Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-12-09

On a recent occasion Mrs. Pickett was persuaded by the writer to go into tho details of the fact so often simply stated that after the close of the war, General Pickett and wife sought safety from possible arrest for treason by an incog nito residence in Canada. She said: "As told you once before, l was only fifteen when l was married. my home was in possession of the Yankees. My | lover was on the other side-General Pickett. Our wedding day was at hand | and he could not come for me, but he | managed to communicate with me. All stratagems are fair in love and war. through hy lA't the s lines, es' N and General al Pickett with a guard came as i far on the way to meet me as he dared. We met half way and were married at Petersburg by Rev. Dr. 1 Platt. We at once went into the field, and I must say l was happier in the midst of wars alarms than I was 1 when at home with absence and anxiety i for companions.
 Il was as arrant a little rebel as the South erprovided. I did not believe a Yankee could be as refined and intel ! ligent gentleman as those on our side; nor did l think them as well educated or as brave. I would scarcely look at one, much less shake hands. All this amused my husband, for he was edu cated at West Point, was cosmopoli- tan, and looked upon my opinions as the Informed ideas of mere girl. A change in my sentiments came about after the war in this wise: We had be- come self-imposed eXiles because we supposed all active participants, such as officers, would be punished for treason. We fled to Canada under my husbands mothers family name Of | Edwards, and we were as poor and ob- scure as church mice. l will tell you about that directly. We'll, after various vicissitudes and after remaining there year and half, General Grant heard of our case and he telegraphed to Gen. eral Pickett that he could return to the States, as the terms of the surrender would be carried out. We returned to | New York and a reception was given to my husband by old comrades in the city, and so many union officers came to see us and treated US so kindly, were so well educated and so refined Twas heart fly ashamed of my former estimate of Yankee, especially after General Grant offered to make my husband Marshal of Virginia:
 ''To give some expression to my feel- ings, on our return to Virginia, thought would have my husbands watch, which was an heirloom, engraved un- known to him and present it to him on the anniversary of the battle of Gettys- burg, to indicate to him my changed sentiments. thought by giving all the battles in which he had fought during the Mexican war, and as a Confederate, and by crossing the flags to symboiize the Union of the Blue and the Gray, that could do so. No jeweller in Rich mond would engrave such & piece of 'treachery to tho South Public senti- ing expressed, and had to send it to Baltimore to have it done, after which 1 had the pleasure of giving it to my hus- band on the anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg, as had planned.
 Returning to our Canadian experi- ence as I said, we were without any re- sources. Our home, our country, our teen-and-a a-half years old, and felt our situation deeply. l had young child, voice and tolerable education. These last looked upon as capital. My husband could not get enough to do to support us.
 "One Sunday was desperate: went alone into St. Joln's Episcopal Church. We were at Montreal. I had on my wedding dress, which was a dove-col- ored lustre with a dove-colored, drawn silk poke bonnet with pink roses under the brim. wore wide turn-down collar and a large black silk visite, and looked like a guy; but it was all the nnery hao slnce ghe war; anu eloss turbans had succeeded poke bonnets
 while visites had gone entirely out ol style, and high linen collars only were worn. Still I was too proud to make
 any sign. l walked daringly into that church and up into the choir loft and , sat dawn in the singers seats Wher the service began, I began to sing. and pretty soon the chorister noticed nc Coming over he asked me to take the contralto's place, she being absent tha1 morning. It was simple service ane
 not unfamiliar to mo: so l sung my very best and had the satisfaction Of seeing
 the faces ef the congregation turn, ons
 by ore. nnt>, at the close cf the service-