Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-09-26
MADISON MEET1NG-"JINE THE CAVALRY"

doubling Thomases who had my misgivings
about the cavalry parades that have every
where greeted General Lee. knew, too,
the pleasant habit that you newspaper men
have of giving everything the color of the
rose when it suited your purpose, how your
two men in buckram were so easily estimat
ed as two hundred if the exigencies of the
campaign required it, and how that old
question which Plate asked did not find its
safest respondents in newspaper office. So
I determined to 90 and see for myself, and
try to make truth and printers ink keep
company for one day at least.
Fitz. Lee and Wise-Mars and Satan
were to be in opposition, if not conjunction,
at Madison C. H. Thursday-and Madison
has been a good place for bad people, politi-
cally speaking, for 10, these many years
The white people predominant there numer-
ically, but stillhouses are numerous, and
Mahoneites abundant. The county gave
Cameron several hundred majority and it is
alleged by the other side that the democrats
carried it in 1883 by only twenty-five hun
dred-dollars. So Madison is thrifty
county oil the way from potatoes to politics.
But in Madison-if anywhere in Piedmont
Virginia-Joh nny Wise had an equal show
ine with Fitz Lee, and 80 the "Cavalry," as
such. had no Fictitious advantage. 1t was
the place to see which way the scales were
fitting, and to Madison determined to 60.
The morning dawned bright and beautiful.
Starting from the hospitable home of the
late Edward Male, of Orange, where, with
the Hon. Jno. w. Daniel, l had been guest
for the preceding night, we crossed the Rap
idan at Liberty Mills and found ourselves
in Madison. There was snap in the air
that was invigorating and refreshing. All
the roads led to Madison, that day, and each
had lis hurrying throng, fearful lest they
be too late to see the parade. 1t was good
old time general muster" day, and every
body was going.
Twelve miles over fair pike is soon put
behind pair of mettlesome steeds that,
like Jobs war horse, smelt the battle from
afar. Several miles out q courier from
General Lee announced that the column
was formed, and waited the coming Of
Major Daniel, acting adjutant general, to be
marshalled into town. A rise in the road
gave us view of the cavalcade in column
of fours. One end We could see, but tine
other-where was that
MAKE way for Major Daniel, "Hurrah
for Daniel", Lee and Daniel;! and past
prancing horses, and futtering banners and
pennons, down the line we rush, hunting
for the head of the column, aud for the
"Old Commander" who was always at the
head when the enemy was in front. After
a deafening chorus of cheers mile long
and whole fathoms deep, we see a stalwart
figure bestriding splendid grey stallion,
who in peace as in war is the embodiment
of good fellowship-who now, as then, could
Turn and wind his fiery Pegasus
And witch the world with noble horsemanship."
His greeting was of the heartiest, and fall
ing into line we move on the town.
should like to give some description of that
column-of the component parts of it.
Some few lads were there, stout enough to
be soldiers but too young to be voters some
coored men, as enthusiastic as the rest,
rode in the line, and shouted for Lee many
a stout nag that had been unhitched from
the plough showed the mettle oftheir sturdy
riders, and champed the bits of their blind.
brides; it was column that it did an old
soldiers heart good to look upon, and rous
ed fearful memories of
1.-THE days that arc no more"
A certain general whose name iluminates
the history of Madison and of Virginia, who
was one of the heroes of Gettysburg, left to
die upon its field, said to me that he saw no
grimmer resolution portrayed in the faces
that blanched not at Seminary Ridge than
he read in the countenances Of his friends
and neighbors marching under the peaceful
banners-the star-spangled banners-that
waved over this column of Fitz Lees!
Blessed old Virginia that is always great,
be these your 'asssssins and ballot box STUFF
fers" in array!
We are riding through The village now,
and at the windows are the mothers with
babes in their arms to look upon the pa
geant and its pride. The ladies welcome
with smiles and waving handkcrchiefs, and
all along the line cheer after cheer rends the
air. Banners are stretched athwart the
streets, and the martial heros name emblaz-
oned there is not General but Governor Lee.
Hail to the chief who in triumph advances,
and who reads his history in nations eyes
Even the stump" has been metamor-
phosed into thing of beauty by the ladies'
fair handiwork. 1t is decorated with ever
green, and in front is bazoned in bold char
actors the name of LEE, nor was Daniel for
gotten in the welcome or the decoration.
AS We passed the hotel where Mr.. Wise
was stopping his forces arrayed themselves
along the front and hallooed for Wise. The
challenge was promptly taken up, and
"Lee" was resounded so loud and so long
that "Wise" seemed but the far off, feeble
echo of sound that had been great.
| am not going into the details ofspeeches
here. Wise's audience was numerically re-
spectacle. 1t quite filled the court house,
but nearly every white man in it was sand
wched between two negroes. There were
number of negro women present too, who
clapped their hands at Wise's anecdotes,
while the men shouted "Amen" to some of
his distractions of political economy. He
said he couldn't say some things he would
say because of the females" present, and
the Lord knows what it could have been if
they were any restraint upon him. He
apostrophized sumac and got quite into a
melting mood over apple brandy when dis.
titled in small quantities. His abuse of Mr..
Massey was terrible, and his reference to
Lee and Ayers was sneering and snaky.
But to that audience it was seductive and |
insidious and sedtious speech. He de-
nounced everything that is of good report,