his maiden battle, at Hedgesvie. to the surreh-
der at AppomatoX, he followed the fortunes Of
StoneWall jackson, whilst he lived, and was
proud OF being termed one Of the foot-cavalry.
NO Drawer, truer, more cheerful soldier ever
cracked a joke around a bvouac fire. Receiv-
ing his discharge, he returned to the family of
his protector and made himself useful ard eff
Gent and almost indispensable to him, who, in
spite OF the war, was adding field to field, and
was only concerned for his gains. After months,
perhaps years, of labor, by an inscriltable Prov
ldence, this brave soldier, who escaped all the
vicisstudes Of the battlei field, was doomed to
Gle 5y ignoble means, SO to speak, for, stand
ing by an out building, in the side of which a
piece OF iron with sharp point had been stuck,
on turning his head suddenly, it entered the
brain, resulting in DEATH Widespread was the
sorrow and sympathy for the generous soldier.
Fearing, from the known disposition of his en-
ployer for harding and saving, that he would
not do himself and family honor in burying the
soldieras his merits deserved, asubscripton was
set on foot to place monument over his grave.
He was shamed into making moderate sub
scription, but before the active friends of the
movement were aware, he had drawn the
amount from the subscribed fund to pay the
funeral expenses, so that the brave soldier
sleeps in pauper's grave, that is unmarked.
unhonored, and 1 may add, unsung! How
striking is the contrast here to the noble Incl
dent That heads this article. Yet it does not
end here. 10 attempta description OF the beau-
tiful cemetary of Bonaventure would be to
paint the rose Our soldier sleeps in cemete-
ry for which nature had done we'll nie b as much
as for yours. Hard by a clear, messy, lovely
ly stream, tributary of the Shenandoah, noble
oaks that We'd in So metery with the grand live
oaks of Bonaventure, beautiful cedar, sycamore
and other trees spread their shades over the
dead that for a century and a hall
have accumulated there. Near i. was reared
one of the first churches of the valley, in which |
our forefathers worshipped, rifle in hand
There lie some who fell in the Revolution, 9TH
ers who, at its close, came home to die and
sleep in honored graves. Presently, their sons
gave their lives for their country in the war of
1872, sleep there, and now our brave soldier,
though sleeping i'll an unmarked grave, is sur
rounded by well nigh three-score OF heroic conf
rades, whose highest need OF praise is they too
jackson. Framed in, as this cemete- |
ry is, between the Blue Massanutten, that |
stands grim sentinel over the battle-tields of |
Cross Keys, Port Republic and Harrisonburg,
on the one side, and the North Mountain on |
the other, its appearance would be photograph. |
81 forever o. the memory Of the beLoller.-