Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-10-12
vERMONTRR IN VIRGINIA.
tevisiting the Old and Once Familiar
Localities.
NORFOLK, Va Oct. 4, Is

NORFOLK, Va Oct 4, 1883.
To the Editor of the Free Press and Times:
Preached Richmond the evening of Sep
TENDER eth, and found a nice, rapidly grow
ing city Of near $4,000 population. Fine
large business houses, warehouses, depots,
and factories have been erected and the hustle
of large city is there. The easy ''sit-
around" habit of years ago has vanished and
the "bumps" and ''sit-stills" as rule are
gone.
Malone is undoubtedly, as we all believe,
bound to make good hay while Arthur and
the Republican leaders keep the sun shining
for him, but he is doing very little for the
future peace and prosperity Of Virginia.
Possibly it is as well for him to be the bone
of contention, for the few politicians aud
newspapers to quarrel over as for anything
else. Richmond needs q live paper, one that
will give the news and not endeavor TO make
il. This little town of Norfolk has two or
three one and two cent sheets that are either
of them possessed of more life than all the
Richmond papers. Norfolk merchants adj
vertise and make use of them. The Rich
lines were just as good as the Wig or Dis
patch Of to-day.
Friday, in company with Mr.. ]. r. Berry
of the Rock Island railroad, and couple of
friends from Iowa, VIC drove to Libby
prison-passing and stopping to view the
old stone building built in 1887, which was
Washington's headquarters in the Revolu-
tionary period. We also visited the old
church st. Johns, built in 174O, and where
met the Virginia patriot convention and
where Patrick Henry gave the key note of
independence, "Give me liberty or give me
death" We found the heights near where
were the extensive hospitals of the Confed-
crates, now transformed into beautiful
park. The open block OF land where Com
pany F passed their first night in Richmond,
Is now used as lumber yard. The York
River railroad depot hadn't as much tobacco
for free delivery as il had April 4, 1865.
Richmond is rapidly growing to the North
and West and fine residences are going up
In all that section. lakewood, where we
campcd for few days, and where we were
called out at night to cheer over the surren-
der Of Lees army, is now fast being built
over. In the afternoon Mr.. II. l.. Staples
OF HOB Main street, as straight man as one
would ask to find, sent his fine team with
me out on the Mechanicsvllle Pike to see
portion of the old battlefield. We passed
the rebel line and defantly walked into the
Yankee works, what there IS that can DC
found of them. some have been plowed
down and others stand as defantly facing
each other as ever. At about shutdown we
reached Cold Harbor cemetery. The peace
of an eternal quiet flttingly broods over this
holy ground. | had not the time to look up
the graves OF Vermonters, but am OF the
opinion that very few remain out OF the
enclosure SO far as | could md. The
citizens aided in discovering the graves OF
all they could. The sergeant in charge
lives alone. He has Northern farmers living
near him and lie spoke highly of his South
ern peichbors. The moving of the wind or
the whispering, If you please, through the
pines seemed fit requiem for the dead who
await the trumpet note OF the great hereaf- |
ter. -,
None can imagine the feelings that will
possess them II ever they visit these grounds
whether battlefield or cemetery. This Gem.
terry is probably located on ground charged
over by the Vermont brigade in Its most
severe fighting. The sergeant told me that
he had conferred with quite number OF
Vermont soldiers who described the location |
so well that they seemed assured OF this
fact. We regretfully passed op to the Games
Mill ground, crossing the Chickahominy, anu
In the evening drove into Richmond. Our
driver who was boy in those DAYS OF lighting,
could show us where here and there he had
seen men lie shot down, places where nc ana
other boys used to swim in the Chlckahomlhy
but when one day they found gun anu
bayonet fixed on it, they concluded II was
not safe to further swim there pointed gu.
many q tree stump where shells haa cS'