Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-03-12

| CQupauy VIII Two iaCleS came up, 6nQ when
near ,'he moved out In the dusty street
I did not see them until they haG passed me-
or should have moved my chair and given
them the right OF way. The General and
his ladies were on their way to Washington,
and upon reaching the steamer, only hall
square eff, be called to his aid posse of the
Ellsworth Zouayes, that were lounging
around, and commanded them to come over
and throw me in the dock.
At this iunc'ure Richard Randolph, Chief
Engineer A., l.. & II. r r. approached the
General and asked what was the matter.
He stated that in coming by those "black-
gusrde" neither had the poiteness to move
their chairs and let him and bis ladies pass.
Randolph recognized me, and said "Gen.
eral, that gentleman is friend of mine
know that no insult was intended" He
| Immediately came to me and stated that the
General had Issued orders TO have me
thrown ia the dock. My explanation was
that l did not see him until he had passed
me. The zouaves were now upon US. Ran
dolph ordered them to let us alone, that he
had made it all right with the General
The General was killed in battle We
are directed by the Good Book to pray for
our enemies, but 1t was O severe tax upon
my amiability to accord him in death De
mortuiS nil nisi bonum.
have been charged with being ampaut
secessi0Dist; this q not so Ny grandfather
was revolutionary soldier; ho geve his
blood for the Independence Of this country,
having received terrible wound ht the bat,
tie OF BrandSwine. have often beard
bim relate the terrible suf,rines he en-
counle,ed in those days that tried mems
souls" THIS Justified 10 my youthful mind
strong love for my country. | did not
think al The time that wsr Wss the proper
mode f,r the south ic redress her wrongs,
o! TO maintain her rights and see nothing
in the result to alter this opinion When
ny State seeded ! locked upon il Is my
duty to cast my lot with her.
Having concluded 10 make change Of
hsse, had al interview with Robt ]. Smith,
lawyer at the Alexandria bar He stated
hie desire to become one Of the party. We
at once set about making arrangements to
effect or escape through the Union lines.
4 captain who ran skipper was seen, and
ne stated that ne would set us safely through
the lines for S15 per capita. He arranged
we should be aboard promptly at high noon;
at that hour we struggled aboard one at
time after slowing ourselves sway in the
hold the lines were cut loose ana the skip
per was off to ses. The case seemed to have
the confidence OF the officials; he was not
subjected to strict scsu,i my, but was permit
ted to make his trips dd Hbitum
a dead calm prevailed, not ripple dis
turbeG tbs placid bosorp OF the classic Poto
mac. We drifted along with the tide. Soon
we we're under the batteries of the Pawnee,
whose great war dogs" we're peeping out,
looking big enough for me to crawl in and
turn around and crawl out. The captain
whispered down in the hold, The hoat'a
crew ere now on their way TO Inspect this
vessel; Ii you will keep quiet / think [ can
manage to keep them of" l heard the
splash Of the oars in tbs water Rs they ap-
preached u.s. It is W nderfu! with what
lightning rspidity tbs thoughts flash from
cue idea to another when we are upon the
ragged edgs" Of great peril. "Oh, Pro-
phetic Hope"-"E Eternal Hope.N The crisis
was upon US. Basties, ails, penitentiaries,
flashed across my mind in rapid succession.
I well knew il we were taken prisoners our
fate would be odgment In one OF these in
stitutions. Then my thoughts flew to my
Bible. The first verse that came to me wss
Hope deferred maketh tho heart sick" J"
then 1.-THE Lord is my Shepherd, l shall not
want" then In thee, oh Lord. have trust
ed, let ms never be confounded," aud IS l
closed with Good Lord deliver Us" the cap
tain whispered down the hod 'Ai is well"
and the boat took its departure. This
brought some relief. We drifed aud l drew
q long breath.
Along with the tide, the gunboats were dying
up and down and wo know not what a minute
would bring forth. The fear of one of them
pouncng upon US and taking us captive. The
sails of our craft hung IS lifeloss sheet on the
end OF broomstick. Tho next morning at day
dawn we found ourselves in cove, having made
Is miles in the same number Of hours.
We were dumped out in the ice and wator up
to our hips and the skipper left US to paddle our
own canoe-or, in the words of Rev Sam Jones,
Toll our own skillets."
We made for the bushes, and after hours of tire
some rambling through bramblcs and briars. we
came upon an imposing mansion, 'Gunston,
which proved to bc the residence Of the Masons OF
Virginia 1t was not the time of year for ma
sons" and did not see any around. This place
was between the picket lines of the contendlng
armies and suppose they hsd gone in search OF
more genial climate
The lady in charge, true to her Instincts OF
Virginia hospitality, coon prepared breaktast-a
regular confederate one We were not slow to
avail ourselves of her kind Offer A cup OF liquid
Of the consistency of Cruel was passed to me-
slipped it, and the t:ste Was OF such peculiar ma
ture that was compelled to violate the rules OF
etiquette by asking what it was. When she re-
piled that it was genuine" rye coffee could not
realize it, but acquired taste for it before the
war closed
ALEXANDRIA, VA, March 1889.
ADVICE TO MOTHERS.