The Republican journal., 1889-11-14

| WV tl'tN, INT ~ tONtIct tower. Lne beauIlIu
and artistic beds of foliage plant. and above all
the thousands of graves. whose white head
stones dot the green landscape. a. far a> evt
can see, repeat, if any can view all this lowell
ness and not be better for the lesson it teaches
then that heart must be indeed hard
ON Nerdant plateau. slopng gently down t
the river, is the simple grave of sheridan, coy
cred with English ivy, and marked by a hand
some monument of polished granite. A short
distance is another stately pile of granite. an,
the Inscription reads thus. Beneath this stone
lie the bodies of > 132 unknown soldiers. whose
remains were gathered from Bull Run and the
route of the Raprahannock." While we stood
before 1t, reading the inscription. an unknown
man with limited idea of the magnitude of the
great struggle coolly informed Us that there
We're only niue men killed in both the Bull Run
battles. He was laughed to scOrn by the vet
Grams, but reiterated his statement and said be
was a> much surprised as any Of Us. when be
learned it. An equally amusing mistake oc-
cured III the Arlington mansion. now used as
the superintendent'> residence. one of the
SIR hnlghts who was there with a friend reg
l>terlng his name. remarked. after looking
around on the evidences of byg0nc days. ~ eS.
every thing Is Just as it was in the Gusts and
Lee days, even the stove remains the same, >
pointing to the extremely modern. ncke plat
ed base burner which graeed the room.
After dinner on the same day, W. visited the
soldiers Home. which is spacious and We'll kept,
Niii NlilliN III i btauIlIuI PARK OI ttitlNiteu
heI,i>, wooded hills, romantic rayncs. and love
" lake>. comprising in all about 800 acres.
his must not be cOHfounded with any Home
Tor volunteer soldiers, as this Is used only for
roIdierS of the regular army. \ beautiful and
impressive statue of lis noble cid founder,
General Scott, stands on & slightly elevation.
and overook> the country fer miles around.
on Monday at 1880 \. NJ. we again Joined the
3lh Name boys, who were once more headed
toward Richmond. Very few went farther
thaA Fredericksburg, where we arrived about
noon. Our headquarters We're at the ENehange
liotei, kept Joint! by Iomrade Cotton, former
ly of East Hartford ct. aud Comrade Row
VINO was member of the 9h Virginia CayAl-
rN' 50 the "hiue and the -ra abide in peace
together.
Fredericksburg does not grow, aad were it
not for the enthusiastic tourists from The north
there would tie little hustle or stir. They have
the ilne>t collection Of war relics at This hotel
that ever saw. One could examine that co..
lection for week. and then not understand it.
After dinner we took carriages and drove to
Naem church, distance of four miles over a
charming { y corduroy road We @aZed with
deep interest on the little brick structure. rid
dled and Scared by bullet and shell. IN front
of the church can still hc seen the rebel breast
works. and standing upon them Nc could NOR
aii/e on the Ignorance and miSapplie;i courage,
winch Ied these men to turn into fields If
slaughter these fair Virginia lands Thr0u. h
Io- Schooihou>c which seems to have been
target for both sides, Il, front and rear Bear
eNIiehce ot war Grln yi,age.
It is hard to realize that the entire town Of
fredericksburg is indeed sacred ,oii" and the
tormei scene OF so many >anguiuary struggles.
Across the swiftly flowing KappaLannock and
through those ra}iHe> and woods, To the wi.ie
open space, came our brave men. be met in
their 'letencele>s position 10y the sweeping guns
Of the ntmy. entrcnched behind those iInpre1-
hable stone walls. thought Of the glorious
charge made by the ''.ight brigade" when the
gallant oid 9Th Maine ana four other regiments
charged UP Marye'> Heights, in the face Vi 4
brave ana pltiess foe. thought how those brave
iambermen from Maine ana Wisconsin, swept
on IN solid line up the steep hill, aud over
the e>carpment Of the stone wall, and how the
coIor> Of the 9Th Maine were planted on the
parapet, and the stars and stripes fnatel glol-
ou>lI from Nary'> Heights. This was Mar 8
/ SGj. and the Gth lost one hundred ana thirty
IiNe ufIltcr> and meh lhc beautiful national
cemetery. Situated on these same hills. teI> in
mute and eloquent language Of the fearful
sacrifice Of human lft at Fredarirk>hury
NpottSlNaDla. and the Wilderness. This ctIne-
terry, like some Of The others, j. Kept with tender
care, It contains more bodies than any # the
others, nearly lJ,oa0 hcjn4 buried there. and
uf this vast number nearly tireirc H0HSu3M
are unknown. Probably teW of the patriotic
women OF the north. have any realizing -en>e
OF the vast and almost countless numbers of
unknown dead 10 whom they rear their tender
tribute OF flowers each year on the threshold
OF summer. ! wish when their hearts are ten
der, ana their thoughts 20 out to the green
mounds, 81 carefully tended. where the flowers
bloom. and everything seems ike fair dream
of heaven. | would theD that thew would Walk
with me To another city Of the lcad, whera in
>lnkcn. neglected graves. with nothing to mark
them but a small wooden post painted white
and the name painted on that in black: where