Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-06-03
The Unwilling of the Monument.

|
A correspondent of the Wilmington, Del,
NeWs, writing of the unvei iHg OF the Con.
| federatts monument in this city, says: 81
went over to Alexandra the other day to
see for myself what happened at the unvcc....
ing Of the Confederate monument. There
ia relic of hundred years ago. The town
| Is small In area laid out in squares like
real city, and has the quaintest old brick
| buildings imaginable. The grass grows
among the cobble stone pavements. The
swerage appears to flow in the cutters. The
day OF the unveiling Of the Confederate
monument was the 28th anniversary of that
| tragedy of the early war times which thrill
| ed the North. The day too was the anni
versary of the departure of 600 picked men
of Alexandria to join the army OF Virginia
at Manassas. Upon the very spot where
they assembled the base of the monument
| stands to day. II is the first Confederate
| monument 10 be erected IN what may be
called Northern town, for although Alex
andria is essentially Southern, its territory
| was once part Of the District of Columb ba,
and during the whole war almost Federal
ground.
Thousands of people crowded iu on the
| celebration day. Hardly building on the
| main thoroughfare was there that did not
display the red white and blue, and the
| hospitable Virgiuians kept open house eve
rywhere. Three or four camps of Confed-
crate veterans psraded, and three Confeder-
ate flags could be discovered. One was dis
played from building on King street, and
two bearing marks of battle were carried by
the Southern soldiers The badges of the
veterans also bore the STARS and bars. Gov
ernor Fitzhugh Lee spoke moderalely-Cap
Daniel was little raw.
Union veteran with q Grand Army
badge in his button hole stood at the corner
of Fairfax and King streets to see the pro-
| cession pass. His right sleeve was empty.
| AS the Confederate veterans approached he
| took off his dilapidated cap, swung it in the
air and began to cheer. As soon as the
para6ers got sight of him they sci up the
familiar piercing rebel yell, and the demon.
stration was kill up until the whole line of
Confederates had passed by. Many times,
| indeed, the more enthusiastic Southerners
left the ranks to grab the Yankee soldier
by the hand. There were many greetings
of o similar kind at the monument. One
ex-Confederae whom saw gra3ped Grand
Army man by the hand and said that he
royalty welcome there. noticed two men,
bers of the Loyal Legion who seemed to be
treated with plenty of Difference wherever
| they went.
One drunken young fellow in the crowd
said: III l had been old enough l would
| have worn the gray and killed all the Yam
kee women in Fairfax county," But
neighbor retorted: "It was not war against
woman" YES" said the other" but
they threw pepper in our eyes," Then
1 l. hoAl nIad nd
carried him away. 1t was SO with war
SCARED veteran who had to be taken out of
the crowd. Generally the people cheered
such names as Jefferson Davis and applaud
ed the boldest sentiments of the speakers
most, but 1t was great, good-natured holi-
day for Alexandria and the sentiment oc.
casioned was sympathetic if not pitiful,
rather than boisterous and unforgiving.
| The speech of Captain Daniel, who pre-
sented the monument on behalf of the ar.
fists, was three-quarters of an hour long. 1t
was evidently the opportunity of his life.
time and he proposed to make the most ofit.
Governor Lee, stout, big.voiced and rosy,
was moderate enough. Perhaps it was be-
cause he realized that his effort would have
national reading. Generally he spoke of
the beauties of peace.
The monument is of heroic siZs represen.
tative of man in the prime of life, looking
a little down, as if with hope for the future.
There is q granite pedestal to 1t, but it
stands in the middle of the pavement at the
intersection of two streets without bit of
green. The daughter of old General Corse of
the Seventeenth Virginia pulled the string
when the proper time came. She s a sweet.
faced blonde girl of perhaps 20, and un.
doubtedly always will recollect with pride
the fact that she can be referred to as the
young lady who unveiled the Alexandria
soldiers monument.