Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-09-26

Gen. Morgan's return to Wlnches.
ter With the land warrants for his
"Dutch mess" he converted them
into cash aud bis fayorite comrades
purchased land arc und Winches
ter. and with the aid of the Hes
slams built themselves large and
comfortable houses, which are, 10
several instances, occupied by their
descendants to-day.
EXTRAORDINARY DEVOTION OF
THE "MESs."
Gen. Morgan died in 1901, but
all his "mess" survived him.
While he was sick they alone
nursed hin, and they took sole
care of his body when he died.
They prepared the corps for BURIAL
placed it in the coffin, carried 1t Oh
their shoulders through the streets
of Winchester, lowered it into the
grave and covered it, and would
allow no one else to touch 1t or
perform any duty connected With
the ceremonies. They alone fired
the regulation nine rounds over
their beloved leaders grave.
These famous old men dropped
off one by one until, by the veal
1880, there was none living. They
were all buried on the high divide
east OF Winchester called Church
Hill, the whole OF which tract wat
donated by Lord Fairfax to th'
town for church purposes, and or
which, until the Inauguration O.
the civil war, were located the six
churches and their attached grave
Yards. In the rear of these churches
is Mt. Hebron cemetery, lncOrpo
rated in 1850; IN It's rear in Stone
wall cemetery, and alongside of il
the Federal National cemetery. Ii
the center of Mount Hebron wal
laid out a large, circular plot, in
tended as the last resting place Of
General Morgan and his "Dutch
mess" but up to 1865 none of the
six occupied the plot because their
descendants objected to the re
mOSal of their bones from the
family lots in their respective
graveyardS.
GEN. MORGAN'S SKELETON.
Daring the civil war, Winches'
ter was occupied alternately by
both armies for five long years.
All the fences were destroyed and
the graveyards became common,
Mount Hebron alone remaining in
tact, because the Federals buried
their dead there. One evening in
the summer of 1866, a party OF
civilians, without an ceremonies,
moved Gen. MOrgan's remains from
one of the old graveyards where
they had lain for so many years
and re.interred them in the circular
plot IN Mount Hebron intended for
them. rhe Generals coffin was
entirely diSintergrated, but the
skeleton Of the great soldier was
intact aud showed him to have
been a giant in physique, fully six
feet high and of prodigious
strength. His bones were certain.
~ placed in another coffin, and he
now rests where originally pur-
posel. All objections on the part
OF the "Dutch mess" to having the
bodies of the famous men removed
have beer withdrawn, and as soon
as Congress makes the cOntemplat.
ed appropriation of $4,000 for
monument to Gen. Morgan, the six
men who were his inseperable com
panIoUs will be reirt,rred around
their leader.
The wonderful ''.ness chest" of
the seven old Indian lighters and
continental soldiers is still in exist
ance in the garrett of the house in
Winchester in which Ger. Morgan
lived aud died. 1t Is an immense
affair, built OF solid oak, but in con.
sequence of the changes made in
the old mansion by successive
generations, and because of its
great size, the chest cannot be re-
moved without tearing down the
partitiOns.-MemphiS Commercial.
A Piece of Confederate Bread.
We were met few days ago by