The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-02-15
Through Dixie,
Via the Old Dominion.
Especial COrrcpOnSence. |


| RICHMOND Va, Feb. 3, ls79.-l have Loaf Ill
lapprcci.lion OF the beautiful snow and the jim
ylc Of sleigh bells ILLS not my soul with joy, As
sing the bardS of he cutter, Buffalo robes, mui
| hers and all such appendices necessary to Tue
endowment Of arctic life, may please some but moi
me. believe this world would be much more
comfortable affair, could we live like the pigeon
that is, fly To some sunny land in winter aud re-
treat 10 our northern home in summer, II this
were possiblo to ALL We would not care so much
for paradise nor envy those who have gone to 4
better land nor would we want to die in the
sprng.time, nor at any other time, for that mat
,tcr.)
II seems fate has destined me to spend little
time again in tropical climcs; for after my dcliV-
GRANGE from the land of snow, my wandcrings
began to shape themselves towards the south.
On January Goth left Washington by an carly
train on TIE Washington, Richmond ~ Peters
burgh Il. T., which winds its way alon. the
coast and through the most important section OF
the entire south Shortly after gliding out Of tho
depot we reached the Long Bridge which crosses
the Potomac here and'connccts Alexandra with
the capital. As the train in the grey dawn speed
across this lengthy structure, my mind wandered
back TO the stormy days OF the rebellion; ana
thought Of the news that Heated over the wires
to the morning papers, when the two greatest
armies modern times had thus far seen watched
each other from opposite shores Of this river for
weeks and months. "All quiet on the Potomac
to-night." These words meant great deal in
those days, and soon they were rhymed and sung
and finally got to be the phrase Of the day.
Many beautiful! verses were suggested by the
saving, but those of Lamar Fontainc, of Virginia
seem to me most suggestive. Here is spec-
men:
"Al quiet along the Potomac tonight"
Where the soldiers lie peacefully dreaming;
Their tents in the rays Of the clear autumn moon,
Or the light of their watch fires, are cleaning.
A tremulous sigh as the gentle nlght-wind
Through the forcs. trees, slowly is creeping;
While the stars up above, with their glittering
Keep guard-for the army is sleeping.
Beyond the Long Bridge repo.cs the city of
Alexandria, where sleep 1000 of our departed
heroes. In this cemetery, as in all other Nation
al Cities OF the Dead, the sIecpers lie side by
side and at the head Of each is slab bearing the
name of him whose bones were laid beneath.
Ii is mournful sight ut best and never fails to
bring to our minds recolcctons of some dear
departed
Alexandria is one of the dead cities Of Virginia,
and after leaving so gay and lively place as the
capital it forcibly recalls the story of the wan
dering Arab who, wandering in the burning
wastes of the Syrian desert, comes suddenly up
on walled town. He sees temples and tombs ~
well As cottage and palace, fortress and granary,
but the roofs are gone and the city's gates have
long since been unhinged; the city is deserted;
it has no inhabitants but the fox that turks under
the fallen arches and the owls and bats that tut-
ter in the darkened vaults; and the Bcdouin fees
from the spot, invoking imprecatons upon it AS
the abode Of shctan. May we not think of Alex
andria rs did the Arab, when the fate of Els
worth flashes across our memory
Branching OFF at Alexandria, I went ont tol
Manassas Junction to see the old battle field of
Bull Run, situated about % miles from Washing.
ton. This, rs every one knows, WAS the first bat
tie of the war; and every one knows, too, how
the battle was lost, and of the disgraccful hight
which followed The road was blocked and pan
ic-strickcn soldiers became wild with terror; oil
org anization was lost; traces were cut cannon
abandoned, ambuanccs cmptied Of their wound
ed, and arms and ammunition thrown away.
Horse foot, and artillery became ineItricably
mixed, in their mad haste. Congressman and
ladies who had gone out to rec the battle Oiicors
and prvatcs who had run from it, strcamed over
the country breathlcss with haste and speeches.
with terror, many Of whom never stopped till
n.,l,
Washington.
The effect of this battle was wonderful. II i'm
aroused the entire north to sense Of
what it had to contend with aud showed it
that the march to Richmond was to be something
more than u holiday procession. After the bat
tie the phrase, zone southcIner is equal to five
yankees" became current. Many southern songs
of the time characteristic Of this spirit Of brag,
and az few of them ever found their way north, l
make u few quotations from an old "rebel" son.
book in my possession:
On the plains of Manassas
The yankees we met
We gave them thrashing
They'll never forget.
While marching on Richmond,
How little they knew
That the 'rcbcls" would fight
For their Red, White and Blue.
Another:
They have met at last M storm clouds
Meet in heaven;
And the mortimer, back and bleeding,
Have been driven.
And their thunder has been stilled,
And their leaders crushed or killed,
And their ranks, with terror thrilled,
Rent and rivcn.
When in the morning light
Flags were Haunted,
And Vengeance on the rebels"
Proudly vaunted,
They little dreamed that night
Would close upon their flight,
And the victOrs of the fight
Stand undauncd.
There is nothing impressive or interesting on
the battle field OF Ball Run; nor is ii in any wise
different from an ordinary farm or plantation
Bull Run being nothing more than "a creek or