Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-01-30

The css wlns BY Hsnarss reafs-A Rene
aiscenes or The War.
tn The Editor offhe Dispatch.

To the EdH0r of SHe DtspnscH
The heading to my article may sp-
pear ludicrous, but il is still appro-
pirate to my subject. In your issue OF
the 2sth there is an item on tho recent
discovery of the imprint Of dogs
track on q brick supposed to be one
hundred years old. This reminds me
of my eats track, one hundred years
older than the dogs. and Of remi-
niscence.
Before and during the civil war | was
the owner and occupier Of the old colo
NAL estate known as Wilton" on the
north bank of James river, six miles
below the falls and opposite the celc-
brated fertilization known as Drew
rvs Bluff" In the early spring of
1862 | was visited by colonel of
Louisiana regiment, who gave me card
of introduction and his place of resi-
dence in the South. He stated that his
encampment was about five miles oil,
and that he could not resist the desire
to revisit place where so many happy
DAYS Of his boyhood had been spent
with the Randolphs, who were his rela-
tives, and then owned it. He appeared
to be about sixty years old, hearty
and active, and was evidently
man of culture and spirit, who
was willing to brave the hardships Of
war in the defence Of cause thought
Just. He was received with all the
kindness and courtesy we could extend
him and having shown him through
the old house and given him lunch, he
was about to take his leave, when sud-
denly he remembered and asked if a
pair of catalpa trees were still standing
on the lawn? He was conducted to
them. and his astonishment was great
that they had not yisibly increased in
size since he last saw them, about
fifty years before. The bodies
of these trees were then about
three feet in diameter. He spoke of
their beautiful blossoms, Of their dense
shade, and of the happy hours he had
spent under them. When about to
turn from them he Rugged each in turn,
and | could see tears in his eyes. Re
covering from this sentimental feeling,
he pleasantly and jocularly asked If !
had ever noticed cat-track on one OF
the bricks in that side of the house? |
replied that had not, and he conduct
ed me to the wall and pointed it out.
The impression was perfect, and we
talked of the age of the cat, native of
England, if then living, which was fixed
at about l75 years, and adding the %
years since past, it would be now about
200 years old.
There was, besides the pleasure, a
providence in this visit. After the ex-
animation of the cats track he ex-
pressed desire to walk to the bank of
the river, on the edge of the lawn, and
see whether the noble James was at
that point the same as when he last saw
il. We had advanced towards the river
| but short distance when one or the
other turned his eyes towards the
house and saw flame Of fire break
ing out of the roof near n chin
ncy. Our return. of course, was
immediate. and. fortunately, there were
servants at hand, who assembled to the
roof, and. with a few buckets of water,
extinguishcd the flames.
Ny regret is now that ! cannot re-
member the name of this officer that
never met him afterwards, and do not
know his fate in the many battles which
afterwards followed. W. {. h.