Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-09-18
BRowNsBURG, Sept. 18th.

"
Reported for the STANTON VINDIcAToR.l
Standing on top of the hill in this time
worn and weather stained burg this morn
ing, locked around on deserted village
as far as men were concerned. The
male population had gone off solldly to
join cavalcade to ride into town with
EitZ Lee. Every now and then some
belated voter fIom the surrounding coun-
try would dash through the streets going
Westward. to join the. troop. A heavy
cloud of dust could be seen in the w est
slowly rolling towards the town. 1t was
the procession afar off. 1 walked through
the silent streets, not a woman was to be
seen, but the busy note of preparation
coming visitors were not to 60 dinnerless.
The calls to Eliza Ann to hurry up
there" and the inquiries Of Mary Jane if
it was "golng to take her all day % in
formed NE that the hostilities of the kitch-
en- were in active progress. A man may
be a fear inspiring spectacle on g battle
field, but woman hurrying up a dinner
is, to a prudent man, more full of danger
than the biggest cavalryman that ever
went to the field. At the nice little hotel
at which l stopped, ventured the inquiry
of one of the assistants when dinner
would be ready l received look, but
no answer; indeed. to be frank, I did not
wait for an answer. Walking back to
my post of observation I found the dust
cloud was thicker and nearer. Out of it
came the notes Of a far off bugle. Through
the thinner part Of the cloud glanced the
bright colors Of a flag. Then the familiar
"close up men," and the line Of three
hundred men rode into the village. at
the head was Fitz Lee, riding a splendid
horse, and looking every inch h Major
General Commanding. The band was
playing and the troops cheering. A halt
was called apd the line formed for re-
view. Preceded by the band the General
rode down the line, and the voters were
dismissed until noon when they were to
assent BILE at the Academy grounds. Gen.
Lee, Hon. ]. r. Tucker, W. A. Anderson,
Capt. Jordan, DR.. Arnold and others, ad-
journed in the mean time for dinner, to
the hospltable residence of DR. Zach
Walker.
THE BROWNsBURG SPEAKING.
You would hardly believe it, but around
that Academy at l O'Clock there were not
far from eight hundred people assembled
The whole country side habltants seemed
to have poult d in. Many of them wore
blue silk b.dges inscribed Fairfield Dem
ocratic Club" AMI some of them had
come, was told, as far as twenty miles
Old Augusta had pretty good rep
resentation herself. Of the gathering. l
presume hundred were ladies. In intro
ducing Gen. Lee, Mr.. Tucker, who has
cAmpaigned through Rockbridge for the
last fifteen years, said he had been to
Brownsburg before, bat had never seen
such reception as shis and had never
seen the county of Rock bridge stirred
from its depths as it is now. 1t was made
he said because the people of Rock bridge
had determined to defeat Malone, and
elect a man who had been good soldier
in war and an honest gentleman in peace
He was no lawyer, like himself and An
deEson (laushter) but soldier farmer.
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
Gen. Lee said this part Of Rockbridge
was familiar TO him. He had passed by
here at the head of his command to inter-
cept Gen. Ayerill on his raid at Coving-
and ho hic
manded would have arrived at Covington
before Averill, and caught him. Since the
war, he had met Averill and in talking it
over, A. told him that before reaching
Covington his ammunition had gotten wet
in crossing a creek, and if he had met Lee
with more men than he had (Which Lee
did have} he should have surrendered.
Averill told him in that conversation that
if he was down in Virginia now he would
vote for him. Great applause)
LEES CREED FOR THE SCHOOLS.
Abiding to card be had received at
Covington saying that S. Brown Allen
said in speech that IF Lee was elected,
the public schools would be closed" Gen.
Lee gave this as his creed
l believe in the public schools.
l believe in the right of the masses to
be educated.
l believe that education elevates men
and lessons crime.
And l believe if all men knew how to i
read and write, there would be fewer peo-
pie to belevesuch men as s. Brown Alien,
who skulk about cabins and hills making |
SUCH false statements as these.
Ii Allen made that statement say to
him as the old Quaker said to Joshua:
Joshua thee knowest never use Strong
language. but if the Governor of Penn
sylvania was to tell me to bring him the
biggest liar in the State, should come
straight to thee and say Joshua the Cover
lor desires to see thee at once"