Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-05-25
COMMUNICATED.
A "Reminiscences.


A Renaissance.
Pardon me; l can't help my flood of
memories that come trooping to the front
after more than quarter of centnry's
hush, to day, whilst your streets are throng-
ed by the old and the young, who come to
witness the unwilling of the monument in
memory OF Virginia's braves. Whilst can't
be with you in person can be in spirit. |
am busy with that past that helped go to
bring about this that follows land to the old
men and women of to day it will be re
yiver that they all, more or less, took part
in) First the division Of sentiment for and
/ against the government, how that feeling
grew on both sides until former friends
| passed each other on the street like stran
gers how chung to the union up to the
very day that Mr.. Lincoln called upon Vir-
ginia to furnish her quota Of troops TO whip
South Carolina back, and how quickly
( turned away from the union party and
crossed. with scores of others of our citizens,
to theStates rights men; and then the move
| ments of Jackson, keeper Of the Marshall
| House; among the friends OF our cause gath
ering means land gave my mite) to pur-
chase material to make the flag that cost
both him and the brave Ellsworth their lives;
then the home guard, and it's nightly drills;
then the Pawnes, with her guns out abreast
of our town, then that Sunday morning
when boat load of officers and men put of
for the shore and was refused a landing at
CsZenove's wharf, and the conversation be
tween the parties 10 the boat and on shore,
they pleading for the privilege to land for
church privileges. whilst we felt the angry
froWn of her guns, was not In keeping with
the teachings of the Prince of Peace, aud we
did not know what was wrapped up in that
movement. Pardon my reference 30 often to
myself). sold to the State of Virginia for
our firm some SO 600 worth of groceries and
was kept busy (fast as we could get carsl,
sending these stores back to Warrenton,
and these largely supplied the rations
for our army up to the fret Manassas.
call up what happened in the direction
of church work. said to my pastor must
get away, but you remain and take care of
the woman and children, and how he look
ed me in the eye and promised he would
do 1t, land he did it for, at one time only he
and the Catholic priest were left TO bury the
dead, and when they took his church build
Ing from him he fixed up the theatre) and
after the war on my return l found more
brethren and sisters from the other denomi
nations teaching in the Sabbath school,
then there were members of my own church
aud denomination; then the best of our pop.
ulation forming companies for the different
arms of service, and the services of govern
ment spies OF every turn. One l remember
secreted In coal box in the Sentinel office
(Smith's paper). took my family out, leav
ing the breakfast table standing in the floor,
A. Il
sped away to the Valley OF Virginia, intend
ing to return in time to cast my vote for the
ordinance, but after reaching the valley was
prevailed on to raise a cavalry command
and did 30, Joining Mcdonald, then Ashby,
I'VE having been friends for years previous
iy). Then came the struggles OF the war
l reckon could write quite book, but the
past Ia gone l did nothing l am ashamed
of. never quarreled with the old flag.
fought the men that carried it. Its all over,
and In the language of General Grant, "Lst
us have peace" Our dead of the blue and
the gray lie carefully cared for by all sol.
diers who survive. l take no part in any of
the organizations nov formed [ don't GO
to the polls lever since the right OF
suffrage was given to the negro).
said am done-oil and water don't mix. This
is white mans country. ALI can do will do
to ChrstiaDize them and help our brethren OF the
North, whose fathers brought them here, to re-
turn them to their own Africa, and in doing so
am helping to carry out the will of that overrul-
ing Providence SO prominent in all our history
from the time George Washington walked your
streets down to this day. You meet to commcm-
orste your heroes bravery, and in the language of
another let by-goncs be by-gones; our heroes on
both sides have gone from us.
The buge's loud and warlike blast
Shall muster them no more.
An army now may thunder past,
And they heed not its roar.
The different flags meath which they fought
In many bloody day,
From their old graves shall raise them not,
For they have passed away.
AN OLD CONFEDERATE.
BALTIMORE, May 24th, 1889.